Last edition as artistic director for Valerio Pagano: five years between great events and entertainment with That’s Amore, but the show continues
Today the events are a vital stage for creativity and artistic expression; this is even more true on Capri, the blue island, which already attracts many visitors, but that only through art and culture can offer tourists and citizens meaningful experiences. The review That’s Love Capri, now in its fourth edition, has these objectives, proposing each year a program increasingly rich and always in the name of quality. We interviewed the artistic director Valerio Pagano, among the founders and artistic director, for the last year of the kermesse.
The next will be the fourth edition, plus the zero edition of 2019, driving a kermesse that is giving great satisfaction.
I must say that we have grown so much and quickly, thanks to the many partners, artists and an audience who has followed us beyond all our imagination, and for this we are grateful. This will be my last year as artistic director of That’s Amore Capri; it is not easy to make a decision like this when things are going well, when everything works beyond the most rosea forecast. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, but I felt that everything I could give I had already given, and that by insisting I would ruin everything. The new artistic director will be appointed soon, and I am sure that the event will grow even more.
I am proud of the support we have given to Soleterre; moreover, we have shown that events can be an important asset in attracting a specific segment of tourism. That Capri is a splendid island is a fact, but this should not exempt us from planning a significant cultural offer. It is what we have tried to do, through carefully communicated initiatives and with a lot of notice; all this serves the island, which must be able to host large events in a continuous and professional way. It is an aspect that is often underestimated, but the success of That’s Love shows that this is the way to go.
This year That’s Amore Capri reaches an important milestone, confirming for the fourth consecutive year one of the most anticipated events in the cultural calendar of the island. How did this adventure begin?
The event was born from the idea of creating something meaningful all together for Capri and to support the Soleterre Foundation, this wonderful reality that works every day to improve the living conditions of young cancer patients and their families, and, thanks to the meeting with Damiano Rizzi, Aldo Velardi and the rest of the team, the exhibition has been linked to the Foundation supporting its mission. My view of life has changed and I have discovered that there is no nobler end than helping others. Until a few years ago “I was turning the other way”, convinced that it did not concern me, but now I am really happy to be able to make myself useful.
Would you like to retrace the history of the exhibition together?
It all started with what we call “edition 0”: the guest was Paolo Ruffini with his show “Up & Down”, event to which I am very attached. In 2020 there was a mandatory stop, dictated by the causes that we all know. Then, in 2021, the event officially began, and it was great to start with a show full of lightness and quality fun as that of Biagio Izzo, Stefano De Martino and Francesco Paolantoni, with Enrico Ruggeri as presenter. For the first time, it was located in the Certosa di San Giacomo, with which we still work today. That edition also saw the organization of the first gala dinner at the restaurant Da Paolino, starring a great artist and friend like Peppino di Capri, who enchanted the audience with an unforgettable performance together with Erminio Sinni.
2022 was a turning point for the event: we decided to enrich it with a series of starred dinners and haute cuisine events, with the aim of giving Capri something that was missing. In addition to the dinners, the show has also expanded with other new initiatives; among these, I would like to mention the guide of Capri for boys that we have created, Eduino discovering the fantastic island, which tells Capri to children in a fun and informative way. For the main event in Certosa we were joined by The Kolors, Francesco Cicchella and Maurizio Casagrande.
In 2023 we had the opportunity to have with us the singer revelation of the year, from the podium of Sanremo, Mr Rain, with Rudy Zerbi as presenter and face of the edition. Along with them on stage also Francesco Cicchella and Vincenzo De Lucia. The gala dinner at Paolino that year was attended by Biagio Izzo, a great friend of the event; in addition, the section of gala dinners has expanded thanks to the presence of chef Gennaro Esposito. Great memory also the dinner marked Anema & core with Gianluigi Lembo.
Well, a great trip, eh?
Over time we have achieved the goal of creating for Capri something bigger than a single event; a rich calendar, as ever necessary for our island, well communicated, with months of notice and in prestigious contexts, to say that we are there too. Other cities such as Rome organize many events, while we still can not develop a mentality of this kind, and we remain totally static. I hope something changes, we must offer more to those who live in our territory, both for tourists and residents.
How are the works for this year’s edition progressing?
Now we are very concentrated, we work for the next event at Rumore, which I thank for the collaboration and hospitality, with the DJs Prezioso and Albertino; at the same time, we are also working for the main event of September at the Certosa di San Giacomo, with Nino Frassica and Loredana Bertè. And it doesn’t end here: we will go on until the end of the year, to make the longest edition ever of That’s Love.
