Italian singing legend Al Bano says this time of year is no longer special to him since his daughter mysteriously vanished in 1994 a few days after Christmas.
The singer, who was a worldwide success with his then wife Romina Power, was speaking during an interview together with her as they once again team up for a tour where he said that despite the divorce, the relationship between the two of them was now better than ever.
He was sitting alongside Romina and both spoke of their heartache at losing their oldest daughter Ylenia Carrisi who vanished while in New Orleans.
She was 23 years old and had decided to travel the world, leaving the day after Christmas to travel by bus to New Orleans. Her disappearance has never been solved, and her mother Romina last week posted a touching message as a tribute to her daughter who she said she believed was still alive. The posting was made on her birthday, 29th November.
In the online posting, she included a photo of her with her daughter where she wrote: “happy birthday, my sweet one, wherever you are (heart)”
The posting, which received thousands of likes, was made as she teams up with Al Bano, whose full name is Albano Carrisi, and who is now 75. American-born Romina is now 67.
Speaking to German newspaper Bild ahead of a performance in Dortmund on 29th December, he confirmed that their relationship was “perfect, better than ever before” and she agreed, saying: “I can make jokes about him without having a hard time when we get back home.”
She then added more seriously: “If it was real love then there always remains something. But for our love it is better that I live in America and he lives in Italy – that works.”
Asked about Christmas, she said she would be spending it in a hotel in North Italy and he added: “Christmas no longer means very much since our daughter is no longer there.”
Her father had declared her dead in 2014 but Romina posted a picture saying she believes she was still alive. She said: “It was her birthday which was why I posted it. Al Bano and I had a telephone call and we remembered her. I am convinced that she is still alive.”
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Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub-Editor: Angjela Trajkovska, Agency: Central European News
