The Italian Australian Podcast

We had a lovely time chatting with our guest in this episode Taysha Farrugia. Taysha is a young Italian Australian based in Melbourne who at just 14 years old is already on her way to becoming a successful singer and actress. You will hear 2 of her songs in this episode and you can find her music on Spotify via the links below. We love chatting with the next generation of Italian Australians and we are certain there are big things coming up in Taysha's career as a performer. To follow Taysha on Instagram:TAYSHA (@tayshafarrugia) • Instagram photos and videosDance take a chance on Spotify:DANCE TAKE A CHANCE - song and lyrics by TAYSHA Farrugia | SpotifyFearless on Spotify:FEARLESS • TAYSHA FARRUGIA

We loved chatting with fellow Italian Australian Daniele Foti-Cuzzola in this week's episode. Daniele has grown up with a strong connection to his Italian heritage and we had lots to chat about including language, food and spending time in Italy. Daniele's connection to his culture has influenced his professional life as a Creative Director. He now has his own studio named 'Studio Musaicu' and divides his time between Italy and Australia. It was very interesting to hear how Daniele makes it work for him. We also heard about the special children's book Daniele was inspired to write named 'Arrivera La Befana a Fremantle', a bi-lingual story about the Italian folklore legend of La Befana, what we loved most about this story is that it brings an Italian Australian perspective, the book is available for purchase via the link below.Daniele's Instagram:Daniele Foti-Cuzzola (@daniele_foticuzzola) • Instagram photos and videosStudio Musaicu InstagramStudio Musaicu (@studiomusaicu) • Instagram photos and videosLa Befana children's book:Arrivera La Befana A Fremantle?

Our friend and return guest, the talented James Liotta is back ! We loved catching up with James and hearing about what he has been getting up to. We are looking forward to seeing James when he is back in Perth touring with the Uncle Louie Variety Show in July, see the links below for more details.James also helped us answer an extremely important question- how much do you put in the Busta? Same as what they gave your sister? Do you allow for inflation? What about if it's a second wedding? Or what if the food was terrible? There was a lot to consider and discuss about this topic, it's a question that has been asked for years. We had a lot of laughs recording this one but we did also come up with some excellent advice in this episode, if this is something you have ever wondered about then be sure to listen in to what we have to say. If you still aren't satisfied with our answers then listen to the Italian American Podcast Episode 64- the guys did an episode on this very topic which is where we got our inspiration to answer this question from an Italian Australian perspective.James Liotta:James Liotta (@jamesliottaentertainer) • Instagram photos and videosUncle Louie Tour dates:Tour - The Uncle Louie Variety ShowItalian American Podcast episode 64:IAP 64: POWER HOUR: How Much S... - The Italian American Podcast - Apple Podcasts

This was a very fun chat for us, we were joined by Lou Greco and Carlo Russo, the stars of The Uncle Louie Variety Show. They are comedians based in America and entertain millions with their hilarious videos on social media, they are also skilled stage performers and they are bringing their show to Australia this July with shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, our friend- the talented and extremely funny James Liotta is supporting them and we can't wait to see him also. These shows are going to be epic and tickets are selling fast, don't miss out! See the links below for tickets to the shows and to follow the guys on social media. We loved chatting with Lou and Carlo to hear how The Uncle Louie Variety Show started. We also enjoyed discussing the shared experiences of Italian immigrants, there are so many similarities regardless of where they immigrated to and we love chatting with people in the Italian diaspora from all around the world.Tour - The Uncle Louie Variety ShowThe Uncle Louie Variety Show (@the_uncle_louie_show) • Instagram photos and videosThe Uncle Louie Variety Show | Facebook

We are so grateful to our friend Elena Di Fiore for introducing us to our guest in this episode!! In this episode we are joined by Elizabeth Rocca, an Italian Australian from Adelaide. Elizabeth's Instagram page 'Adelaide Gal' is dedicated to showcasing current events in Adelaide. She works as an MC and is a radio host for Radio Italiana 531 where she co-hosts 'Feel Good Friday' every Friday afternoon. She is also extremely passionate about her Italian Heritage and the three of us quickly bonded over our shared Calabrese and central Italian heritage. To see more of what Elizabeth is involved in and to listen in to her radio segment see the links below:ADELAIDE GAL | Elizabeth (@_adelaidegal) • Instagram photos and videosElizabeth Rocca - Work With Elizabeth RoccaElizabeth & Stefano Feel Good Friday - Elizabeth & Stefano Feel Good Friday - Omny.fm

