In American football, a 4–3 defense is a defensive alignment consisting of four down linemen and three linebackers. It is probably the most commonly used defense in modern American football and especially in the National Football League. NFL teams that use the 4–3 defense as of 2011 include the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and the Miami Dolphins. The Broncos returned to the 4-3 with the hiring of John Fox as head coach. The Patriots returned to the 4-3 in the 2011 NFL Season but switched back to the 3-4 during the progress of the season.

The invention of the 4–3 is often attributed to legendary coach Tom Landry, in the 1950s, while serving as the Defensive Coordinator of the New York Giants, as a way to stop Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown.^[1] Others attribute the creation of the 4–3 to Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker, Bill George.^[2] It has also been said that the 4–3 defense was a creation of Garrard "Buster" Ramsey, the Defensive Coach of the Detroit Lions teams in the 1950s.

In the original version of the 4–3, the tackles lined up over the offensive guards and the ends lined up over the offensive tackles, with the middle linebacker over the center and the other linebackers outside the ends. In the mid-1960s Hank Stram developed a popular variation, the "Kansas City Stack", which shifted the strong side defensive end over the tight end, stacked the strongside linebacker over the tackle, and shifted the weakside tackle over center. At about the same time the Cleveland Browns frequently used a weakside shift. The Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry developed a "flex" variation, that moved standout lineman Randy White all over and set two of the linemen a half-step farther back from the offensive linemen. Now every team has its own variations.

Defensive Line[link]

Defensive Tackles

There are two defensive tackles in the 4–3 scheme. Some teams especially in the NFL do have a nose tackle in this scheme, but most of them do not. In a traditional 4–3 defensive set, there is no nose tackle. Instead there is a left and right defensive tackle. When teams don't have a nose tackle, the tackles lined up over the offensive guards. The nose tackle is generally slightly larger and stronger and plays a shade or head-up technique which means he lines up on either outside shoulder of the center or in the middle of his body depending on which way the strength of the play is going. The nose tackle's primary job is to stop the run and take on the double team (which is getting blocked by both the center and the weak-side or pulling guard) thus freeing up the linebackers to make a play. The second defensive tackle (simply referred to as the defensive tackle, under tackle or three tech) is generally a bit quicker and faster than the nose tackle, ideally weighing close to 300 pounds (140 kg) but quick-footed enough to shoot through a gap at the snap.^[3] He plays a three technique meaning he lines up on the outside shoulder of the strong side offensive guard. The job of a three tech is to: prevent the run, keep the guard off linebackers, and rush the quarterback on pass plays.

Defensive Ends

The defensive end's primary role in the 4–3 defense is to get to the quarterback and create pressure. The 4–3 DE's are the smallest of all of the defensive lineman due to their emphasis of speed over strength. They still need to be strong enough to fight their way past offensive tackles, yet quick enough to pursue the running backs on runs to the outside. Ideal 4–3 defensive ends are athletic and agile and their strength is getting up the field quickly and they usually weigh between 260 and 275 pounds (118 and 125 kg).^[4] Right ends, who line up against the offensive left tackle and attack the quarterback from the blind side, are usually the best athletes on the line, combining a 275-pound body with incredible quickness and agility to outflank blockers who are bigger and heavier.^[3] Defensive ends generally play the 1 gap technique, though will occasionally be forced to play a 2 gap in the event of a TE pinching in to block on run plays. In most schemes, they are also responsible for keeping the quarterback from rolling out of the pocket to make big running gains.

Linebackers[link]

Middle Linebacker

There is only one inside linebacker in the 4–3 scheme, so he is called the Middle linebacker (MLB), sometimes known as the “Mike” linebacker. He must be as smart as he is athletic, acts as the “quarterback of the defense” and is often the defensive leader.^[3] The primary responsibility of the “Mike” is to stop the run, though he will often be asked to fall back in zone coverage in pass protection; man to man pass coverage has him assigned to the fullback typically. The MLB is often the largest and strongest of all of the linebackers.

The 4–3 defense relies on having a sure tackler at the middle linebacker spot. Most notably, Tony Dungy's “Tampa Cover 2” scheme makes high demands on the MLB, requiring him to have above-average speed, and additional skills to be able to read the play and either maintain his central position to help the outside linebackers cover short passes, drop behind the linebackers in coverage and protect the zone of the field behind the outside linebackers from 11–20 yards out, or run up to the line of scrimmage to help assist in stopping the runs.^[5]

Outside Linebackers

As in the 3–4 defense there are two outside linebackers in the 4–3. These outside backers are known as the Strong-Side and Weak-Side Linebackers. The Strong-Side, or “Sam” linebacker, is so named because he typically sticks to the strong side of the defense, across from the TE. The “Sam” does his fair share of blitzing, however he also needs to play the run and will usually be relied upon to cover the tight end or potentially a back out of the backfield. The Weak-Side, or “Will” linebacker, will generally play on the weak side and has more freedom than the other LBs, often blitzing the QB or guarding against the screen.

