Today he seems like a normal citizen of Pesaro. And not only because, when he isn’t dealing with artistic consultancy, he finds himself playing five-a-side football in Soria, on the slopes of San Bartolo. Of course, if among his teammates there is the great tenor Juan Diego Florez, Peruvian like him, one understands how his story is actually different, unique, yet to be told. «We have a group on WhatsApp but we meet mostly to do the third half» he laughs Edwin Tinoco, personal assistant to Luciano Pavarotti for 13 years. Thanks to the Maestro he got to know Pesaro where he lives today with his wife Joanna LewinskaPolish soprano, and her 7-year-old daughter Vanessa.
In 1995 the sliding doors meeting.
«I was 27 years old, I worked in a hotel in Lima as a food & beverage manager. Pavarotti came to perform in Peru. It was the only time. I had to be at his service 24 hours a day with a staff of 4 waiters.”
It was destiny.
«They sent a fax with requests including the setting up of a kitchen in the room and a poker table. He arrived with 40 suitcases but said he only needed me: I was in the kitchen with him for 5 minutes.”
Particular requests?
«He asked for Perrier water. There was not. We had it flown in from Miami. He had suitcases full of Barilla pasta, oil, lemons, parmesan and ham.”
Did Pavarotti cook?
«Of course, he enjoyed seeing others eat. If I cook very well today I owe it to him. He loved tagliatelle with meat sauce but that day he prepared risotto alla parmigiana with Arborio “Luciano Pavarotti” rice. And he invited me to the table too.”
When did the job offer arrive?
«He asked me to go to rehearsals and invited me to the concert but making me stay in the dressing room. I followed him in the hotel uniform. I didn’t understand. Then he asked me: would you like to work for me?
What did he answer?
«I said: in 5 minutes I’ll be ready. Even if I then needed more days for the passport. And because, unmarried, I was already the father of a child.”
Complicated?
“I resigned and got on the plane to join him in Rio with a bag and 40 dollars in my pocket.”
The insurance was Pavarotti.
«From that day everything changed. Suddenly I found myself a guest in a dream hotel in Ipanema.”
When did you arrive in Pesaro?
«In July 1995, that South American tour of Tosca ended. Villa Giulia was beautiful with a swimming pool, bowling green and even a chicken coop. Every mid-August there was a party with 300 guests. And we sang. Once I did a duet with the Maestro: Cuando calienta el sol. We were a little drunk. There are no videos or photos, unfortunately.”
Pesaro today will dedicate a bronze statue to Pavarotti.
«It makes me very happy. They say it is more beautiful than the one in Modena.”
Nicoletta Mantovani will also be there.
«We haven’t spoken again, maybe I’ll see her again today. I never saw Alice again either.”
However, did you see the love born between Nicoletta and the Maestro?
«No, but when everything broke out, with the photos in Barbados of him and her bathing, I was in those shots too. I was in the water nearby. I witnessed the paparazzi incident.”
Is it true that once in Naples he dressed as a peasant to go on stage and give the Maestro throat sweets?
“Very true. Pavarotti said on television: Edwin and I do everything together except love, because we both like women. Our relationship has never been that of employer and employee. We were friends, they understood us with a look. We laughed and cried together watching Disney movies. We liked football, he supported Juventus. I remember his scream after the 2006 World Cup victory.”
The trump games are historic.
«There was the trump team with his friends. Pavarotti played for up to 5 minutes before going on stage. If someone was missing he called me, wherever I was.”
Many exceptional encounters. The most beautiful?
«With Nelson Mandela in Cape Town. He shook my hand and I was shocked by the energy he had. But even talking to Lady Diana or going to Springsteen’s house was fantastic. The Master had a crazy phone book. Sometimes I enjoyed looking at the numbers. One day the phone rang in Villa Giulia: Hi, I’m Frank. I replied: Frank who? It was Sinatra. They were recording My Way: him from Los Angeles, Pavarotti from Pesaro.”
Let’s dispel the legend: Miss Sarajevo was not born in Pesaro.
«No, the Maestro went to Bono Vox’s house to convince him to participate in Pavarotti & Friends. Bono called me Ciccio. And I couldn’t contradict him. Then, he came to Pesaro many times. Even when the Master was already ill. One of the last times he said: now we are all a family.”
What did Pavarotti teach you?
«Loyalty and respect for people. Then, generosity. He gave gifts to everyone, answered every letter, and also helped many people from Pesaro in need. At work, however, he taught me punctuality. He said: you shouldn’t play with other people’s time. The book I wrote was just a tribute to 10 years of his passing. It was also released in Japanese. Now it will be published in Spanish.”
Who is the former Edwin Tinoco today?
«A very normal person who had the great fortune of being close to Pavarotti, whom he loved and still loves. I miss the Master, we miss him all the time.”
