Born on November 1st: Salvatore Adamo, the ideal son-in-law with enormous international success

Salvatore Adamo was born in Sicily in 1943. A few years later, the small family left the blue skies of Italy for the gray landscapes of Belgium, near Mons, where his father had found work as a miner.

Seven children would later complete the family. Young Salvatore developed a passion for singing and entered numerous local competitions. Barely twenty years old, he won his first radio talent show, but success was still elusive. Undeterred, accompanied by his father, the young singer set off for Paris, determined to take control of his destiny, approaching record labels, concert halls, and cafés. "Back then, a jukebox in a café had the potential of a local radio station. Bingo! People who heard my song demanded it on the radio."

And so, with the romantic "Sans toi ma mie" (Without You, My Love), his career took off, propelling him to headline the Olympia for nearly a month. "Tombe la neige" (Let It Snow), "Vous permettez Monsieur" (May I, Sir?), "Mes mains sur tes hanches" (My Hands on Your Hips)—these were just some of the hits that filled venues, leading to extensive tours around the world. He achieved enormous success in Japan, spending 72 weeks at the top of the Japanese charts, which earned him true star status in the Land of the Rising Sun. He still visits Japan whenever possible to meet his fans.

The romantic ideal son-in-law doesn't hesitate to take a stand and uses words as a platform to denounce current events that deeply affect him, as in "Inch'Allah," which condemns the 1967 war between Israel and Egypt. While starting his own family, the Italian-Belgian artist works tirelessly, performing concerts and releasing new songs, as if afraid of losing his success. His fans, however, remain loyal, as in Chile where he performs before more than 30,000 people. Only health problems slow his pace, and even then, only for a few months. The following decades brought him further success, notably with "C'est ma vie" and more triumphant tours.

In 2005, after a few months of enforced rest, the multilingual singer (he sings in Italian, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Japanese, Portuguese, and Turkish) returned to the stage in Mons, where it all began, singing his first hit: "Si j'osais" (If I Dared). The tireless singer then resumed touring, duets, notably with Olivia Ruiz, and album releases, from unreleased tracks to compilations. In 2023, he released "C'est ma vie," a best-of compilation of his sixty-year career. He then announced the release of a new album at the end of 2024, as well as new concerts. "I'm trying to slow down, as best I can, but it's not in my nature." "I want to be worthy of this privilege I have of still being able to sing in front of an audience and do what I love," confides the sprightly octogenarian who admits to having more than 10,000 notes in his phone, the beginnings of future songs.

Upcoming concerts:

November 16: Coliseu - Lisbon (Portugal)

November 22: Cultural Center - Tournai (Belgium)

December 6: Cultural Center - Huy (Belgium)

December 19: La Sucrerie - Wavre (Belgium)

January 31, 2026: Théâtre Royal - Namur (Belgium)

And also in France and Canada

Photo: Salvatore Adamo on stage at the Cirque Royal in Brussels (Belgium) on April 22, 2022