Secondary[link]

The 4-3 defense generally uses four defensive backs. Two of these are safeties, and two of them are cornerbacks. A cornerback's responsibilities vary depending on the type of coverage called.

Coverage is simply how the defense will be protecting against the pass. The corners will generally line up 3 to 5 yards off the line of scrimmage, generally trying to "Jam" or interrupt the receivers route within the first 5 yards. A corner will be given one of two ways to defend the pass (with variations that result in more or less the same responsibilities): zone and man-to-man. In zone coverage, the cornerback is responsible for an area on the field. In this case, the corner must always stay downfield of whomever it is covering while still remaining in its zone. Zone is a more relaxed defensive scheme meant to provide more awareness across the defensive secondary while sacrificing tight coverage. As such, the corner in this case would be responsible for making sure nobody gets outside of him, always, or downfield of him, in cases where there is no deep safety help. In man coverage, however, the cornerback is solely responsible for the man across from him, usually the offensive player split farthest out.

The free safety is responsible for reading the offensive plays and covering deep passes. Depending on the defensive call, he may also provide run support. He is positioned 10 to 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage, toward the center of the field. He provides the last line of defense against running backs and receivers who get past the linebackers and cornerbacks. He must be a quick and smart player, capable of making tackles efficiently as well as reading the play and alerting his team of game situations. The strong safety is usually larger than the free safety and is positioned relatively close to the line of scrimmage. He is often an integral part of the run defense, but is also responsible for defending against a pass; especially against passes to the tight-ends.

References[link]

Flo Rida
Flo Rida on the set of "Sugar" in 2009.
Background information
Birth name	Tramar Dillard
Born	(1979-12-16) December 16, 1979 (age 32) Carol City, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper, songwriter, actor
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Atlantic, Poe Boy, International Music Group, Strong Arm
Associated acts	Akon, Brisco, Lady Gaga, Timbaland, David Guetta, Kesha, T-Pain, Nicki Minaj , Taio Cruz, Sia Furler, Ne-Yo, Avicii
Website	officialflo.com

Tramar Dillard (born December 16, 1979) better known by his stage name Flo Rida (pronounced  /floʊ ˈraɪdə/), is an American rapper. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a No. 1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from Mail on Sunday: "Elevator" and "In the Ayer". In 2009, his second album R.O.O.T.S. was released; its most successful single "Right Round" was at the top of the Hot 100 for six weeks. Since then, he has released his third studio album titled Only One Flo (Part 1), which will see a sequel titled Wild Ones.

Biography[link]

Early life and career beginnings[link]

Tramar Dillard was born in the 187th Street projects of Carol City, Florida.^[1] His mother raised him and his seven sisters, some of whom sang in a local gospel group.^[2] Dillard's brother-in-law was a hypeman for local rap group 2 Live Crew, and while in ninth grade, Dillard formed his own amateur group with some friends called the GroundHoggz.^[3] Born and raised in Miami, the GroundHoggz formed in the 187 apartments in Carol City. Similar to Goodie Mob, they were making music for the love of the art and to feed their souls. With only three members, 1Bred, Key Lime, and Fist, they found their missing link when Flo Rida, who lived in the same apartments, spit a verse for them. They were instantly impressed. Together for eight years, they started recording at underground studios in Carver Ranches.^[4] His work with 2 Live Crew member Fresh Kid Ice attracted the attention of DeVante Swing, a member of the band Jodeci. However, he was rejected by several of the major labels, so he sought many other jobs outside of music.^[5] After graduating from high school in 1998, he studied international business management at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for two years and attended Barry University for two months.^[5][6] He returned to Florida to continue pursuing his music career after receiving a phone call from a representative of the independent label Poe Boy Entertainment.^[5] Dillard signed with Poe Boy in 2006, and as Flo Rida he began affiliating with other artists, such as Rick Ross, Trina, T-Pain, and Trick Daddy. A promotional street single entitled "Birthday", featuring Rick Ross, was his first significant release. He made his debut guest appearance with the song "Bitch I'm from Dade County" on DJ Khaled's album We the Best, which featured Trick Daddy, Trina, Rick Ross, Brisco, C-Ride, and Dre.^[7]

[edit] 2007–08: Mail on Sunday

Rehearsing for the 2008 MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto.