In this episode we chatted with Rosemary Gattuso, a trauma informed family mediator who has written an Inspiring self-help book 'It's Not You, it's Me. We quickly bonded with Rosemary- over our shared Calabrese heritage- including our stereotypical Calabrese appearances- and our love for spending time in Italy. Rosemary told us all about her time spent living in Italy to consolidate learning the Italian language. We also heard how Rosemary's professional experiences led her to write her book. The book is inspiring and it is definitely worth a read. To hear more about Rosemary and her book see the links below:Rosemary Gattuso (@rosemarygattuso) • Instagram photos and videosRosemary Gattuso - Home

It was an absolute pleasure to chat with Australian Idol Grand Finalist Gisella Colletti and her father Luke. Gisella is incredibly talented with an impressive vocal range and a powerful stage presence. We loved hearing Gisella tell us about her journey with Australian Idol, including having Marcia Hines surprise her at her house and performing with fellow Italian Australian, Tina Arena. It was easy to see that the Colletti family is very close knit and value their Italian Australian Identity. Luke and Gisella recounted their 2023 trip to Italy and we discussed the special experience of visiting your ancestral areas in Italy. Gisella is the next generation of Italian Australians and we are so proud of her and the others like her who stay connected to their culture and acknowledge the sacrifices of those who immigrated.

We were so excited to chat with this week's guest, Melbourne based internationally best selling author Jenna Lo Bianco. We are big fans of Jenna's work, reading her books will instantly make you feel as though you are in Italy. This is why are so happy to share her story with our listeners, if you haven't read her books yet then get your hands on one ASAP, you will not be disappointed! (see link below)A proud Italian Australian like us, Jenna told us about her passion for Italy and the Italian language and how this took her on a path to become an Italian teacher. In addition to this, Jenna found herself inspired to write a romantic comedy novels. Jenna told us her full story, from beginning to write, to challenges and several rejections. Perseverance and hard work ultimately paid off with a three book deal with major publishing house Pan MacMillan. Jenna's books are popular with people all around the world but Italian Australian readers will definitely find an extra special connection with these books. To find out more about Jenna be sure to follow her on Instagram- see the link below:Jenna Lo Bianco (@the.italian.teacher) • Instagram photos and videosJenna's books be purchased in several stores and online here: The Italian Marriage: The hottest fake marriage in Umbria : Bianco, Jenna Lo: Amazon.com.au: Books

We are joined by return guest, our friend Mario Daviddi for a chat about how April 25th has a double significance for Italian Australians. We both learned a lot in this episode and enjoyed discussing how for Italian Australians April 25th is especially significant as we have a connection to this day through our Italian Heritage and also through our country of birth/adopted country. This date marks both Anzac Day in Australia and other parts of the world, and Liberation Day (Festa della Liberazione) in Italy. Anzac Day marks the anniversary of the first campaign of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) whose soldiers experienced major losses at Gallipoli during the first world war. Liberation Day in Italy celebrates the liberation of Italy from the fascists and German Nazis in 1945. Mauro is our friend who we call upon for his wealth of knowledge in Italian history- our listeners may remember our previous chat with Mauro about Central Italy Episode 63: Does Central Italy exist? - The Italian Australian Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

In this episode we continue our chat about how Italian immigrants were viewed in terms of race and how this shapes our experience in current times. Looking back in time, the cultural landscape of Australia was very different than in present times. The White Australia Policy was in effect during the post war era when many Italians were immigrating to Australia. There was a lot to discuss and was worthy of a long chat so this episode is Part 2, if you didn't listen to Part 1 be sure to go back and listen before starting Part 2. Episode 88: Are Italians ‘really' white ? Featuring Anthony Locascio- Part 1 - The Italian Australian Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

Comedian Anthony Locascio is back to chat with us in this episode. Anthony is a well known and very talented Australian comedian with Italian and Greek heritage, our listeners will remember the chat we had with Anthony last year Episode 62: Are Greeks and Italians the same? Featuring Anthony Locascio - The Italian Australian Podcast | Podcast on SpotifyIt was great to chat with him again and hear about what he has been up to, especially his recent time performing in Canada and the USA. This time Anthony is back with us for a chat about how Italian immigrants were viewed in terms of race. Looking back in time, the cultural landscape of Australia was very different than in present times. The White Australia Policy was in effect during the post war era when many Italians were immigrating to Australia. There was a lot to discuss and was worthy of a long chat so this episode is Part 1, be sure to listen in next week for Part 2.

