I knew it was going to be a magical evening as soon as the band on stage at The Grand Del Mar resort in San Diego opened the show with a high-energy prelude to Tu Vuoi Fa Americano—You Wanna Be Americano—and Patrizio Buanne made his appearance. His smooth rendition of this Italian classic, made famous by Sophia Loren in the 1960 movie, It Started in Naples, set the stage for some enchanting evening.

Amidst wild applause and calls from his adoring fans, some of whom traveled to San Diego from as far away as Australia to see his performance, Patrizio entertained and mesmerized his audience with a wide selection of vocals throughout the evening. These included everything from traditional Italian melodies, to American musical selections, to old time rock ‘n roll--all performed with passion and the charming stage presence for which this international vocalist is famous.

Patrizio uses his handsome and affable looks, fine sense of humor, and appreciable musical talents to create a definite bond with his audience, in a performance that is a cross between a scintillating Vegas show and a classic Neapolitan concert.

In fact, it wasn’t hard to imagine yourself in Italy on that warm, full-moon evening in late August. Romance was definitely in the air, inspired by the Tuscan-themed ambiance of The Grand Del Mar, San Diego’s only Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond resort.

The Mediterranean-styled architecture is stunning and opulent without being pretentious, featuring lovely arched doorways, colorful tile, wood-beamed ceilings, decorative columns, graceful wrought iron, and Old World stone embellishments.

The concert venue in the resort’s Grand Ballroom was perfect for Patrizio’s show. The intimate setting, which boasted excellent acoustics, allowed the audience a more personal and interactive experience with Patrizio, who is an expert at connecting with his fans throughout his performance. From handing out roses to the ladies in the audience, to telling amusing stories of his Italian family, to joking jovially with the crowd, Patrizio has definitely mastered the art of embracing his fans in a very natural and appealing way.

Blessed with a strong, resonant voice, Patrizio is equally at ease singing ballads from the American songbook (On the Street Where You Live, Crazy, Fly Me to the Moon) to the passionate Neapolitan melodies (Femmina, O Sole Mio). He even strums a guitar and has a fling on the keyboards while belting out an energetic salute to ‘50s rock ‘n roll in his spoof, “Shake the Spaghetti.”

Accolades are also definitely in store for Patrizio’s talented musical director, Vito DeSalvo, whose fresh and artistic arrangements added to the overall pleasure of the evening’s performance. Whether pumping out high-energy rock ‘n roll, to adding sweet and plaintive background to Patrizio’s romantic selections, the highly talented 5-piece ensemble (guitar, bass, saxophone, drums and piano) never skipped a beat under Vito’s skilled direction.

Born in Naples, Italy, Patrizio began his musical career at the age of eleven and rose to stardom after mesmerizing audiences throughout Europe with his vocal style and engaging stage presence.

Patrizio performed on August 26, 2012 at The Grand Del Mar in San Diego as part of the resort’s summer concert series.