Singer Al Bano shared his memories of his first visit to St. Petersburg.

In an interview with Izvestia on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on June 20, Italian pop star Al Bano shared his memories of his first visit to St. Petersburg more than 40 years ago.

"So, 1984, June, I came to Leningrad for the first time. A really special moment. I came with my father, mother, children, my partner at the time, Romina Power, and myself. And it was a truly magical moment," Bano said.

He said that in the first days of her stay in St. Petersburg, it was not easy for Power to get used to the unusual conditions: at first she did not have the necessary water and the fruits she was used to. However, according to him, all the difficulties were quickly resolved, including thanks to the help of the Italian consul, who promptly joined in solving everyday issues.

The singer emphasized that, despite the initial difficulties, Power was very imbued with the atmosphere of the city. He recalled that when she arrived, she cried from confusion, but she left St. Petersburg with tears in her eyes from sadness and unwillingness to leave.

Bano noted that St. Petersburg made a strong impression on him from the first visit. He also recalled the sold-out concert series in 1986 at the Yubileyny Sports Palace. He noted that he remembered this evening as one of the most unusual in his career.

"It must have been like that. And it was a special moment. <...> It's a scene I'll never forget," he shared.

According to him, when he and his team arrived at the site, the atmosphere was unexpectedly quiet. There were no sounds of the crowd, no fuss, no usual pre-concert excitement, which he was used to in his homeland.

"In Italy, the audience feels it from two kilometers away: chaos, noise, enthusiasm. There was absolute silence here, we were walking through some kind of underpass, absolute silence, as if no one was here at all today," the artist noted.

However, looking through a small gap from behind the scenes, he saw a completely different picture: the auditorium was filled to capacity, and all the spectators were sitting in tense, almost "religious silence." Al Bano admitted that this episode remained in his memory as one of the most vivid and touching.

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