Helping Italian Quebecers discover their roots through music, cuisine

Food and music always bring people together.

They are also a means of retaining cultural identity handed down from generation to generation.

That’s the common theme of a series of events happening across Quebec until Sunday.

Here’s what some of those involved had to say.

Stefano Ciotti, the Michelin star-winning chef and owner of Nostrano Ristorante in Pesaro, Italy: “I’m very happy to be here in Casa d’Italia.”

Fortunato Mangiola, the deputy consul general of Italy in Montreal: “2024 is the year of the Italian roots and this year’s edition of the Italian Week Cuisine in the World is devoted to the cuisine of the roots.”

Andrea Fornai, project manager at Migrazioni Sonore: “When you leave Italy you remember something that could be a feeling that could be something emotional. But we have to renovate this emotion with the contemporaneity of music, food, quality food, roots food, that bring people to discover again Italy for what it is today and not yesterday.”

Marco Calliari with Productions Casa Nostra: “We developed like going further than just music with food, with the taste, the real taste of Italy, bringing it here to my fans and to all Italian lovers.”

Giovanna Giordano, the director of Casa D’Italia: “We are asking the community to participate, to come and learn the new Italy. New music, new people and enjoy this event because this is not going to be the last one.”

Famous Italian artists from Tuscany Borkia Matti and Finaz were involved.

“People love music here and I’m very glad to be here,” said Finaz, the musician, composer and producer.

The project also brought to Quebec singer-songwriter Julian Corradini, representing his region Le Marche and Italea, a program created by the Italian government to help Italians residing abroad and Italo descendants discover their roots.

“We are from Le Marche,” said Julian. “Le Marche is called the best kept secret of Italy because it’s a wonderful region and nobody knows actually about Le Marche, but somebody calls Le Marche the new Tuscany.”

Julian and his brother Pablo were born in Argentina of Italian descent and were surprised to see how many immigration stories are very much alike, regardless of the country of immigration.

“We are the first time here and we are really surprised about this wonderful land,” Pablo said. “Because it’s similar to our country where we were born in Argentina, because there are a lot of histories of immigration, and people that come here to find something new and create something new like this wonderful place and this wonderful country.”