We had a great time chatting about growing up Italian Australian with our guest in this episode- Elena Di Fiore. Elena is a business consultant, wife, mother of 3 children and a proud Italian Australian. Elena is the manager of our previous guest, the incredibly talented musician Michael Cristiano. You will hear some of Michael's music in this episode and we chatted about our appreciation of his work. If you missed our episode with Michael you can listen here Episode 66: The Language of our Hearts. Michael Cristiano's Italian Album 'Mai Finira' - The Italian Australian Podcast | Podcast on SpotifyWe also reminisced about growing up and developing our identities as Italian Australians and how we can carry our culture forward in the next generation. Elena told us about her values of ensuring her children have an understanding of Italian Australian culture and shares this with them through family, cooking, language and music. This was one of our chats that could have gone on forever and we look forward to speaking with Elena again in the future.Music featured in this episode is by the incredibly talented Melbourne based musician Michael Cristiano. These tracks are from his recent album 'Mai Finira'Web: Michael Cristiano | Official Website Michael Cristiano 24Facebook: Michael Cristiano | FacebookInstagram: Michael Cristiano (@themichaelcristiano) • Instagram photos and videosSpotify:⁠⁠⁠ Mai Finirà - Album by Michael Cristiano | Spotify⁠⁠

We think we have found the most Italian Australian person in Australia and he joined us our guest in this episode! After a couple of failed attempts, the Malocchio finally lifted and we were able to have this chat. Daniel Siani is based Melbourne, we always enjoy getting a perspective from a different part of the country. Daniel was born in Australia to Italian immigrants, when he was a baby they made the decision to move back to Italy where they stayed until moving back again to Australia when he was 16. Since then he has continued to go back and forth between Italy and Australia. These experiences have given Daniel a unique perspective on what it means to be 'Italian Australian'. We chatted about some of the differences between Italy and Australia and also the differences in the Italian immigrants who came to Australia in the post war years compared with those who have come in the recent years.

It's not long now until the Perth Italian Festival is back, it's April 5th 11am-10pm at Langley Park. The Festival is back for it's second year following the enormous success in 2024 thanks to Frank Miranda aka Mr Accordion Man and the hard working committee members who volunteer their time and skills to put this event together. This year Alexander is part of the committee and is one of the MCs of the Festival. We were so grateful for the opportunity to chat with him, we had a lot of fun chatting about our shared experiences as Italian Australians and hearing about his story. We are also very happy to be able to share some information with our listeners about what they can look forward to at the Festival:-Firstly, it's a free event and the day is for everyone, not just Italians-Throughout the day there will be live entertainment across two stages-an Italian Mercato with a variety of fashion and jewellery-Italian car display-food, food, food-coffee, wine and spritz-kids activities and ridesAfter dark there will be fireworks and DJ Gorgz will be there to transform the festival into an Italian Dance Party. We are so excited and cannot wait for this incredible celebration of Italian Culture, we hope to see you there!!For more details:Perth Italian Festival (@perthitalianfestival) • Instagram photos and videosPerth Italian Festival WA Inc | Italian Celebration

We loved having another chat with Melbourne based content creator Massimo Corrente, this week we had a light hearted chat about our favourite 'Nonni words' and funny things Nonni say. This is a topic children and grandchildren of Italian immigrants can all relate to, in Australia and anywhere there are Italian immigrants. We loved remembering our Nonni in this episode, they are so special and there will never be another generation the same as them.To see more of the fun things Massimo gets up to you can find him on Instagram at Massimo Corrente (@masscorrente) • Instagram photos and videosYou can also listen to our first episode with Massimo here Episode 68: The Fully Sickest of Them All featuring Massimo Corrente - The Italian Australian Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

This is Part 2 of our chat with Vince Garreffa- if you missed Part 1 we recommend starting there so you don't miss out of any of Vince's remarkable story.In this episode we chatted about Vince's work as a butcher, how the Mondo Butcher business started and how they came up with the name. It was heartwarming to hear about Vince's love and respect for his wife Anne who he acknowledges as a huge part of his success. It was Anne convinced Vince to write his autobiography 'The Flesh in My Life' which is available for sale with full proceeds going to the charity Lifeline, which is the leading suicide prevention provider in WA. Vince has been heavily involved with this charity for several years, keep an eye out for his latest fundraising idea- 'Lasagna for Lifeline'We could have listened to Vince's stories all day long and we hope he will join us again in the future. If you would like to see Vince in the flesh he will be at the Harvey Harvest Festival this weekend and also at the Perth Italian Festival April 5th.Harvey Harvest Festival – The longest running harvest festival in the South West Perth Italian Festival WA Inc | Italian CelebrationLifeline WA - 13 11 14 - Crisis Support. Suicide Prevention.

