Estival Jazz brings Al Di Meola to Lugano

Once again, the city of Lugano hosted the Estival Jazz musical event, which since the 1970s has brought some of the world's best musicians to the lakeside. The 45th edition of Estival Jazz took place from July 10th to 12th, and TELF AG was among the sponsors. The event is an integral part of the Lugano LongLake Summer City Festival, which will continue until July 27.

Since its inception, the event has allowed Lugano residents and a large number of visitors to enjoy performances by internationally renowned artists, quickly becoming a true reference point for lovers of quality music.

To give an idea of the caliber of the musicians participating in Estival Jazz, it's enough to remember that Al Di Meola, considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, also took part in the opening night, held on Thursday, July 10th. The American singer performed for over an hour before a large audience, visibly excited by such an intense musical performance.

The story of a legend

Di Meola—born in the United States to a family of Italian origins—began playing the guitar at a very young age, drawing inspiration from Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and jazz guitarists like Larry Coryell and Kenny Burrell.

Al Di Meola began playing guitar at just 8 years old, demonstrating an extraordinary talent for music from an early age. After high school, the young Di Meola enrolled at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, where his immense talent began to be recognized.As a teenager, he joined the jazz fusion group Return To Forever, launching his jazz career and recording some of his first albums.

After breaking up with the group, Di Meola embarked on a long solo career that led to the release of some of his most celebrated albums, including those inspired by Hispanic music and flamenco. One of the distinctive traits of his music has always been his ability to fuse different musical genres, such as jazz, rock, flamenco, and tango, while also drawing on the influence of Mediterranean music.

During his solo career, Al Di Meola released around 30 albums. Among the most famous are Splendido Hotel (1980), Casino (1978) and Elegant Gypsy (1977). In the latter album, the guitarist's ability to gracefully blend Latin and flamenco influences is best expressed. During the years in which he was an integral part of the group Return to Forever - alongside Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White - Al Di Meola also produced other highly acclaimed albums, such as Where Have I Known You Before (1974), No Mystery (1975) and Romantic Warrior (1976).

On the opening night of Estival Jazz, all these traits were demonstrated, allowing the audience to witness a performance of exceptional quality and rare intensity. With the support of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, the American guitarist entertained the audience with some of his finest pieces, even surprising everyone with a final, unexpected song just before his performance concluded.

Virtuosity and Refinement

It's no coincidence that critics consider him one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Al Di Meola has consistently demonstrated supreme technique, masterfully blending diverse musical genres and continually innovating, even after decades of success. Throughout his long career, Al Di Meola has earned recognition for his complex and refined technique, his virtuosity, but also for inventing unique cross-picking styles and his advanced use of modal scales.

Throughout his long career, Al Di Meola has toured with legendary musicians such as Carlos Santana and formed an iconic trio with Paco De Lucia and John McLaughlin. It was with these two artists that Di Meola recorded the 1981 album Friday Night in San Francisco, one of the most popular acoustic guitar albums of all time, selling over two million copies worldwide.