Luigi
Biamonte came to Edmonton c1910 at the age of 13. He
joined a brother and some cousins who were working at the Diamond
Coal Mine in Clover Bar, near Edmonton. He came from
Italy with a musical background, his salvation, as it got
him work in bands and helped stave off bouts of
homesickness. Louis enjoyed the camaraderie of fellow
countrymen when his band traveled to and played at dances
for the Italian farming community of Naples. Music was
a companion throughout his life; his band played at
political rallies; his brother Sergio(?), another musician,
had an 85 member band; his nephew, Tony, was a media
celebrity; Lori Biamonte (great niece? granddaughter?) is an
Edmonton singer of note.
Besides his music, he also earned a living working as a
water boy on the railway in the Coal Branch before going to
barber school and opening his own shop.
The interview was conducted by Sab Roncucci for the Dante Alighieri Oral History Project in 1973.
This oral history project was initiated by Sabatino
Roncucci, a founder of the Dante Alighieri Society, for the
purpose of documenting immigration history so that it
could be shared not only with the Italian community but also
the community at large.
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