What an absolute honour it was for us to have a long chat in person with Vince Garreffa. Vince is an icon in the Perth Italian Community, he is most well known for launching Mondo Butchers in 1979 but there is so much more to his story than the business. Born in Calabria in 1951, Vince and his mother and brothers immigrated to Australia in 1956 to join his father who was waiting for them in Perth. Vince told us about the experience of his family in their new country. We heard about family life and the mindset of Southern Italian immigrants during this time period with the priorities being family and hard work. Like many others in his generation, Vince began working early in life and left school to pursue a career as a butcher. We loved hearing some of Vince's memories and his story, especially as we have a shared Calabrese heritage.With so much to talk about this chat became a two part episode, be sure to tune in next week to Part 2 where Vince tells us how he came to start Mondo Butchers, becoming a husband and father and also about the incredible autobiography 'The Flesh In My Life,'

We love getting to meet new friends through this podcast and this week we have another to introduce to our listeners- Denise Renzi. Denise is originally from the beautiful city of Modena in Italy and is now based in Bendigo where she is pursuing her dream of becoming a professional boxer. Currently she is an amateur boxer and competes in the Victorian Amateur Boxing League. It was so interesting to hear her story of becoming a boxer, as well as her story of how she came to live in Australia. We also discussed boxing as a sport and how it is strong in the Italian culture. Denise has a big fight coming up this weekend and we wish her all the best. We look forward to catching up with Denise again for another episode in the future. To see more about Denise you can follow her on Instagram via the link below:

It's almost Valentine's Day so for this week's episode we caught up with a couple who just love to celebrate this occasion, our Aunty Mimma and Uncle Rolly. Aunty Mimma is our Dad Melo's youngest sister and her husband is our Uncle Rolly. We love their story of an Italian Australian woman marrying an Australian man. It was a lot of fun going listening to the story of how they met, meeting each other's families and how they are still very much in love after more than 25 years of marriage.We are very close Aunty Mimma and Uncle Rolly, we always have a lot of fun and a lot of laughs when we all get together and this chat was no exception. We know our listeners will enjoy a few laughs while listening to this one.

We love having our friends join us on the podcast, this week we are joined by Laura Cortellazzi. Laura's story is unique and fascinating. Laura immigrated to Australia with her parents at the age of 18, she was born in France to parents of Sicilian heritage however her dad was actually born in Australia before moving back to Italy as a child. Living in France Laura grew up with French as her first language but learned Italian through her family, she later learned English a teenager. We heard the story of how Laura met her husband Anthony who is a long time family friend of ours, of course we debated which food is better- French or Italian? We also discussed how Laura identifies her heritage and we enjoyed hearing about an Italian family moving to France then to Australia all the while maintaining a strong connection to their Italian heritage.

Our dad Melo joins again on the podcast, this episode is in honour of our Nonni, those who we are still lucky enough to still have with us and those passed. We thought it was good timing as this episode airs a few days after what would have been our Nonno Rocco's 100th birthday and also the birthday of our Nonno Benito, he has also passed. We heard Melo's memories of the Nonni he had in Australia and of his experience as a Nonno to his three grandchildren. We enjoyed this chat, telling stories and celebrating the special place of Nonni in an Italian Australian family.

Meet the Millimaci's, Joseph and Fiona, a married couple who are very well known within the Perth Italian community. We were lucky to have Joseph as one of our first guests in 2023 and for this chat his lovely wife Fiona joined us as well. We loved hearing the story of how they met and became friends bonding over mutual friends, a shared Italian heritage and a strong passion and love for languages. The friendship blossomed into a romance, they married, had a family and both have had long fulfilling careers as language teachers. This was definitely one of our chats that could have gone on for hours. It was so interesting to hear Fiona's story of time spent living in Canada as child before her family ultimately made the decision to return to Australia, she has a very unique experience of living as both an Italian Australian and an Italian Canadian, as our listeners know the Italian community is very strong in Canada. We look forward to our next catch up with this vibrant couple!!

Our good friend, the incredibly talented Etta D'Elia is back for a chat, we talked about so many things, food of course, the impact of Italian immigration on Australian culture and we were so excited to hear about her new show 'From Naples with love.' In case you missed our last chat with Etta- episode 23- Etta is a successful Jazz performer, having studied classical music in Italy prior to moving to Australia. Her 2024 show 'Buonasera Signorina was a hit and she is back at Fringe World Perth with her new show 'From Naples with Love' which will bring the audience a celebration of the city of Naples with classic Neapolitan songs reimagined in a Jazz style. And for some extra fun- there is a pre-show demonstration 'From Naples with Cheese' by La Delizia Latticini. The show is family friendly, you can bring your Nonni and your kids! We can't wait to see the show and we are so proud to help promote it, as these are the events that help to keep our Italian culture alive and celebrated in Australia. The show is 31st January, 1st and 2nd February at the State Theatre Centre of WA Courtyard. To hear more about the show listen to the episode, there is a discount code available for our listeners and to book your ticket follow the link but be quick as it's selling fast!! From Naples... With Love! l State Theatre Centre of WA, Perth

