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Wed 10th June at 7:00pm

MARIO BIONDI

It has been 20 years since Mario Biondi’s warm, deep voice won over audiences abroad and in Italy with the single “This Is What You Are,” which went on to become one of his most iconic songs and a contemporary classic of international soul-jazz and led to collaborations with Burt Bacharach, Chaka Khan, and Earth, Wind & Fire. Since then, he’s earned platinum albums, recorded for Disney films, and performed on iconic stages.

To celebrate this important milestone, a new version of “This Is What You Are (20th Anniversary)” (Beyond/The Orchard) has been released on September 12 on all digital platforms, featuring renowned musicians from the international jazz scene such as

Dennis Chambers (drums),
John Patitucci (bass),
Antonio Faraò (piano),
Till Brönner (trumpet),
Chase Baird (saxophone),
and two of his long-time musicians, Massimo Greco (keyboards) and Marco Fadda (percussion).

“This Is What You Are” dates back to 2004, when the single reached the famous British DJ Norman Jay, who played the track on BBC 1 and BBC 6 playlists. The song entered and remained in “heavy rotation” and in the charts for a long time and was chosen by Norman Jay himself to be included in the compilation Good Time 5.

“This Is What You Are” was included on the album “Handful of Soul,” released in October 2006, which cemented the international success of Mario’s career.

Today, he is one of the most successful Italian artists abroad.

The Crooning Undercover project has racked up over 120 concerts in 25 countries around the world in addition to Italy, and in 2025 Mario reached a record number of 50 countries in which he has performed since the beginning of his career.

Blending jazz, soul, and pop into a refined signature, Biondi now looks ahead to 2026, when he will tour Europe celebrating the 20th anniversary of “This Is What You Are”.