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Nicola Congiu (Niko) - "Tears of Hercules"

Here's a brand spanking new video of Niko in the studio with his producer, Peter Wolf, singing "Bambino".

Much more to come...

Niko is busy finishing up his sessions with Peter Wolf and we should have new songs up here and on the myspace in the coming weeks.

We're also going to be re-designing this site in the near future so be patient with any technical issues. We'll be introducing an online store and a bunch of other stuff...stay tuned!

by Bessie King
What could be better than a tall, handsome, brown eyed Italian man in his 30s? A tall, handsome, brown-eyed Italian man in his 30s who sings vibrantly and could be the next European sensation. Meet Nicola “Niko” Congiu, a singer with an Italian following who has opened shows for Jewel and Celine Dion and sang alongside Tony Bennett. Until now Niko has remained under the Italian wraps but is ready to entertain America.

“I started to sing in front of people when I was in primary school with my friends but the first time I had an audience was when I was 16,” Niko reminisced. “Every summer I went to the beach on my bicycle with my guitar [But] it was unusual because I was a young boy singing Diana Polanka songs and the guys of my age sang other things.”

In an interview with Blast, Niko explained that his musical passion was, is and will forever be, rock. Because of this he began performing the rock songs he grew up listening to and loving. As he grew older his beach gigs got him a mid-sized following, or as he describes with a grin, “I started making many, many, friends.”

As a child he received a keyboard, rock cassettes and a guitar as gifts for Christmas and birthdays from is parents who wanted him to enjoy music. However, they never fully realized that as Niko taught himself to play the instruments and lip-synch to the rock tunes, he was dreaming of one day being an artist. After performing in the beach over the summers his first glimpse at fame came when he was 18.

The teen entered a TV competition, Rei Por La Note (King for a Night), where he sang and won the night’s honors. His performance was seen nationwide and after that his popularity grew. Through more contests and gigs he met Paolo Limiti, an Italian T.V. personality from the national station Rai Uno. Limiti decided Niko would be great addition to his show and sooner than soon he was performing American, dance and Italian songs for millions across Italy’s television sets. In search for more, Niko moved to Milan.

There he put together a band of seven musicians and toured the country for ten years. His large number of new “friends” started filing up bars, as he became a true “Piano Man” and sang at local restaurants and hot spots across the country.

“I worked in clubs and played and sang every kind of music, from waltz to salsa to cha-cha-cha to disco from the 70s every kind. When I was 20 I started to sing in Italian because I started to work at many piano bars, but for me it’s beautiful to be here [in America] because I feel at home. I don’t now why but I always thought there was something special for me, something between me and America- I always felt this, and now it’s a dream come true for me.”

While touring and being on stages nearly every other day the star in training learned valuable lessons. Niko says that first, and most importantly, he learned to stay on stage and to know how to talk to the audience. He also learned the “right behavior” with my musicians, to know how to be punctual and work as a team rather than being a diva-man. “I think it’s important to stay true to yourself, ‘tu mismo,’ because I am living this moment like an important adventure and a beautiful experience for my life first of all. Is not important to me to become a huge star it’s important to me to sing.”

Just as he got into Italy’s heart, Niko tells that when he sings he can give other people the feeling that he’s feeling. For him, that is the most important thing. “I understand it will be strong if you have success now but then no more! I don’t want this, I just want to stay quiet and enjoy this moment every day.”

It’s still uncertain if Niko’s days will remain quiet or not. He was offered the opportunity to come to America by director-producer Steve Binder who met Niko on one of his shows while vacationing in Europe. Binder enjoyed the show so much he offered Niko the chance to meet people in the industry and obtain a development deal with Live Nation. From his most recent album Niko’s sounds are smooth and romantic. He is indeed gifted with a good voice, making his ballads alluring, but what probably attracts audiences most is his open personality.

Throughout the interview itself, the singer was nervous about his accent but eager to share memories and talk. This Italian feel is what Niko can bring to the table without having much competition. Although he is compared to Josh Groban or Andrea Bocelli and toured this summer with Chicago and the Doobie Brothers, his music is constantly developing.