Flo Rida's first single was "Low", featuring T-Pain. It was his first official single from his debut album Mail On Sunday and the soundtrack to the movie Step Up 2: The Streets. "Low" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[7] "Elevator", featuring Timbaland, "In the Ayer" featuring will.i.am, and "Roll" featuring Sean Kingston followed and all charted on the Hot 100 and other charts.^[8]

T-Pain, who laced the first single, is only one of the many featured guests throughout the album. Timbaland, who produced the second single "Elevator", is also featured on the track. Rick Ross, and Trey Songz made appearances as well.^[9] Lil Wayne has also been added to the list^[9] with assistance on the "American Superstar" track while Sean Kingston appears on the J. R. Rotem-produced "Roll" the concept was created, and co-written by Compton rapper Spitfiya, from The Bullets Production Team, Various other guests include Birdman, Brisco, and Yung Joc. The third single is "In the Ayer" featuring Will.i.am. The fourth single was scheduled to be "Money Right" featuring Brisco, and Rick Ross, but was canceled due to the release of his upcoming second studio album R.O.O.T.S. His second collaboration with T-Pain, "I Bet", as well as his collaboration with Trina, named "Bout It", both didn't make the final tracklist, but were recorded. As for production, J. R. Rotem, DJ Montay, and Timbaland all provided tracks for Mail on Sunday, among others.

After the success of Mail on Sunday, Flo Rida made guest performances on other R&B, rap, and pop singles, including "Move Shake Drop" by DJ Laz, "We Break the Dawn" by Michelle Williams, the remix of "4 Minutes" by Madonna, "Running Back" by Australian R&B singer Jessica Mauboy, "Feel It" by DJ Felli Fel, and the remix of "Speedin'" by Rick Ross. During the summer of 2008, he did live performances on the Fox dance competition program So You Think You Can Dance in the US^[10] and 2008 MuchMusic Video Awards in Canada.^[11] He appeared on the albums We Global by DJ Khaled, Gutta by Ace Hood, and The Fame by Lady Gaga, among others.

[edit] 2009–10: R.O.O.T.S.

Flo Rida performing "Right Round" at the Circus Club in Finland on July 9, 2009.

According to Billboard magazine, Flo Rida began recording his sophomore nine months after Mail On Sunday. The album is titled R.O.O.T.S. and was released on March 31, 2009.^[12] The first single "Right Round" featured Ke$ha and was released for airplay in January 2009. "Right Round" jumped from number 58 to the top spot in one week in late February. The song broke a record for the most digital one week sales in the U.S., with 636,000, beating the previous record he had set himself with "Low".^[13] "Right Round" sampled "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)", a 1985 hit by Dead or Alive.^[14] The second official single was "Sugar", which featured R&B singer Wynter Gordon. The song reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Jump" is the third official single and was released on July 27, 2009 in the UK, and July 28, 2009 worldwide.^[15] The song features Canadian singer Nelly Furtado. As of August 13, 2009 it has peaked at number fifty-four in the US, number twenty-seven in Canada, number twenty-one in the UK, and number eighteen in Australia. "Be on You" has been confirmed as the album's fourth official single for a release on October 6, 2009. The song features American singer Ne-Yo. When the album was released the single debuted at number ninety in the US. The song has received airplay since the albums release, and has since peaked at number nineteen in the US, and number fifty-one in the UK. "Available" was going to be released on iTunes but was cancelled. It charted at number 120 in Ireland. The song features Akon. A music video was also shot in mid-2009.^[16] R.O.O.T.S. debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 55,000 copies in its first week.^[17] As of August, 2009, the album has sold 223,000 copies in the United States, and 536,000 worldwide. By the end of 2009, the album sold 247,000 copies becoming the eighth best selling rap album of 2009.^[18]

Flo Rida made guest performances on "Feel It" by DJ Felli Fel, "Starstruck" by Lady Gaga, and "Feel It" by Three 6 Mafia. "Bad Boys", the first single by winner of British reality show The X Factor Alexandra Burke that featured Flo Rida, debuted at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in October.^[19]

[edit] 2010–11: Only One Flo (Part 1)