In our first episode of 2025 we bring you a chat with Francesca, the creator of OzItaly, a unique concept which offers Australians the opportunity to experience life in Italy like a local. We have all the details in our chat, OzItaly which began in 2018, is a cultural exchange program where Australians are hosted by an Italian family for a period of 1-3 months. Participants and host families choose each other via a process facilitated by OzItaly. Francesca, a native Italian spent many years living, travelling and working in Australia and her understanding of the two cultures is a big part of what makes the program work so well. Participants must be over 18 years of age and purchase their airfare to Italy, once they arrive all expenses are covered- in return they are asked to speak English with their host family so the family is able to learn and practice speaking with a native English speaker. OzItaly also offers Australians an opportunity to have work experience in Italian schools, alongside a teacher to assist students to learn English. For more information or to apply for the program see the links below for the website and Instagram: OZITALY – Italy Calling Australia ITALY CALLING AUSTRALIA - cultural exchange programme (@ozitalyofficial) • Instagram photos and videos We loved chatting with Francesca and the opportunity to provide our listeners with this information, we always enjoy hearing experiences of Italians who have travelled to Australia, our chat touched on many topics including food as it wouldn't be an episode of the Italian Australian Podcast if we didn't!!

This is our last episode for 2024 and we have thoroughly enjoyed the journey with our podcast this year. This episode was recorded on Boxing Day in person just us two so there was plenty of time for sibling banter! We chatted about our D'Aqui family Christmas, debated which was the best panettone we tried this season as well as looking ahead to our New Year's Eve plans and what's ahead for us in 2025. We are excited for some of the guests we will chat with and are we will to bring our listeners Italian Australian content each week in 2025. We wish everyone a happy and safe end to 2024 and thanks to everyone who has supported us. Buon Anno a Tutti!

For this episode, coming to you on Christmas Eve, we chatted with our good friend and return guest, Joseph Sgambelluri, also known for his Instagram page, The Italian Aussie Cook (@theitalianaussiecook) • Instagram photos and videos Joseph and his wife have recently returned to Perth after living in Sydney for several years and we are so happy to have them living back in WA. They have also recently had an incredible holiday in Italy and we loved hearing Joseph recount their experiences. And with it almost being Christmas we also discussed our plans for this year, traditions, family and of course food with a special analysis on the role of Panettoni. We wish a safe and Merry Christmas to all our listeners and we will be back next week with our NYE special.

We are excited to share this chat with well known and incredibly talented Perth based musician, Carmine Napoli. Part of the 'new wave' of Italian immigrants to Australia, Carmine left Salerno and made a new home in Perth. We had lots of laughs in our chat and enjoyed finding that we have many common interests. It was great to hear Carmine's story as a musician which started as a child, he grew up in a musical family and spent many years playing music with his two younger brothers in Italy. Carmine has impressive guitar skills and a captivating husky voice. His musical journey has seen him perform to audiences in Australia and Europe. He is now a regular in the Perth music scene, performing live several times a week, his music is a mix of English and Italian lyrics, and includes both covers and original tracks. To hear Carmine's original songs click the link below to follow him on Spotify: Carmine | Spotify To see more of Carmine follow him on Instagram Carmine Napoli (@carmine_napoli_music) • Instagram photos and videos

We always love it when our friends join us for an episode! In this episode we chat with long time friends of Lukas, Tiffany and Fabio Corrado. Tiffany is an Italian Australian like us and as a young woman she followed her dream to live and work in Italy. In Italy she soon found love and her future husband Fabio. Their love story has seen time spent living in both Italy and Australia, 5 children, Fabio learning to speak English and inspirational adventures travelling between the two countries with multiple children. We chatted about the differences in the way of life between Italy and Australia, travel, family and the joy of raising bilingual children.

Our guest in this episode is Marianna Gatto, executive director of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, an institution that she co-founded. This was a very interesting chat for us, Marianna told us many fascinating details about the history of Italian immigration across the United States. We enjoyed discussing the similarities and differences between the Italian history in the USA and Australia. Despite living in different countries we can absolutely feel a connection through our shared Italian heritage and we were inspired to hear of Marianna's work, not just through the museum but also in her book that she has recently published- "The Italian Americans of Los Angeles" To find out more about Marianna or to purchase a copy of her book follow the link below: Marianna Gatto - Historian of Los Angeles' Italian community, author, educator and director of the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles Music featured in this episode is by the incredibly talented Melbourne based musician Michael Cristiano. These tracks are from his recent album 'Mai Finira' Web: www.michaelcristiano.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themichaelcristiano Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichaelcristiano Spotify:⁠⁠ Mai Finirà - Album by Michael Cristiano | Spotify⁠⁠ Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/au/artist/michael-cristiano/923321690

