Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the rising star that is Giacomo Turra. This Italian-born singer and songwriter has taken the music world by storm, starting off his journey to fame during the pandemic with his captivating cover videos that have garnered millions of views on social media.
But Giacomo’s talent doesn’t stop at covers. His original songs, such as ‘Get Into The Groove’ and ‘Sweet Life‘, have already amassed over 2 million streams on Spotify alone. And now, with his latest release ‘The Way She Wants’, Giacomo is set to solidify his place in the music industry even further.
Not content with just conquering the digital world, Giacomo has been selling out shows across the US and Europe, with his first UK show at London’s Jazz Café drawing a capacity crowd earlier this year. And the demand for his music is only growing, with an extensive US headline tour planned for this summer, as well as performances at major festivals like Summerfest and Ottawa Blues Fest.
But Giacomo’s journey is far from over. With more headline dates around the world to be announced soon, it’s clear that this talented artist is only just getting started. So keep your eyes and ears peeled for Giacomo Turra, because he’s definitely a name you’ll want to remember.
A full list of Giacomo’s currently announced tour dates can be found at https://giacomoturra.com/
What first got you into music?
I was lucky enough to grow up in a family that always exposed me to music since I was a kid. Even if none of my parents played any instruments, my mom used to be a dance teacher and she used to bring me to her lessons, where she would put a playlist for her students with songs from Stevie Wonder, Buena Vista Social Club and Jamiroquai. My dad has been collecting records since he was young, so after dinner we would all gather around the couch and choose to a vinyl to listen every evening. I remember a lot of jazz and fusion, artists like Weather Report, Herbie Hancock and George Benson. Those records are the reason I decided to start playing guitar when I was 13 years old and that’s how I learned how to play, jamming on my favorite record by ear.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I would call my music Jazz Funk. For me it’s really inspiring and challenging trying to apply the more complex and articulate jazz guitar vocabulary to a pop groove and easier song structure, it creates a very interesting blend of genres that puts together many different audiences and colors.
What’s the best show you’ve ever played?
Kura Kura Jazz Festival in Bali. We performed there in June of 2023 in a little island in Bali that they call “the island of the turtles”, playing on a stage in front of the ocean at sunset. It was a breathtaking scenery and people were so respectful and attentive to the music, it felt like a dream.
Is there a city or venue that holds special significance to you, and can you share a memorable experience from there?
New York City. After growing such a big following from social media during the lockdown in 2020, in January 2022 I was supposed to do my first tour in the USA with my band, but we couldn’t get the visa in time and we had to postpone the tour to September 2023. Since we already had the flight tickets, we decided to go there anyway, to meet with musicians and producers I was in contact with. One week before leaving, after announcing that I would have been travelling to the US in my Instagram stories, I was randomly called by a follower of mine, Dean, who happened to live between in NYC and he wanted to offer us a place to stay. During the call, I realized that I was talking to the son of Don Elliott, legendary jazz vibraphonist and trumpeter who worked with artists like Quincy Jones and whose records I remembered were part of my dad’s vinyl collection. I flew with my band to NYC and we stayed at his place, he showed us around and we had an amazing time together, becoming great friends to this day. I hold a very special memory of those weeks, wondering around the city and meeting with random people talking about life and music. When we came back to the USA and performed in New York City in 2023 with Dean and his family in the crowd, it was like closing a circle.
What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened at one of your shows?
At our show in Helsinki, I jumped on the stage with my guitar while the band was playing the intro of the first song, reached my spot at the center of the stage, picked up the jack from the floor, plugged it in, put my hand on the mic and screamed “What’s up Helsinki? Are you ready for some funk?” and immediately after my guitar detached from the strap and fell on the floor at my feet with a loud bang. That was so embarassing but we all started laughing and I think I said something really dorky like “I shouldn’t have had that whiskey that they just offered me backstage”.
How do you handle the pressures of performance, and have your strategies evolved over time?
Music has always been my biggest passion, my only hobby, but I never thought about doing it professionaly, I only did it for fun, without playing any real show. So when I started becoming famous with those video performances from my room,
What would you be doing right now if it weren’t for your music career?
I studied Art and Design at university in Italy, so I would probably be an artist anyway. At school I loved experimenting with installations, creating interactive spaces to make people reflecting about life and modern day society.
What is your favourite song to perform?
“Get Into The Groove” is my favorite riff to play on guitar, it took me such a long time to get it right and I feel people are really waiting for that during my shows, cause it was one of the main riffs that went viral on my page since everyone was so impressed that I was slapping guitar. It makes me so proud to hear people cheering when I start playing it.
Does your music fit into your local scene? If so, how do you take advantage of that? If not, do you see that as an obstacle and what do you do about it?
There’s little to no music scene in Italy for Funk and Soul. I really have to thank the gods of the algorhythm for helping me get known outside of my little town in the Italian Alps and reaching an international audience. I could have never imagined that I would have ended up sharing the stage with some of my favorite musicians and touring the world.
What would you do if you had to work but didn’t need the money?
A fisherman.
What actor would play you in a movie about your life?
Paul Rudd, people always makes fun of me cause I look like a younger version of him.
If you had a time machine, would you travel to the future or back to the past?
I would love to go back to the late 70s in California and see that music scene with my own eyes, jamming with Parliament Funkadelic or Prince.
If you had to describe yourself as a flavour, what would it be?
Mango Colada.
Do you have any lucky items, objects, or traditions?
Before every show since we started playing together in 2022, my saxophone player Alessandro needs to slap me in the face, one time for every cheek, while the whole band is watching. It’s our tradition before going on the stage every night to get us hyped and release some tension laughing, he slaps me really hard but it’s worth it!
If you were talking to a younger version of you, what advice would you give yourself?
Stop trying to look for a way to impress other people with your music, just be yourself and it will work eventually, because people can only relate to you when you’re being honest with yourself.