Flo Rida's third album Only One Flo (Part 1) was released on November 24, 2010. In March 2010, Flo Rida announced on Twitter that the album would be titled The Only One.^[20] Billboard reported that The Only One was to be a double album.^[21] A promo single, titled "Zoosk Girl", which features T-Pain, was released on the internet, though the song is not featured on the album, the single does have its own music video. On June 28, 2010, Flo Rida released the song "Club Can't Handle Me" featuring David Guetta, which was stated to be the official first single for the album. The song was also featured in the Step Up 3D soundtrack.^[22] On November 2, 2010, "Come with Me" was released as the first promo single for the album, along with "Puzzle", produced, and featuring by Electrixx, which isn't featured on the album. On November 16, 2010, "Turn Around (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)" was released as the second official promo single for the album via the iTunes Store.^[23] It debuted on the Australian Singles Chart at number thirty-four on November 29, 2010.^[24] After the release of the album in the UK, "Who Dat Girl" started to receive a strong amount of downloads, thus causing it to debut at number 136^[25] on the UK Singles Chart and chart at a current peak of number thirty-one on the UK R&B Chart.^[26] "Why You Up In Here" was released as the fourth single, and third promo single, on May 11, 2011. The song features Ludacris, Gucci Mane, and Git Fresh.

Flo Rida also made guest appearances on "iYiYi", a song by Australian teen singer Cody Simpson, and on the song "Out My Video" by Bulgarian singer LiLana. Flo Rida collaborated with UK girl group The Saturdays, recording a new version of the girl's single, "Higher".^[27] In December 2010, the Associated Press reported that Flo Rida had created his own label, International Music Group, inspired by Nicki Minaj's signing with Lil Wayne's. He has signed an 18 year-old rapper, Brianna^[28] and Git Fresh^[29] to International. Lately, Flo Rida has teamed up with the Malaysian singer, Mizz Nina, on a song called Take Over.

Driving issues[link]

On June 9, 2011, Flo Rida was arrested in Miami Beach, Florida for DUI and driving with a suspended license.^[30][31] Flo Rida was released from jail after he posted $2,000 bail and obtained a signed court order allowing him to travel to Asia for a series of previously scheduled concerts in Bangkok over the weekend.^[32]

[edit] 2011–present: Wild Ones

Flo Rida performing live in 2012.

The first single from Rida's upcoming album, Wild Ones, originally Only One Rida (Part 2), is "Good Feeling", released on August 29, 2011.^[33] The songs samples "Levels" by Avicii, which samples Etta James' 1962 song, "Something's Got a Hold on Me". Following the death of Etta James on January 20, 2012, Flo Rida dedicated the song in her memory.^[34] The song has peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100,^[35] topped the charts in Austria,^[36] Germany,^[37] Scotland,^[38] and the UK. It has also reached the top five in nine different countries worldwide.

On April 1, Flo Rida made an appearance at WrestleMania XXVIII and have a segment with Heath Slater, Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks where Heath calls Flo Rida "Florida" and Flo Rida shoves him into a wall; making Tyler and Curt come out laughing at Heath. Later that night Flo Rida performed "Wild Ones" and "Good Feeling" before Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson came out to battle John Cena. On April 6, 2012 and exclusive Australian EP entitled Good Feeling was released in Australia which contains six of his biggest hits and two remixes.^[39] It debuted at No. 21 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart^[40] On May 22, 2012, Flo Rida performed and closed the show at the first Q102 Springle Ball Concert, the following day he performed "Goin' In" with Jennifer Lopez on the America Idol finale.

Discography[link]

• Mail on Sunday (2008)
• R.O.O.T.S. (2009)
• Only One Flo (Part 1) (2010)
• Wild Ones (2012)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

Lucio Dalla
Lucio Dalla in 2008
Born	Lucio Dalla (1943-03-04)4 March 1943 Bologna, Italy
Died	1 March 2012(2012-03-01) (aged 68) Montreux, Switzerland
Nationality	Italian
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Years active	1966–2012 (his death)
Website
Official website

Lucio Dalla Grand Officer OMRI (4 March 1943 – 1 March 2012) was a popular Italian singer-songwriter, musician and actor. He also played clarinet and keyboards.

Dalla was the composer of Caruso (1986),^[1] which has been covered by numerous international artists. A version of Caruso sung by Luciano Pavarotti sold over 9 million copies, and another version was a track on Andrea Bocelli's first international album Romanza, which later sold over 20 million copies worldwide.^[2] This piece is also on Josh Groban's album Closer,^[3] which sold over 5,000,000 copies in the United States. The song is a tribute to the emblematic opera tenor Enrico Caruso. Maynard Ferguson also covered the song on his album "Brass Attitude", after having previously paid tribute to Caruso with his rendition of Vesti la giubba (titled as Pagliacci) on the album "Primal Scream".^[4]

Biography[link]

Beginnings[link]

