Barca's original Italian house party!
Same wonderful Italian traditions, same wonderful Italian people are featured on this long time favorite radio program, But now John and the “House Party” family can be heard at a new time and new radio station, WDJZ 1530 AM. The show is streamed live across the country between 10 am and 2pm every Sunday. John can also be heard on WDJZ every morning with the news. John and his beloved "House party" has been on the air for almost 40 years. This beloved radio show features everything, from Italian food and music, to interviews with singing stars and political icons.
To me, I think of this time spent together with host John Labarca, his "family", Tony Chiucchini and Tony's lovely wife Joanie, as a visit back into time, back home again for a long overdue visit. Remember the kind of visits we use to have at grandma's house as kids...when we went home and every emotion was tapped... happiness, tears, joy, sadness, recipes exchanged, music, voices raised in shouts of joy or in song we all could sing.
And when our appetites were satisfied with grandma’s traditional good cooking then it was time to exchange food recipes and sauce recipes (this topic alone could cause a three hour controversy)... is it called sauce or gravy? Do you put oregano or basil in your meatballs? Do you fry your meatballs or bake them in the oven before you submerge them in sauce or gravy? These are some of the fun topics you'll hear at the" House Party". Last Sunday someone said they put raisins in the meatballs and that started everyone grumbling.
Tony, the tech man for the house party, brought in some of his homemade meatballs he made them with tender loving care, he even went so far as to pure’ the onions. He passed his special meatballs around as if they were the finest man made culinary treat in the world, and you know why, Because to John La Barca and crew, they are!
Well, this is only a part of what you will find when you tune in to this Italian House Party, there is much, much, more.
To many of us who were born during the last mid century, the voice and recordings of singer Lou Monte brings back memories of songs of beauty and hilarity. You have to understand a little Italian to really appreciate his comical songs, such as “Pupino the Drunk Little Mouse”or "Chen a Loona mesa matta” (Lazy Mary), really funny stuff.
Then a while later in the radio show, just when you're as happy as a cannoli in cream filling, John reminds listeners that it’s time to take names via the telephone for his list of ‘ANGELS IN HEAVEN’ a song played while he reads the names of our lost ones... composed by Lou Monte after he tragically lost his teenage son to leukemia many years ago. The list of names of the recently departed family members is read while Lou Monte sings, "I have an Angel In Heaven." Incredibly touching...and the mood changes as we hear the names of listeners...Aunts, uncles, beloved mamas and papas, cousins, friends read at the very end of the show.
If you are Italian and speak the language you will love the songs all the more, I envy those that know what is being said, I feel I’m missing some real funny stuff and some romantic words. Of course, there are other perks with this show, the trips to Italy and Sicily. Don’t have to speak Italian, just join in on the fun with DJ John and discover Sicily with John LaBarca. There’s always a trip going on somewhere, sometime. And the next one is sure to be an "abbondanza" of fun.
This four hour sojourn is a mixture of happy moments, sentimental memories, loving thoughts, exciting interviews and lots and lots of Italian music. And when the four hours come to an end.... well, your heart breaks a little because you know, deep down, you have experienced your own life's memories . A feeling of the strong emotions of being Italian, of being a family ... the sharing , remembering all the love and good times that now... as we grow older... we see less and less in our lives. But thanks to John La Barca, and his original Italian House Party, we can experience all those wonderful feelings again and again.
For more info on live streaming check out the radio station's website: http:// www.wdjzradio.com
