The Italian Radio Hour

By Viviana AltieriSociety & Culture

The Italian Radio Hour episodes

December 13, 2024 Italian American Holiday Traditions with Chris Fennimore rom WQED and Laura Magone from The Wedding Cookie Table
This week on The Italian Radio Hour: Italian American Holiday Traditions with Chris Fennimore from WQED and Laura Magone from The Wedding Cookie Table CommunityI’m thrilled to have had the the opportunity welcome two extraordinary guests who share a deep love for food, family, and culture to talk about their Holiday traditions.Chris Fennimore is a celebrated television personality, cookbook author, and storyteller who has been bringing families together through food. A smiling face and a distinct voice that has entered people's home for decades.Laura Magone is an accomplished entrepreneur and advocate for preserving culinary traditions, especially those rooted in Italian-American heritage. She is the creator and administrator of The Wedding Cookie Table Community FB page which currently counts 325K members. Together, they embody the heart and soul of food as a connector of people and a keeper of memories and today, we get to know them a little better. Enjoy the episode! Subscribe to @The Italian Radio Hour on Youtube or where you get your favorite podcasts.It all FREE!Happy Holidays to you all!
1 hr 2 min
December 06, 2024 The Price of Children - Stolen Lives in a Land Without Choice
This week on The Italian Radio Hour - In a shattered post WWII Italy, the Vatican instituted an orphan program that brought thousands of Italian children to the US to be adopted by American Catholics were eager to make the different in the lives of those Italian children coming from a very impoverished country. They thought they were saving orphans. They were wrong.
Most of the children were not orphans. They were the children of unwed mothers who had been pressured into giving up their child by their families and a powerful church. Today, thousands of American adoptees are still struggling to piece together their lost lives, decades after the Vatican's orphan program ended in 1970.
New York author Maria Laurino, an acclaimed, essayist, and journalist known for her insightful explorations of Italian-American identity, culture, and history takes us on her
personal journey of examining her dual identity starting with her book: Were You Always an Italian?, which examines stereotypes and cultural heritage, to The Italian Americans: A History, a companion book to the PBS series of the same name to her latest book "The Price of Children" where Laurino sheds light on the Vatican's orphan program, after having examined and research hundreds of documents that enabled Laurino to piece together what happened between 1950 and 1970, when the Church sent thousands of children born out of wedlock, or later simply a parent who couldn't provide care, to America on orphan visas. .
Laurino also indicates that mothers were deliberately misled by doctors and lawyers to sign consent forms which ultimately took the children away from their birth mothers forever. Those documents would be sealed for 100 years, under the Vatican law.
Laurino's poignant storytelling and astonishing investigative work create a powerful picture of what religion and government together can do to silence women. Laurino's book might leave readers angry at times but also hopeful that shedding light on this hidden story can help us avoid repeating the past.
If you are or know someone who fell under this program, you are encouraged to contact Maria Laurino via her website: https://www.marialaurino.com/
58 min
December 01, 2024 Accademia della Cucina Italiana - Roberta Marini del Plano
This week on The Italian Radio Hour - This week, after another successful week of Italian Cuisine in the World, we caught up with Roberta Marini del Plano, the New York Delegate of Accademia della Cucina Italiana.
From virtual Carnevale dinners to promotion of healthy eating to the youth, to regional publications by the Accademia to Roberta's very own recipe for a tasty Thanksgiving turkey, this episode will leave you hungry and more informed.
Follow the Accademia:
https://www.accademiaitalianadellacucina.it/en/#italianfood #italia #Accademiadellacucinaitaliana
53 min
November 22, 2024 Stop Italian Sounding with Robert Campana
This week on The Italian Radio Hour - What does “Italian sounding” mean?
This week, we discuss with Robert Campana, Founder of "Stop Italian Sounding" the ramifications of using an Italian sounding product name to induce consumers into erroneously associating the local product with the Italian one. This is done through the use of words, colors, images, and geographical references. These products are not technically illegal as they do not typically damage the intellectual property in the country where they are sold. The economic value of this phenomenon is about €100 billion (USD $121 billion) on a world wide scale.