Dalla was born in Bologna, Italy. He began to play the clarinet at an early age, in a jazz band in Bologna, and became member of a local jazz band called Rheno Dixieland Band, together with the future film director Pupi Avati. Avati said that he decided to leave the band after feeling overwhelmed by Dalla's talent. He also acknowledged that his film, Ma quando arrivano le ragazze? (2005), was inspired by his friendship with Dalla.^[5] In the 1960s the band participated in the first Jazz Festival at Antibes, France. The Rheno Dixieland Band won the first prize in the traditional jazz band category and was noticed by a Roman band called Second Roman New Orleans Jazz Band: with them Dalla performed his first record in 1961, and had the first contacts with RCA records, his future music publisher.

The singer-songwriter Gino Paoli hearing Dalla's vocal qualities, suggested that he attempt a soloist career as a soul singer. However, Dalla's debut at the Cantagiro music festival in 1965 was not successful probably due to both his physical appearance as well as his music, which was considered too experimental for the time. His first single, a rendition in Italian of the American traditional standard Careless Love was a failure, as it was his first album, 1999, that was released the following year. His next album, Terra di Gaibola (from the name of a suburb of Bologna), was released in 1970 and contained some early Dalla classics. His first hit was "4 Marzo 1943", which achieved some success due to the Sanremo Festival. The original title of the song was supposed to be "Gesù bambino", however in those years there was still stiff censorial control over the content of songs, and the title was changed to Dalla's birth date.^[6]. "Piazza grande", which Dalla would sing at another Sanremo Festival, was also a success.

Albums with Roversi[link]

At this point, Dalla made a decisive move in his career, starting a collaboration with the Bolognese poet Roberto Roversi. Roversi wrote the lyrics to Dalla's next three albums Il giorno aveva cinque teste (The Day Had Five Heads) (1973), Anidride solforosa (1975) and Automobili (Automobiles) (1976). Although these albums did not sell in large numbers, they were noted by critics for the unusual mix of Roversi's lyrics with Dalla's improvisations, his sometimes experimental twists and compositional abilities. The duo had already broken up by the time the concept album Automobili was released. Roversi, who had been against the album's release, chose the pseudonym "Norisso" when it was time to register the songs. The album, however, included one of Dalla's most popular songs, "Nuvolari", named after the famous 1930s Italian racer. ^[7]

Singer-songwriter[link]

Affected by the end of the collaboration, Dalla decided to write the lyrics of his next albums himself. This decision proved to be surprisingly good,^{[citation needed]} and he soon emerged as one of the most intelligent and musically cultured of the Italian singer-songwriters.^{[citation needed]} The first album of this new phase was Com'è profondo il mare (1977), in which Dalla was accompanied by members of the future pop band Stadio. The title track was a hit called Quale allegria. In 1979, his popularity was confirmed by the success of the Banana Republic tour and album together with singer-songwriter Francesco De Gregori, his band, and his friend Ron. The hit single Attenti al Lupo (1990) gave him wider success in Europe. He was invited to duet on Pavarotti and friends, singing his own hit Caruso with Pavarotti.^[8]

Death[link]

On the morning of 1 March 2012, three days before his 69th birthday, Dalla died of a heart attack, shortly after having breakfast at the hotel where he was staying in Montreux, having performed in the city the night before.^[9]

Albums[link]

• 1999 (1966)
• Terra di Gaibola (1970)
• Storie di casa mia (1970)
• Il giorno aveva cinque teste (1973)
• Quel fenomeno di Lucio Dalla (1973)
• L'album di... Lucio Dalla (1974)
• Anidride solforosa (1975)
• Automobili (1976)
• 4 Marzo 1943 (1976)
• Come è profondo il mare (1977)
• Lucio Dalla (1979)
• Banana Republic (1979, with Francesco De Gregori and Ron)
• Dalla (1980)
• Lucio Dalla (Q Disc) (1981)
• Torino, Milano e dintorni (1981)
• Gli anni Settanta (1981)
• 1983 (1983)
• Viaggi organizzati (1984)
• Bugie (1985)
• The best of Lucio Dalla (1985)
• DallameriCaruso (1986)
• Dalla/Morandi (1988)
• Cambio (1990)
• Il motore del 2000 (1990)
• Il primo Lucio Dalla (1990)
• Amen (1992)
• Henna (1993)
• Maria Farantouri sings Lucio Dalla (1995,with Maria Farantouri)
• Le origini (1996)
• Canzoni (1996)
• Ciao (1999)
• Luna Matana (2001)
• Live@RTSI – 20 dicembre 1978 (2001)
• Dal vivo – Bologna 2 settembre 1974 (2001)
• Caro amico ti scrivo... (Best of) (2002)
• Tosca. Amore disperato (2003)
• Lucio (2003)
• 12000 Lune (Best of/Box Set) (2003)
• Il contrario di me (2007)
• Angoli nel cielo (2010)
• Questo è amore (2011)

