'Major tapestry' of New York nightlife comes to Edinburgh
FROM BEING a theatre actor on the New York stage and touring the globe in an acappella group, to running your own Sing Along Piano bar in Edinburgh is not your average career move – via owning a bar in Portugal – and throw into this mix a very successful career as a fine art photographer and you might wonder if there is anything that MattColagiuri can't actually do? Yet meeting him at his new music bar in the west end of Edinburgh you can see why success has come his way so effortlessly with his relaxed and cool style.
The acoustic piano has enjoyed quite a renaissance recently, with so many pianos available in stations, airports, shopping centres and even a tv show devoted to The Piano.
Unamplified, non microphoned, just an acoustic piano and nothing else. That's what is on offer here in Edinburgh, played by professional musicians and the guests are encouraged to sing along to their favourite tunes.
"I grew up in New York City – where piano bars are very prevalent – a major tapestry of the nightlife of New York," Matt said.
He opened just in time for last year's Fringe: "It was a full-on time, as we had inherited the bookings from the previous bar, It's not the best Venn diagram – comedy and live piano. But I was plunged into the festival experience fast!"
He did the exact same bar concept – in Portugal.
The bar is named after Betty, his maternal grandmother, whose portrait smiles down upon the bar. Being born into an Italian immigrant family in America, he was the eldest son of the eldest son of the eldest son, and with that came "a lot of pressure and expectations", he said.
"My grandmother was the only one really concerned for me and what made my heartbeat pitter" he revealed. "She was an important part of my life growing up. Sadly she passed on when I was 16 years old, it was sad for me that she never saw what I grew up to be."
There is actually no downstairs – but that was where he enjoyed such great times with his grandmother. "At Christmas time we would go downstairs – all my family, cousins and everything and have a sing along. My grandmother was also a great artist and sculptor."
One of the reasons he decided to open in Edinburgh was because he noticed how many people came to his bar in Portugal and said how this had been the best night of their trip. And whenever he asked where they come from, all were from Edinburgh.
Since moving he has noticed a few differences in the Scottish psyche and culture.
"The reluctance of the Scottish people to get up and sing, and that people drink a lot more," he said with a smile. And it's been quite a struggle to cope with the climate difference too.
"I was prepared for the cold and the wet, but nothing prepared me for the dark".
After Matt left New York, he spent a spell doing more conventional work and then went back to art school and studied animation, which then led to taking a lot of photographs, and doing fine art photography which evolved into his very own unique style.
This got noticed by galleries in London and Paris and he exhibited across three continents. Some 23 years later he still has pieces in art galleries, although he no longer does any more fine art photography.
"Betty's is an amalgamation of all my creative juices."
Drop in and check it out!
TESSA WILLIAMS
Downstairs at Betty's, 15 Charlotte Lane, Edinburgh, EH2 4QZ Tel: 07946 424 489/
email enquiries@downstairsatbettys.com.
@bettys.edinburgh