Robert's mission is to teach about the differences between real and Italian sounding food & beverages products by emphasizing the following values: history, tradition, and craftmanship.
To learn more, follow Stop Italian Sounding on:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/stopitaliansounding
FB: https://www.facebook.com/stopitaliansounding/
www.stopitaliansounding.com
Robert had also hosted me on his podcast ,
Here is the link where we switched the roles behind the microphone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnmC-lYgA0Q&t=3s
41 min
November 15, 2024 The Jazzy Italian - Vanessa Racci
This week on The Italian Radio Hour - What do jazz and Italian-American music have in common?
Join my conversation with Vanessa Racci, a jazz and cabaret singer who brings a unique fusion of jazz and Italian-American classics to life. During this interview, she shares the story of the interconnection between the history of Italian American and African American communities in New Orleans - where Italian immigrants learned and performed jazz alongside Black musicians.
This mutual cultural influence, notably through figures like Nick LaRocca of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, motivated Racci to advocate for Italian American legacies in jazz and the broader music landscape and recently, Vanessa established a nonprofit organization to promote and preserve Italian American contributions to music, especially in jazz.
To learn more about Vanessa Racci or to see where she will be performing next, visit:
https://vanessaracci.com/
46 min
November 05, 2024 The making of an Opera singer with Marianne Cornetti
This week on The Italian Radio Hour - Is our path to success already written in the stars or sometimes we deviate form it, just to find ourselves unable to deny our calling?
In this personal interview, world renowned mezzo-soprano Marianne Cornetti shares her own journey, her world travels, her secret for work-life balance, and confides how the saddest day in her life, turned out to be also the happiest day in her life.
As a great community builder, and the Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh Festival Opera, she truly believes in making Opera accessible to everyone.
When not in a theater, you can probably catch Marianne rooting for any of the Pittsburgh's sports teams!
You can see Marianne next on the stage of the Pittsburgh Opera as Mamma Lucia in Pietro Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana".
USE CODE: POIMI to receive 50% OFF your tickets. Visit: https://opera.culturaldistrict.org/production/92661/cavalleria-rusticana-slash-pagliacci
1 hr 2 min
October 27, 2024 Novelist Marco Rafala' dives into his debut novel and his Sicilian American identity
This week on The Italian Radio Hour - In conversation with Marco Rafalà, an accomplished novelist and writer known for his captivating storytelling and deep exploration of cultural identity. His debut novel, "How Fires End", has garnered critical acclaim and was a finalist for the 2020 Connecticut Book Awards, as well as a winner of the 2021 Italian American Studies Association Book Award.
Marco is also a talented writer for tabletop role-playing games, blending his love for narrative and interactive storytelling. In today’s episode, we’ll delve into his writing journey, the themes in his work, and what inspires him as a storyteller.
How Fires End. A dark secret born out of World War II lies at the heart of a Sicilian American family in this emotional and sweeping saga of guilt, revenge, and, ultimately, redemption. After soldiers vacate the Sicilian hillside town of Melilli in the summer of 1943, the locals celebrate, giving thanks to their patron saint, Sebastian. Amid the revelry, all it takes is one fateful moment for the destiny of nine-year-old Salvatore Vassallo to change forever. When his twin brothers are killed playing with an unexploded mortar shell, Salvatore’s faith is destroyed. As the family unravels, and fear ignites among their neighbors that the Vassallo name is cursed, one tragedy begets another. Desperate to escape this haunting legacy, Salvatore accepts the help of an Italian soldier with fascist ties who ushers him and his sister, Nella, into a new beginning in America. In Middletown, Connecticut, in the immigrant neighborhood known as Little Melilli, these three struggle to build new lives for themselves. But a dangerous choice to keep their secrets hidden erupts in violence decades later. When Salvatore loses his inquisitive American-born son, David, they all learn too late the price sons pay for their fathers’ wars. Written with elegiac prose, How Fires End delves into the secret wars of men; the sins they cannot bury; and a life lived in fear of who will reveal them, who will survive them, and who will forgive them.