DVD[link]

• Live@RTSI – 20 dicembre 1978 (2001)
• Retrospettiva (2003)
• In concerto (2004)
• Banana Republic (2006)

References[link]

1. ^ "Caruso" lyrics with translation
2. ^ Crossover superstar Andrea Bocelli finds beauty in wide range of music The Columbus Dispatch, 27 November 2011.
3. ^ Josh Groban, Closer, CD (143 Records/Reprise Records, International Inc.)
4. ^ Maynard Ferguson, "Primal Scream", CD (Columbia Records, 1976)
5. ^ La Stampa, "Pupi Avati "L'amicizia con Dalla l'ho girata in un film"
6. ^ repubblica.it: "Lucio Dalla, canzoni camaleontiche tra jazz, Caruso e Gesù Bambino"
7. ^ rai.it: "Nuvolari"
8. ^ youtube: "Caruso (Live). Luciano Pavarotti & Lucio Dalla"
9. ^ "Lucio Dalla Dead: Italian Singer-Songwriter Dies At 68". http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/01/lucio-dalla-dead_n_1313115.html. Retrieved 1 March 2012. 

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2010)

Giuliano Sangiorgi in concert

Giuliano Sangiorgi (born on January 24, 1979 in Nardò, LE, Italy) is the vocalist, one of the guitarists and pianists of the Italian rock band Negramaro. He is also the lyricist of the group.^[1]

He started as a simple guitarist, but soon developed abilities as a singer and pianist, becoming one of the leading young Italian singers and gaining increasing fame together with his band.

Singles[link]

References[link]

This article about an Italian musician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article about a pianist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Fiorella Mannoia
Fiorella Mannoia
Background information
Born	(1954-04-04) April 4, 1954 (age 58)
Origin	Rome, Italy
Genres	pop
Occupations	singer
Years active	1968 - present
Labels	Carisch, It, RCA Italiana, Dischi Ricordi, CGD, Ariston, DDD, Sony
Website	fiorellamannoia.it

Fiorella Mannoia (born April 4, 1954) is an Italian singer.

Biography[link]

The Beginning[link]

Fiorella Mannoia's father Luigi was an Italian film stuntman, and Fiorella, her brother Maurizio and sister Patrizia began work in this area as children. Fiorella Mannoia's first film role as stuntwoman was at the age of 13 in the film Non cantare, spara! ("Don't Sing, Shoot!") (1968). She often acted as a stand-in for Monica Vitti, e.g., in Amore mio aiutami ("Help Me, My Love"), and was also a stand-in for Candice Bergen in The Hunting Party. She debuted in the world of music at the Festival of Castrocaro in 1968, singing Un bambino sul leone (“A Child on the Lion”) by Adriano Celentano. Although she didn't win, she obtained a record contract with Carisch, with whom she recorded her first 45, Ho saputo che partivi ("I Knew You Were Leaving"), which had on the B-side Le ciliegie ("The Cherries"), written by the young guitarist Riccardo Zappa.

In the Spring of 1968, she participated in Un disco per l'estate ("A Record for Summer"), a Summer song festival broadcast on RAI, with the song Gente qua, gente là ("People Here, People There"), the music for which was written by Bruno De Filippi, while the lyrics were written by her producer, Alberto Testa. Her third 45 featured Mi piace quel ragazzo lì ("I Like That Boy Over There"), whose text is dedicated to Adriano Celentano, with Occhi negli occhi ("Eyes Into Eyes") on the B-side, reutilized from the previous record. These discs, while still being influenced by certain "beat" sounds, presented evidence of Mannoia's vocal qualities, although they did not sell well. The tracks are available on the collection I primi passi ("The First Steps")(1998), containing songs by Fiorella Mannoia and Carla Bissi, published by On Sale Music.

In 1970 she got to know the singer and guitarist Memmo Foresi, who had put out some 45s as a solo act and with whom she formed a relationship. After signing a contract with the label It founded by Vincenzo Micocci, in 1971 she cut a 45 of a song written by Enzo Perrotti and a Foresi track on the B-side; this too went unnoticed.