As long time fans of Maria Pasquale, we were both so excited to chat with her in this week's episode. Maria is born in Melbourne to Italian parents and grew up with a very strong connection to her Italian heritage. Her connection to Italy is so strong that she decided to move to Rome over 10 years ago where she is now based. She has established herself as an award winning international food and travel journalist, her lifestyle blog HeartRome has readers in over 100 countries. She has also created an Instagram page HeartRome which shares an insiders view of Rome. During this time she has also published 4 cookbooks, these books are more than recipes, they include stories, history and beautiful images. See the link below for more details on Maria's work and to purchase her books. In our chat Maria told us about her story, her decision to move to Rome and we loved hearing about her most recent book- Mangia: How to eat your way through Italy. We enjoyed our light hearted discussion about the differences between life in Italy and life in Australia including the beach and somehow we even ended up discussing fast food in Italy! It was such a pleasure to chat with Maria and hope to enjoy a gelato with her in Rome someday soon. HeartRome

We teamed up with content creator Massimo Corrente in this week's episode. Massimo is a proud Italian Australian based in Melbourne and is doing an amazing job and keeping our culture proud and strong for the next generation. He achieves this is fun and light hearted ways such as being crowned the title by Sooshi Mango as 'The Fully Sickest of Them All'. Beyond the silliness and laughs Massimo is completely authentic is his passion for and knowledge about Italian Culture with a strong connection to his family in Italy and an impressive grasp on the language. We had many laughs in the chat, it felt as though we were chatting with a young cousin. We were left feeling proud and inspired and are looking forward to seeing what adventure is next for Massimo. For more information follow Massimo on Instagram @masscorrente Sponsors: false9footballau.com buongiornocoffee.com.au

We always love talking about food so we were delighted to be joined by Chef Luca Guiotto in this week's episode. Luca has spent his entire professional life as Chef, training in Italy where he was born in the Veneto region. His career has taken him all over Italy, next to Switzerland, then to Sydney for a number of years then to Adelaide where he is now based with his family. Luca told us of his experience working as a chef in Italy and how this compares with Switzerland and Australia. We also chatted about how cuisine and the experience of dining out has evolved over the years. Luca told us about his current work which is a very interesting and unique adventure. He has created his own business, Aromi Dining, which has a niche role in the market as a business offering Private Chef Experience, Specialised event catering and consulting. For more information or to get in touch with Luca, see the link for his website: Aromi Dining | Private Pasta Classes, Events & Catering, Consulting | Adelaide, SA Music featured in this episode is by the incredibly talented Melbourne based musician Michael Cristiano. These tracks are from his recent album 'Mai Finira' Web: www.michaelcristiano.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themichaelcristiano Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichaelcristiano Spotify:⁠ Mai Finirà - Album by Michael Cristiano | Spotify⁠ Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/au/artist/michael-cristiano/923321690

We were thrilled to get a chance to chat with Michael Cristiano ahead of the release of his new album 'Mai Finira' Michael was born and raised in Melbourne to Calabrese immigrants. His talents as a musician were obvious from 6 years of age and Michael describes his father as being influential and supportive on his journey as a musician. Michael has had a long and successful career in the music industry as a performer, a composer and a producer. His most recent work is 'Mai Finira'- an album of original songs with Italian lyrics. As soon as we heard these songs we could immediately feel the passion in Michael's music. In our chat Michael explained to us how he became inspired to create 'Mai Finira'. We were both so interested to hear this story and we have become big fans of his work, especially 'Mai Finira', the Italian lyrics bring something extra special. We are so excited to share this chat and Michael's new album with our listeners. See the links to find out more about Michael and to listen to 'Mai Finira' Web: www.michaelcristiano.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themichaelcristiano Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichaelcristiano Spotify: Mai Finirà - Album by Michael Cristiano | Spotify Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/au/artist/michael-cristiano/923321690

How exciting for us to be joined by a real life Opera star in this episode! Naomi Johns, of Sicilian heritage, is based in Perth and joined us for a chat ahead of her upcoming performance in 'Opera at the Quarry' 14th-16th November at the Quarry Amphitheatre- tickets available via the link: ⁠West Australian Opera - OPERA IN THE QUARRY (waopera.asn.au)⁠ Naomi told us about her connection with her heritage and the Italian language which came from a close bond with her Nonna, we heard how her journey started from a young age and she fascinated us with some information about Opera. Naomi's passion for Opera is inspiring and it was so interesting for us to hear about this special world, Josie even learned something new at the very end of the episode! To find out more about Naomi listen to the episode and check out the link: ⁠Naomi Johns | Opera Australia

In this episode we were joined again by Station Manager of Radio Italiana 531, our friend Marco Petta. Marco recently had an amazing experience attending the Melbourne Italian Festa and we loved hearing his stories, especially about 'Turismo delle Radici' which is an organisation which helps to connect Italian Australians with their Italian heritage- check out their Instagram profile for more information. Another festival coming up soon is the Adelaide Italian Festival- 1st November- 10th November- and we heard some details about what to expect at this festival from Marco. As always it's a great pleasure to chat with Marco about things happening across the country that help keep our connection to our Italian heritage strong. This time Marco also had some questions for us- 'What is our favourite place to visit in Italy?' and -'These days- what counts as a 'big night'?' Listen to the episode to hear our answers....!

