After a successful career full of
hits, international collaborations and world tours, Mario Biondi
debuted at Expo 2025 Osaka, where he was welcomed by the public
at the crowded Shining Hat, an arena that makes the universal
exhibition’s visitors dream for its beauty and acoustics.
The Catania-born artist, whose real name is Mario Ranno,
performed during the week dedicated to the Sicily region at the
Italy Pavilion, bringing to Japan his elegant style merging
soul, jazz and funk in a show called ‘Crooning Undercover’.
The musician has a deep connection with Japan, not only because
he has performed numerous concerts in the country but also
because the first version of his hit This Is What You Are
launched him on the Japanese market.
“I am extremely honoured to be back in this land which I adore
and where I have been spending time for quite a while, over 20
years”, the singer told ANSA.
“Music is for everybody, it must be for everybody, because music
is a feeling, it is an atmosphere.
“Everyone chooses the atmosphere they want to experience.
“It’s like happiness – you get to choose”, he noted.
Expo’s Shining Hat is just the latest of the many stages where
Biondi has performed as part of a live project that has already
touched over 20 countries and topped 100 concerts.
The public at Expo 2025 Osaka had the unique opportunity of
witnessing an intense and refined performance by one of the most
fascinating voices of Italian contemporary music.
And Japan represents for the Sicilian artist “a territory in
which the word culture is always connected to the word future”,
he explained.
Biondi said he considers the Japanese population “extremely
empathetic”, adding that people “try to establish eye contact”
to find a connection and ” to understand what you are thinking”.
In addition, the performer said he was deeply moved to be given
the role of “representing our Italian territory in a territory I
know and love”.
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