“I want him to be Niko not anybody else, you can compare the vocal talent but not the performance. His communication with the audience is different,” said Binder. “Going with Chicago and the Doobie Brothers who are heavy duty Rock and Roll and seeing that they’ve embraced each other and had true love affair of musicians is amazing. Too see that four bars into a first song people are putting attention… I’ve never seen that with an opening act.”

Now as he prepares to work in the U.S. it’s exciting to hear about the music he may work in. Maybe audiences can expect Italian accented soft rock tunes? “I think when I first saw my first movie I was four or five with my parents and we went to see Grease. This was my first important moment because I immediately loved the music, Rock and Roll, the style, everything; I love many different kinds of music but my first love was Rock and Roll,” asserted the singer.

Although his summer tour has come to an end there are plans for future concerts as a record is being prepared. When asked whether or not he missed his native land, the answer is “of course,” but for the obvious reasons of family, friends and fans that are there. As far as his career is concerned Niko tells that he belongs here now.

“When I said ‘I am going to America’ people in Italy were very happy for my career and for me because I didn’t have many opportunities, it’s a sad thing but the music business in Italy is very closed; so we’ll see what happens because they are waiting for another Italian concert,” Niko added jokingly. “I couldn’t believe I to go out of Italy. I could not do it because it was difficult, I didn’t know anybody but I met Steve and this year is the beginning of my adventure.”

Enter to win a copy of Niko’s CD, Per Te, by emailing Giveaways@BlastMagazine.com

CHICAGO, DOOBIE BROTHERS ROCK BETHEL WOODS

Sometimes you just want to start with the dessert, going right for the best.
As great as the twin bill show of the Doobie Brothers and Chicago was Sunday night at Bethel Woods, it was too bad the two 1970s mega-hit groups didn’t start where they ended, joining forces to erupt into an 16-piece rock and roll classic combo, playing six of some their greatest songs during a near 30-minute encore that reminded the estimated 8,000 who attended why these songs keep getting stronger every day.

The “surprise” extended ending - though it should not have really been a surprise for those who attended last year’s Chicago/America show and caught the joint effort on songs - was among several start-to finish surprises.

When you have as many top hits as these two groups, allowing one song to get away seems like a small price. And few in the crowd, especially the whistling women, seemed to mind.

Not a surprise was the heart-pumping sounds from the Doobies, the California group who mix their own blend of 70s rock with 1950s blues and 1960s Motown as lead singer Patrick Simmons led them through classics “Jesus is Just Alright,” ”Take Me In Your Arms” and the familiar start to “Black Water with John McFee on the fiddle.
After about an hour and more than a dozen Doobie songs, Chicago had the unenviable task of trying to keep the energy going. What didn’t help was a fast moving thunderstorm as intermission was nearing the end. Robert Lamm gave the weather report and urged those sitting on the lawn, a good 4,000 or so, to try and find shelter. Good luck.

Unlike last year’s show when Chicago spend more time playing their prom-heavy 1980s hits, this year the group still kept “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” “Hard Habit to Break” and “Look Away” but seemed more willing to offer the sassy, brass sound that made original Chicago Transit Authority so unique in early 70s.
Chicago ended with the popular pop hits “Saturday in the Park” and “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day,” but that turned into a warm-up for the encore that saw the Doobies join them on respective hits “Takin’ It To The Streets,” “Does Anybody Know What Time it is,” “Listen To The Music” and “25 or 6 to 4.”
Not a surprise was how much energy both groups put into the show, and how their music stays fresh nearly 40 years later.

By Naila Francis
The Intelligencer

Hold the comparisons, please.Sure, he may sing with a sonorous baritone that plies an ardent emotion.

And, yes, he has the knack for both the soaring vocal and the tender croon — not to mention that air of sultry romance that he so effortlessly exudes.

Oh, and he's Italian, too.

But before you make the assumption, based on one or any combination of these distinctions, that the next Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban or Michael Bubl is here, know that Nicola “Niko” Congiu takes polite umbrage at the thought.
“I have respect for them,” says the self-taught musician, songwriter and performer. “I don't know if it's right comparing because Bocelli and Groban are classical singers and I'm not opera or classical. I sing just pop-rock or rock and roll.”

If he speaks with a halting, self-conscious English, it is because Congiu is a relative newcomer to these shores, the Sardinia native having moved just recently to Oxnard, a seaside city in California, 60 miles north of Los Angeles. He admits he is still struggling to learn English, but when it comes to his singing, be it in English or his native tongue, he is confidently at home.