We are joined again by our friend Mauro Daviddi, last time we heard his fascinating personal journey, this time he shared some of his vast knowledge of Italian history in a discussion about Central Italy. This is a part of Italy, historically and geographically that is less well known in popular culture compared to North and South Italy. Mauro's enthusiasm is palpable as he explains the history of Central Italy and describes the influence of Central Italy in the present day. We both learned a lot in this episode and we are sure our listeners will find this discussion very insightful.

We had a lot of laughs in this week's episode with our guest, stand up comedian Anthony Locascio. Anthony has performed across Australia and internationally over the past couple of years, in our chat he told us about his current show Pappou which is a tribute to his Greek Grandfather. With Anthony being half Italian and half Greek, we ended up chatting about the different cultures and asked him the question- ‘are Italians and Greeks the same?' Listen to the episode to hear what Anthony has to say about this! We had so much fun recording this episode and are looking forward to seeing him perform Pappou later this month. Don't miss out, see the link for your tickets: A N T H O N Y L O C A S C I O (@anthony.locash) • Instagram photos and videos

Bonus episode!!!!   The St Ali Italian Film Festival is currently happening all around Australia. Tonight is the opening night of the Festival in Perth so to celebrate we are bringing our listeners an extra episode. We were so excited to have Elysia Zeccola, Festival Director from Palace Cinemas as our guest. We loved getting the inside information about the Festival from Elysia and we heard how Palace Cinemas is a family business with four siblings working together! Elysia told us about how the Festival started and how the films are selected. We also heard about some of the films which feature in the 2024 lineup. There is definitely something special about watching an Italian film, the language, the music, the scenery and buildings, it all brings us feelings of nostalgia and helps us to feel connected with our Italian heritage. So do yourself a favour, get to at least one film and support the Festival. The ST. ALi Italian Film Festival is now showing in cinemas!  

In this week's episode we heard an amazing story. A story from the time of World War 2 in Abruzzo, Italy, a story of a family helping out another family who had lost everything and how this generosity was never forgotten. These two families were destined to cross paths again, many years later in Melbourne, Australia. We were told this incredible story by our guest Emilio Ricciuti, an Italian Australian based in Melbourne. Emilio is a talented performer, dancer and entertainer and is the creator of Ela Rose Studios. The studio offers unique workshops, dance classes and more. In our chat Emilio told us about something very special happening at Ela Rose Studios- the Ciao Show- 'a true story of an Italian Immigrant coming to Australia.' The show premieres 12th October and has already completely sold out, so be sure to follow Ciao Italia Experience and Ela Rose Studios on Instagram for details of future shows- see links below. https://elarose.com/ciao/ https://www.instagram.com/elarosestudios?igsh=MTJ0bGl1eXhjZWxodA== https://www.instagram.com/ciao_italia_experience_melb?igsh=NWR4NjR2YzJ4ZmE1

It was so fun to be joined by another brother and sister for this episode! Sandro Barzotto, president of the Laguna Veneto Bocce Club and his sister Diana who is also heavily involved in the club are our guests for this episode. We had the pleasure of meeting them earlier this year and quickly developed a friendship. In this episode we loved hearing Sandro and Diana's story and experience of being part of the club as children and how this has continued into adulthood. It was also so interesting to hear the history of the club. Known as a very popular Italian club in Perth, WA, the Laguna Veneto Bocce Club continues to thrive and it's easy to see why- the club offers Bocce- of course- but so much more including exercise classes, karaoke nights, interactions with schools, family BBQ nights as well as the extremely popular Carnevale night. If you haven't ever been to the club we can personally recommend going as a fun way to maintain your connection with your Italian heritage. Home | Laguna Club WA

We have often said that everybody wants to be Italian, in this episode have some strong evidence to support this claim. Meet Tayla, 25 years old from Perth, WA, not of Italian heritage by blood however she has an enormous love and passion for all things Italian. From the Italian language- which she has studied and learned how to speak, travel to Italy- in our chat Tayla told us of her experience visiting Italy, we also cannot forget the food, we had plenty to talk about on this topic! Tayla is vibrant and very funny, we loved hearing about her passion for our culture and look forward to meeting up with her in person.

