Italian Rock Singer to Visit FIU

Irina Barneda/Staff Writer

An Italian rock singer who traveled the world on his bicycle for eight years is making an appearance at FIU to give a rock band lecture.

The Italian Club at FIU in collaboration with the Department of Modern Languages and Hit Week will be hosting a lecture with the poet, traveler and songwriter Gio Evan.

The event is directed towards students taking Italian at FIU.

“Students of Italian will be exposed to the Italian language and culture outside the traditional classroom time,” said Italian program coordinator Magda Novelli Pearson. “They will understand the artistic process of a songwriter such as Gio Evan and how and where he finds ideas and inspiration for his songs.”

Gio Evan is a well known emerging artist and songwriter in Italy. He spent eight years adventuring the world on a bicycle, and when he returned home he published works of poetry, fiction and launched musical performance projects. By 2017, Evan was the most-read Italian living poet.

“I’ve never met Gio Evan before, but I am looking forward to meeting him because I’ve heard a couple of his songs and like them a lot,” said Pearson.

The lecture is a part of Hit Week, a week founded by The Rhythm Foundation, which is a non-profit Miami cultural organization that presents international music in the U.S.

“I worked with the Hit Week team before,” said Pearson. “In the past, they brought to FIU Italian singers and artists for lectures like the one we are having Friday, and the students always loved them.”

Evan will also be performing at The Rhythm Foundation’s Italian Hit Week event in the North Beach Bandshell this Saturday at 7 p.m. Evan will also be preforming with Italian songwriter-superstar Carmen Consoli.

For free tickets to the Saturday concert, visit www.rhythmfoundation.com/events/italian-hit-week/#event-bottom.

Pearson said she recommends that students attend both the FIU event and the concert.

“All of our events are educational and fun,” said Pearson. “Just come and enjoy!”

The lecture will take place this Friday at the Modesto Maidique Campus’s Graham Center room 140 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.