The next year, the collaboration with Memmo Foresi led to the release of the album Mannoia Foresi & co. for RCA Italy. The track Ma quale sentimento ("But What Feeling") was retitled Prologo ("Prologue") for release as a single. In 1974, her new single Ninna nanna (with Rose on the B-side) was censored (and so withdrawn from sale) because of the lyrics by Marco Luberti, which were considered too raw. Fiorella Mannoia then decided to leave RCA and go to the label Ricordi, with whom she released three 45s, Piccolo ("Little", lyrics by Sergio Bardotti and Ruggero Cini), Tu amore mio ("You Love of Mine") and Scaldami ("Warm Me Up").

In the early 70s, she had minor roles in the spaghetti Westerns Un colt in mano del diavolo (“A Colt in the Hand of the Devil”) (1972), E il terzo giorno arrivò il corvo (“And on the Third Day, the Crow Arrived”) (1973) and Sei bounty killers per una strage (“Six Bounty Killers for a Massacre”) (1973).

Sanremo Music Festival[link]

On leaving the label Ricordi, Mannoia signed with CGD. Her first recording for the new label was not for a record of her own but for an album by Pierangelo Bertoli, entitled Certi momenti ("Certain Moments"). She sang a duet with Bertoli on Pescatore (“Fisherman”) and the great success of this single, and of the album, also helped to make her name known.

In 1981, she performed at the Sanremo Music Festival with Caffè nero bollente (“Steaming Black Coffee”), (written by Mimmo Cavallo and arranged by Antonio Coggio) which made her widely known in Italy. That year she also had a moderate hit with E muoviti un po' ("And Move a Little"), written by the Torinese singer-songwriter Valerio Liboni, with whom she took part in Festivalbar. She continued recording albums and 45s produced by Mario Lavezzi. She again changed record companies, moving to Ariston.

She entered the Sanremo Music Festival once more in 1984 with Come si cambia (“As One Changes”), written by Renato Pareti, which had a certain amount of sales success. She won the final of the television miniseries La Premiatissima '84 with the song Margherita by Riccardo Cocciante. In 1985, L'aiuola (“The Flowerbed”) was a big hit for her and the album Premiatissima '84, which included Margherita, was released.

Success[link]

Great success came when she changed labels to DDD and subsequently won the Critic’s Prize at the Sanremo Music Festival for two years in a row. In 1987, she won with Quello che le donne non dicono (“What Women Don’t Say”), her first number one hit, written specifically for her by Enrico Ruggeri and Luigi Schiavone. She won again in 1988 with Le notti di maggio (“The Nights of May”), written by Ivano Fossati. In 1988, the album Canzoni per parlare was released, which included these and other songs by leading Italian songwriters, including Ron and Riccardo Cocciante. This was also her first record produced by the musical director and guitarist Piero Fabrizi, who has played an important role in all of her subsequent work.

The album Di terra e di vento, on which she collaborated for the first time with Francesco De Gregori, was released in 1989. This album also contains an Italian version of the song O Que Será (“Oh What Will Be”) by the great Brazilian singer-songwriter Chico Buarque de Hollanda, sung as a duet with Ivano Fossati, who also translated the lyrics from Portuguese.

In 1992, Fiorella Mannoia released the pivotal album I treni a vapore, which, as well as the title track by Ivano Fossati, also contains the popular tracks Il cielo d'Irlanda (“The Sky of Ireland”) by Massimo Bubola, Tutti cercano qualcosa (“Everybody Is Looking for Something”) by Francesco De Gregori and Inevitabilmente (Lettera dal carcere) ("Inevitably (Letter from Jail)") by Enrico Ruggeri and Luigi Schiavone, which was used on the soundtrack of the film Caro diario by Nanni Moretti.

Her next album Gente comune was released in 1994. Highlights include the songs Crazy Boy, written for her by Samuele Bersani and Piero Fabrizi, Il culo del mondo (“The Arse of the World”) written by the Brazilian singer-songwriter Caetano Veloso, who sang with her on this number, and Giovanna d'Arco (“Joan of Arc”), written for her by Francesco de Gregori.

On Belle speranze (1997) she collaborated with younger songwriters including Daniele Silvestri and Gianmaria Testa. This album also contained the ironic Non sono un cantautore (“I Am Not a Singer-Songwriter”) written by Piero Fabrizi. Certe piccole voci (1999), the first live album of her career, contained the Vasco Rossi song Sally, one of her most popular numbers. This double CD was a huge hit in Italy, reaching number one a couple of months after release, and, ultimately, double platinum status.

2000s[link]

In 2000, Fiorella Mannoia was invited to the 50th Festival of Sanremo as Italian Super Host.