This week's episode features one of our favourite return guests- Marco Petta! Station manager at RadioItaliana 531, based in Adelaide, Marco is a busy guy. In this episode we heard his experience visiting Perth earlier this year for the epic game AC Milan versus Roma at Optus Stadium where Marco led the fan club- Milan Club Australia in bringing some serious fan energy. We also chatted about his most recent trip to Italy and commentating AFL games live in Italian. As we have said, he is a busy guy and devotes a lot of time to keeping the Italian culture alive in Australia. We appreciated him joining us for this chat and know our listeners will enjoy it.

We had a great time chatting Wogism creator Nicholas. An Italian Australian just like us, Nicholas is based in Melbourne. To celebrate his passion for his culture Nicholas created his brand 'Wogism' which includes a podcast, blog and Instagram page. In our chat we talked about our passion for our culture, what it means to be a 'Wog' and asked are we still 'other?' WOGISM (@wogism) • Instagram photos and videos

Introducing our new friend Mauro Daviddi as our guest in this week's episode. Mauro immigrated to Australia at the age of 36, speaking no English when he arrived. His journey to be able to stay in Australia was full of ups and downs and hard work which ultimately paid off. In his new life here in Australia he has found joy, love and professional success in his field of public speaking and relationship counselling. Mauro is a published author and has a wealth of knowledge in many areas. We look forward to our next chat with Mauro. Relationship Counselling Perth for Couples and Singles (maurodaviddi.com.au)

In this episode we caught up with our friend Mr Accordion Man- Frank Miranda. Frank is very well known in the Italian Australian community, especially in Perth. You may have seen him playing around the city, as we always say- Frank is everywhere! We were also very interested to hear Frank's personal story, born in Perth, Frank's family moved back to Italy for a period of time however ultimately returned to Australia. Frank told us about his journey in learning the piano accordion and how he came to be Mr Accordion Man. Home - Mr Accordion Man - Perth Accordionist

It's our one year anniversary!! We are thrilled to have reached this milestone and in this episode we cast our minds back to August 2023 when we started on this journey. What a journey it has been, we have had so much fun. We have laughed, we have argued, technology frustrations even had Josie in tears on one occasion! It has been an honour to have met so many amazing people, including our guests and people within the community. Some guests were international celebrities, some were family and friends, others we were meeting for the first time and we loved recording each and every episode. We have been so fortunate to have enjoyed some fantastic experiences such as The Sound of Italy, Perth Italian Festival, comedy shows and nights at the Laguna Veneto Club. We have strengthened our connections within our community and with our heritage. We have learned so much along the way and we are truly thankful for all the support and encouragement we have received from our family, friends and the community. It has been a very special year and we are excited to see what the next year will bring for the Italian Australian Podcast. A massive thanks to the businesses who have sponsored us and to all of our listeners.

Sara's unique and fascinating migration experience sounds like a story with so many twists and turns it could be from a film! From Adelaide to Perth, to Naples to Adelaide, back to Naples then back to Adelaide then to Milan! Her story includes an earthquake, unexpected romance and juggling life as a mother whilst working for NATO. We discussed her experience of defining her identity as an Italian and an Australian, being both but neither at the same time.

Our good friend Joseph Sgambelluri AKA The Italian Aussie Cook joined us again for a chat about Italian traditions which are still carried on in Italian Australian families today. These traditions include pig day, sauce day and wine making. We always enjoy having a chat and a laugh with Joseph. Listen to this episode for some inspiration and motivation to carry on your family traditions.

Anthony Cortellazzi is back again for a chat about soccer, this time we are breaking down Italy's performance in Euro 2024 and asking the question- what went wrong? Was it all Spalletti's fault? Join us as we break it down game by game and discuss what needs to change for the Italian National team to be competitive in the World Cup 2026.

In this episode Lukas finally got a chance to tell Josie and the listeners about his extensive research into family history. Lukas explains how to access Italian records online and gives some advice on how people can start their own research. Often what is found in this research is surprising, the stories of our ancestors are just waiting to be discovered. Another way of finding answers about family history is DNA testing. As part of this chat Lukas and Josie compare their DNA results as siblings- who is ‘more Italian?' Hear the answer in this episode!

What a fun time we had recording this episode! We were joined by our new friend Adriana Cefalà, an Italian Australian from country Victoria who is now living in Piemonte, Italy. Adriana is the host of her own podcast, English with an Aussie. We had so much to talk about and no surprise we didn't get through half of the topics on our list- partly due to the Malocchio caused by Lukas! Listen to the episode to hear how this played out.