On Thursday, I wrote about Toronto tenor Michael Ciufo’s new show. A good rehearsal is not always a guarantee of a fine performance, so it was a relief and a pleasure to see him do well last night at Mississauga’s Living Arts Centre.
In the company of his four bandmates, Ciufo delivered an excellent show — very much the kind of adult pop that warms the hearts of millions of people around the world.
There were many times during the 90-minutes of music that Ciufo sounded a lot like a seasoned pro. Most of the songs were from his album, Momento. But sung with more gusto and finely honed expression than he must’ve thought possible a year ago.
His biggest stretch, in my opinion, was dipping into the work of Jacques Brel. The legendary Belgian’s impassioned delivery, occasionally tinged by cynicism and always bent from a cigarette-gnarled voice is worlds away from a suburban Canadian kid with a sweet disposition. But Ciufo girded his body as well as his psyche to give his all to two Brel favourites — “Amsterdam” and “La chanson des vieux amants.”
Everything appears to be in place for mainstream success.
Proud to see yet one more talented Torontonian, someone who has come from the classical world and isn’t afraid to try something different, I want Ciufo to do well. So many stars and circumstances have to align properly now, and I hope they do.
To find out more about this talented guy, check out his website, here.
John Terauds