Sting & Shaggy, fantastic on tour - The Riviera Romagnola lights up for the concert at the Arena della Regina...

At the launch of their album 44/876—a name derived from the two area codes for England and Jamaica—Sting and Shaggy had received considerable criticism and reservations, but their Italian tour is proving to be a success: people are having fun, dancing, singing, and crowding around the stage, putting security to the test. Rarely has such enthusiasm been seen at a concert, but this time the two music giants manage to generate it beautifully with this unconventional proposal.
 

On Sunday, August 5th, the Arena della Regina in Cattolica hosted them in the beautiful setting of the Romagna Riviera, thanks to the E-Events production. They drew a lively and enthusiastic crowd, a delight to watch as they embraced the summer night's joy. Sting, on the other hand, had similar intentions when he decided to work with Mr. Bombastic, explaining his reasons with candid simplicity and frankness: "For me, the most important thing in music is surprise, and everyone was surprised by this record," adding that he was driven above all by a desire to have fun. No flights of fancy or stratospheric ambitions, then, but an artist who—now able to afford whatever he wants—indulges in the "whim" of getting on stage for pure enjoyment.

And this is precisely the spirit that characterized the fantastic concert in Cattolica: a mix of charm, originality, light-heartedness, good music, and a few laughs. Sting takes centre stage, of course, with a setlist that doesn't leave out any of his legendary songs: "Fields of Gold," "Every Breath You Take," "Englishman in New York," "Message in a Bottle," "Roxanne," and "Shape of My Heart," accompanied by a captivating Shaggy, intent on engaging the audience, and two excellent backing vocalists, in addition to the band. However, there were also some of Shaggy's career highlights, including "Boombastic," It wasn't me, Angel, and others, adding a cover of Bob Marley's stand-up song "Get Up." Together, they created "Don't Make Me Wait."

Semi-comic skits, dance routines, and extravagant performances highlighted the sparkling energy of Shaggy, a skilled dancer and great crowd-starter, and the undeniable professionalism of Sting, who—without ever compromising his quality—showed, perhaps for the first time, his most self-deprecating and sociable side, surprising his fans. The social messages conveyed during the show were no less praiseworthy: "He's from the UK, I'm from Jamaica, you're from Italy, but we're all brothers and sisters. Poor and rich, beautiful and ugly, Catholic and Muslim, black and white, we're all one."

So, while it may have snubbed some critics unwilling to embrace change and reggae influences, it's also driving thousands of people wild, brightening up the summer and bringing a breath of light-heartedness, especially to the artists. The program at the Arena della Regina in Cattolica continues with Pio and Amedeo in Tutto fa Broadway on August 9th and Enrico Brignano on August 21st.

(c) Affaritaliani by Chiara Giacobelli