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It is a "True Italian Story": if it had been for his family, then the little Giovanni would have had to take care of his uncle's business: a funeral service home. But for this, the boy was too bright and above all, musically too talented. As a child he ran already to his grandmother's kitchen singing the greatest hits of Adriano Celentano; At the age of seven, he started to studied piano and played drums, performing together with his cousin in public and on local festivals stages. While still a student, he worked for many bands and as soon as he turned 18 he participated as a keyboardist at several Tours all over Italy with Mino Reitano, Paolo Megoli and Amedeo Minghi. Of course, music had to become his profession and this, Giovanni took it very seriously.

He studied at the Conservatory of Perugia obtaining the Diploma of Piano as well as the Composition Diploma in Milan. He climb the carrer ladder in the Piano Bars around the world and the numerous experiences with the Bands and his many musical experiences over time in Italy and in the world help him to form the great artist of today. He says about that period: "In this intense moment, I realized how easy it is for me to change my mood in a room or Concert hall with my music and make people happy," says Costello.

 

The same emotions have dragged him for many years, on the big stages, on television and in his new fifth album "True Italian Stories". This takes its name from Costello's lyrics and authentic melodies that tell stories he uses to identify himself:

"Vere Storie Italiane". He rise himself through the ranks in Germany and it was there that an a music manager recommended Giovanni, right after his musical studies. Later he took his gift of natural and sensual Voice seriously, and since then his voice with its warm and smokey tone has thrilled audiences all over the world.

 

In 2005 the first Album called „Io senza te“ was release. But the great opportunity for Giovanni come in 2011, when the popular german chef Frank Rosin, one of his best friends, convinced him fortunately to take part in the first series of the famous TV show "The Voice of Germany", where his duet with the song "What a wonderful world" with more than 40 million views on You tube, has become a viral phenomenon, most recently in America and Asia. His interpretation of this piece still remains one his most important and memorable musical moment.

 

Shortly after he continued working with Xavier Naidoo, the most famous singer in Germany, and recorded three more CDs with him and the band "Sing um dein leben". Many television appearance followed such as "Xavier und Seine Freunde", "Bundesvision song contest" and "TV Total" on the TV programs SAT1 and PRO7 TV, but wanting to continue his solo career, Giovanni separated from the band to start with he´s own projects.

In October 2012, he sings in front of 45,000 spectators, the Italian national anthem, in the match between Italy and Germany broadcast live by German television Kabel 1.

 

In 2013 the collaboration with the SWR Big Band and the Südwestdeuscthe Rundfunk begins.

And was at this time that he record his second own album "Il Gioco". At the beginning of 2014 he was part of the Tour with the same Big Band on German television together with artists known as Pe Werner and Götz Alsmann and in the same summer participates in another television show "Live von Neuwied" on SWR TV.

In the same year Giovanni make his memorable appearance at the famous "Opernfestspiele of Heidenheim". In 2015 he participates with the same SWR Big Band at the New Year Concert in Mainz, broadcast live by SWR 4 Radio throughout Germany in the sold out Mainz Congress Center.

In February 2017 he signed the contract with his new record company GLM Music / Soul Food where in October 2017 he released the "Splendido" album which included some covers of Italian tunes as well as many own songs, among other, written also by the authors of the famous italian singer Mina, Fabrizio Berlincioni and Mauro Culotta.

The last album of June 2019 "True Italian Stories" with the collaboration of the Grammy nominated SWR Big Band, was recorded live and includes songs from the Tours from 2014 until 2017 throughout Germany.

The best of the concerts has been put in together in a unique version and all the songs have been arranged by expert arrangers like Ralf Hesse, Markus Voigt, Klaus Wagenleiter and the Canadian David Foster (to whom Michael Bublé owes his first successes).

 

The Album was No. 1 in the Amazon Vocal-Jazz Charts Ranking and TOP 20 of the German Jazz-Charts for many weeks, this Album remains one of his successful records.

 

Giovanni Costello is a true Italian. Until now he spends a lot of time, when possible in his house in the middle of the Umbrian hills, he cuts wood for the fireplace, composes new songs in his studio and meets his friends at the Bars. By doing this, he feeds energy and gets a lot of inspiration for his music.

Of course, Giovanni loves good food, excellent wines and loves to celebrate and sing along with his friends, usually with a piano nearby.

Costello loves elegance and, as a true gentleman, he pays attention to his appearance. Practice many sports and love the perfect Style. "Fashion is a must for me," he comments. For this reason, the musician and the singer on stage making a "bella figura" at any time by elegantly combining song, soul, pop and jazz - his models are Rossini, Verdi and Puccini, Paolo Conte, Nat "King" Cole, Tony Bennett, Tom Jones and Frank Sinatra among others.

And, of course, even James Bond is included in this list, certainly not as a singer, but as an elegant man who loves the challenge and knows

how to handle it.

 

After numerous concerts, tours and four albums, he feels himself "more mature and more philosophical", as he says, this is something that "is also reflected in my lyrics".

He saw so many things in his carrer to tell the "True Italian Stories" in an authentic way.

His songs tell stories, mostly romantic, but always honest. With "Io dico di no", he says "no" to the seductions of life, and not only. With the song "Meglio Stasera" that Henry Mancini wrote for the movie "Pink Panther", he pays tribute to the 60s. With the hits of Eros Ramazotti “Se bastasse una canzone“, he takes a dip in the 90s and does it with such ease that you think that the songs come from his own hand.

 

His superb interpretation of "Via con me" by Paolo Conte and “Che bambola“by Fred Buscaglione, he fascinates Italian songwriters in particular. 

Then Giovanni translated into Italian the song "Illusioni" by the great German singer-songwriter Udo Jürgens to become "Se non avessi te".

Of course, the song "Roma" could not be missing. It is a subtly political and socio-critical tribute, but extremely with love to the "eternal" city that thrives on opposing stories; the chaos of the big city on one side and the temptations of the Dolce Vita on the other. Of course, the catholic church plays an important role and the city is also characterized by the multitude of politicians and their street stocks. In the midst of general stress, you will always find wonderful women just waiting to be spotted by a producer for the next Hollywood movie.

 

Fascinating as always, Costello alone or together with the Big Band, is the crooner that moves between the soulman and the singer-songwriter, telling real Italian stories with humor and greatness.