A remarkable musical journey from Pavarotti’s teacher and pioneering live streaming to an unexpected new collaboration
Sicilian-English artist Carmelo Alfano returns with “Is This You?”, now presented in a new mix featuring AJ Lambert.
Based in London and with family roots in Sicily, Alfano’s musical journey has taken him through some remarkable and unexpected chapters. He studied voice in Modena for two years with the teacher of legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti, before developing a career as an artist, actor and television sound engineer.
A New Mix with AJ Lambert
The new version of “Is This You?” features AJ Lambert, following a friendship that began when Carmelo photographed AJ performing at Rough Trade East in London.
The photographs led to a friendship that developed through music and creative projects. In 2025, AJ invited Carmelo to a screening of a short film she had made, and later asked him to sing backing vocals during one of her London performances.
Now, the creative relationship has come full circle, with AJ contributing to the new mix of “Is This You?”
The collaboration is a natural extension of a friendship that has developed through live music, photography and shared creative projects.
From Early Streaming to Sundae Club
Carmelo has consistently found himself at interesting crossroads in music.
More than 20 years ago, he became one of the early pioneers of live music streaming, broadcasting a London gig using a dial-up service. The event attracted the attention of Sky News, who came to film it.
Another important chapter came through Sundae Club, the project formed by Hamstall and producer George Shilling. Hamstall had previously been the keyboard player in Carmelo’s band, Alfano, which supported James Blunt and performed at venues across London.
Sundae Club went on to secure a publishing deal, release their debut album Technostalgia, have music used on GMTV and write music for ITV UEFA Champions League Weekly. They also co-wrote a track recorded by French Fame Academy winner Nolwenn Leroy.
The Tom Jones Story
Persistence has also played a major role in Carmelo’s career.
In 1993, he sent a demo to Tom Jones, believing one of his songs would suit the singer. Ten years later, he was contacted by Mark Woodward, who had been trying to find the Carmelo who had originally sent the recording.
The reason? A song from the demo had been considered for Tom Jones, but Carmelo’s contact details had been lost with the cassette cover.
These experiences have shaped Alfano’s approach to music: keep creating, keep experimenting and never give up.
With “Is This You?” – New Mix Featuring AJ Lambert, Carmelo begins another chapter in that journey, bringing together a remarkable career history with a collaboration that began simply with a photograph at a London gig
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