Congiu's most recent CD, “Per Te,” is a mix of covers — including a stirring “Inutile” (Roy Orbison's “A Love So Beautiful”) and Robbie Williams' “Angels,” as well as several by famed Italian songwriting duo Battisti and Mogol — and originals, in both languages. From soulful ballads and danceable pop to country-rock tunes and more guitar-driven rockers, the disc draws on a range of early influences.

“I love Sam Cooke, I love Jackie Wilson. I love hard rock music — Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, many artists, sometimes Iron Maiden, also U2, The Beatles,” he says. “I sing from my soul. That's the thing about when you sing. It's not just an exhibition of your voice. It's what you transmit — your emotion, your sensations, your feelings.
“I love to sing in front of people because if I'm having fun, for me, it's the best thing. When I see the people have fun, I think it's the most important thing when you sing.”

The past year has been a whirlwind for the artist who never dared to set his career sights beyond Italy, where he maintained a rigorous performing schedule, emerging on the bar circuit around age 18 and then going on to perform at discos, clubs, festivals and other small venues while gaining exposure by participating in national singing competitions that were televised across the country.

“I played with my musicians in many dancing clubs. You have to play every kind of music, from pop to Latin music, from disco to rock music, every kind of music because the people have to dance,” says Congiu, who comes to the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden on Thursday, opening for Chicago and The Doobie Brothers. “In these years, I thought just to work because it was important work for me, for my musicians, every night, almost five nights for a week. I couldn't imagine about now, about America. It was impossible for me.”

Yet, he did know that music was the only thing he wanted to do. The son of a soccer player and a school teacher, he became hooked on the rock sounds of the '50s when he got his first audio cassette featuring the music of Little Richard and Chubby Checker as a boy. Then when he was about 6, he saw the movie “Grease.”

“That was my first music love,” he says. “The first thing was the soundtrack — the songs, beautiful songs and the style of songs, rock and roll, rock-a-billy ... I like rock-a-billy — and everything, the black leather jacket. It was very different.”

His father gave him his first keyboard for Christmas when he was about 8, which he taught himself to play, and by 12, he was also teaching himself guitar. When he began playing locally — Paul Anka's “Diana” was the first song he sang during his public debut — he sang only cover songs.

Eventually, he began writing his own songs, and in 1997, formed his own nine-piece orchestra, with which he began touring more extensively, building an enamored fan base. It was one of those electrifying performances that caught the attention of Steve Binder, the man who produced Elvis Presley's 1968 comeback special, and among other star projects, introduced America to Rick Springfield and launched the career of Seals & Crofts. Vacationing in Italy with his wife, Binder stumbled upon one of Congiu's performances and became as captivated with the young singer as was the crowd of more than 1,000 who had gathered to see him.When he and Congiu met after the producer returned a second night to see the show, the singer, a fervent Elvis fan, asked for his autograph. But Binder extended something even better: an opportunity to come to America.

“I can't believe it yet,” says Congiu. “It's a dream. Believe me, it's a dream come true.”

Since landing in North America with his family — wife Manuela and son Leonardo — the singer has already covered some impressive ground. He made his U.S. debut opening for Jewel with the Chicago Pops, performed with Tony Bennett during the 25th anniversary concert of the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and opened for Celine Dion during the start of her “Taking Chances” world tour.

“She's my favorite singer,” he raves. “It was beautiful for me. I saw her rehearsals, I saw her on stage with her musicians. I understood many, many things about her. I learned ... it's important to have always a good relationship with many people who surround you, musicians, friends, everyone. She's great, not only like a singer, but like a person. I love her very much.”

While adjusting to life in America has not been without its challenges — along with his family, he misses speaking Italian the most — he is happy to be where he is, figuratively and physically.“It's fantastic living now in California. (Oxnard is) similar to Sardinia — the weather, the temperature, everything because I live close to the ocean and in Sardinia I lived close to the Mediterranean Sea,” he says.

Despite a significant push toward stardom, he maintains a cautious blend of humility and anticipation.
“We'll see what happens. It doesn't depend on just me but many things — destiny, fortune,” says Congiu. “For me, it's a beautiful adventure.”