Hammamet – Italian soul singer Mario Biondi will open Italian Music Week at the Hammamet International Festival on 2 August, in an event organised by the Italian Embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Tunis as part of celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Tunisia. The concert launches the Italian programme within Tunisia's major summer festivals. The season will continue with Rondò Veneziano at the Carthage International Festival, followed by two performances by the Orchestra Instabile di Arezzo at the El Jem International Symphonic Music Festival. One of Europe's most distinctive soul and jazz voices, Biondi will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Handful of Soul, the landmark album released in 2006 that established his international reputation and launched a career featuring collaborations with leading artists from across the global music scene. The concert will revisit the highlights of his repertoire, combining the songs that made him famous with many of the defining works of his musical career. The 2 August performance marks the beginning of a week dedicated to Italian music, bringing to the stages of Hammamet, Carthage and El Jem a diverse programme showcasing the breadth of Italy's musical tradition—from soul and reimagined Baroque repertoire to iconic film scores and the rich heritage of Neapolitan music. (9colonne)