How Fire Ends is available on: https://www.amazon.com/How-Fires-End-Marco-Rafal%C3%A0/dp/1542042976
1 hr 6 min
October 21, 2024 Looking for a "Mondo Italiano" in Pittsburgh - Story by Anna Vitaliani, Italian Journalist from RAI
Oct 14th-20th was the week dedicated to the Italian language and culture in the world.
This week, we take 5mins to share this story by Italian journalist Anna Vitaliani about us, Istituto Mondo Italiano.
Anna visited Pittsburgh this past summer and wanted to find, search, and research the Italian community in the "Burgh. She uncovered many stories, among others, the Pittsburgh Italian Scholarship fund, US Steel Edgar Thompson, and ours.
Istituto Mondo Italiano has been acting a cultural center, Italian language school, and cooking school since 2003. Every year, close to 2,000 students, visitors, people applying for Italian citizenship, children (our Summer Camps have been voted the BEST in the BURGH) visit our center and take classes.
We serve as a bridge to all the different "shades" of Italianita', from people that have just arrived two weeks ago, 2 years ago, 20 years, two generations ago, wanting to maintain the Italian cultural alive and those who are relocating to our beautiful city and need help navigating the system.
We also have a boutique that features unique gifts from Italy (and yes we are already gearing up for our famous Italian Holiday Market in December) and host a weekly podcast that you have grown accustomed to, "The Italian Radio Hour" (in English), where we inform you and bring you stories from Italy, about Italy and Italians all over the world.
So, if you don't want to miss on the fun, join our newsletter by visiting: www.istitutomondoitaliano.org, browse our site, or come and say "CIAO".
There is always a cup of espresso ready for you!
Ringraziamo di cuore Anna Vitaliani for taking interest in our story!
To learn more, visit: www.istitutomondoitaliano.org
You can listen to the Italian Radio Hour on ALL MAJOR podcast platforms:
https://open.spotify.com/show/7mYlqNsak97BEEXpwtdaod and watch our video interviews on: https://www.youtube.com/@theitalianradiohour/videos
GIVE US A LIKE and a SUBSCRIBE because sharing is caring!
6 min
October 16, 2024 Holy Cannoli - The Cannoli Crawl and Experience Sicily with Allison Scola
This week on The Italian Radio Hour: Cannoli Crawl and Experience Sicily with Allison Scola.Meet Allison Scola, the visionary founder of both the Cannoli Crawl in NY and Experience Sicily. With a deep love for Sicilian culture and cuisine, Allison has created unique experiences that celebrate the rich traditions and flavors of Sicily. Her work not only brings people together to enjoy delicious cannoli but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the beauty and heritage of this stunning region.Listen to the whole episode to learn also about the history of cannoli, the main differences between Italian and cannoli in the US, and the history of shape of cannoli. (you won't look at a cannolo in the same way!)Also find out:Allison's favorite spot to watch the sunset:Favorite Festival;Favorite souvenir to bring home;Favorite smaller island off Sicily to discover;Favorite Sicilian wordAnd remember: CANNOLO - one; CANNOLI: Plural!!!!!
48 min
October 09, 2024 Kickboxing World Champion Gloria Peritore lands in the US #fighttheviolence
This week on The Italian Radio Hour - Three times Kickboxing World Champion, first Italian woman to win Bellator, Gloria Peritore was recently invited to to the US to talk about her her organization "The Shadow Project" - an organization that promotes gender equality in sports and fighting domestic violence on women.
During the interview, Gloria shared her personal story of a toxic relationship that lead her to discover kickboxing and rediscover her true self, her journey into becoming a world champion, her motivation, her resilience, and her courage.
The Italian Consul General of Philadelphia Cristiana Mele and the Consul General of Detroit Allegra Baistrocchi spearheaded the initiative to bring Gloria to Philadelphia and Detroit, allowing her to share her story both in a US high school, and the general public to create awareness and sensitivity towards stereotypes again the sport, inequality, violence against women, but still give a message of hope and words of practical wisdom.
On Oct. 26th, Gloria will take the ring again for her first boxing match. Let's all wish her un enorme "In bocca al lupo".
Learn more about The Shadow Project: https://www.theshadowproject.it/
#fighttheviolence #wearefighters
38 min