During the early to mid 2000s, she did a lot of touring, initially with Pino Daniele, Francesco De Gregori and Ron, and more recently solo. After the studio album Fragile (2001), Fiorella Mannoia released the live album In tour (2002) with Daniele, De Gregori and Ron. Returning to her cinema roots, she played a cameo role in the film Prima dammi un bacio ("First Give Me a Kiss") (2003), a romantic comedy written and directed by Ambrogio Lo Giudice.

In 2004, the solo live album Concerti (2004) was released, together with Due anni di concerti, a DVD recorded at the visually stunning Teatro Valli di Reggio Emilia. In 2005, she sang three songs at the Live 8 concert, Rome: Sally, Clandestino (written by Manu Chao), and Mio fratello che guarda il mondo (“My Brother Who Looks at the World”), written by Ivano Fossati.

During her career, Fiorella Mannoia has won the prestigious Targa Tenco (Tenco Prize) for Italian singers five times. She is the only performer to have won the Targa Tenco in this category more than once.

On 2 June 2005 the President of Italy, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, conferred on Fiorella Mannoia the rank of Ufficiale (Official) in the Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy).^[1]

In 2006 she released the single Cravo e canela (“Clove and Cinnamon”), written by Milton Nascimento (with whom she sings on the recording) and Ronaldo Bastos. This was followed by the album Onda tropicale, from which the single was taken. The tracks on the album, six translated into Italian by Piero Fabrizi and five in the original Portuguese, are all from the rich carioca repertoire of Brazil. All of the tracks are duets with well-known Brazilian artists (Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, Chico César, Gilberto Gil, Djavan, Carlinhos Brown, Lenine, Jorge Benjor and Adriana Calcanhotto). This was the first time anyone had succeeded in bringing all these important Brazilian artists together in a single project. Her longtime collaborator Piero Fabrizi, guitarist, musical director, arranger and songwriter, again played an important role on this album.

Fiorella Mannoia has also devoted herself to social issues, lending her attention to subjects such as abortion and divorce, and has also expressed her solidarity with the aid association Emergency.

During her career, Fiorella Mannoia has sung in a number of languages including French, Spanish, Portuguese and English, as well as Neapolitan and her native Italian.

Discography[link]

45 rpm[link]

• Ho saputo che partivi/Le ciliegie (Carisch, VCA 26201) (1968)
• Gente qua gente là/Occhi negli occhi (Carisch, VCA 26205) (1969)
• Mi piace quel ragazzo lì/Occhi negli occhi (Carisch, VCA 26208) (1969)
• Ore sei/Mi gira la testa (It) (1971)
• Ma quale sentimento/Che cos'è (RCA Italy) (1972)
• Ninna nanna/Rose (RCA Italy) (1974)
• Piccolo/Che sete ho (Dischi Ricordi, SRL 10.818) (1976)
• Tu amore mio/Viva (Dischi Ricordi, SRL 10.842) (1977)
• Scaldami/Cover girl (Dischi Ricordi, SRL 10.881) (1978)
• Caffè nero bollente/Meno male che il temporale sta passando (CGD) (1981)
• E muoviti un pò/Vigliacca notte nera (CGD) (1981)
• Il posto delle viole /Torneranno gli angeli (CGD) (1983)
• Come si cambia/Fai piano (Ariston) (1984)
• Ogni volta che vedo il mare/Chiara (Ariston) (1984)
• L'aiuola/Canto e vivo (Ariston) (1985)
• Quello che le donne non dicono/Ti ruberò (DDD) (1987)
• Le notti di maggio/Fino a fermarmi (DDD) (1988)
• Il tempo non torna più/Le notti di maggio (DDD) (1988)
• La giostra della memoria/Lunaspina (Epic) (1990)
• Cuore di cane/Oh che sarà (Epic) (1990)

CD Singles[link]

• Le notti di maggio ("The Nights of May") (DDD) (1988)
• Cuore di cane ("Heart of a Dog") (Polydor) (1992)
• I venti del cuore ("The Winds of the Heart") (Epic) (1992)
• Il cielo d'Irlanda ("The Sky of Ireland") (Epic) (1992)
• L'altra madre ("The Other Mother") (Sony) (1992)
• Crazy boy (Sony) (1994)
• Belle speranze ("Beautiful Hopes") (Sony) (1997)
• Non sono un cantautore ("I Am Not a Singer-Songwriter") (Sony) (1997)
• Il fiume e la nebbia ("The River and the Fog") (Sony) (1997)
• Sally (Sony) (1998)
• L'amore si odia duet with Noemi (Sony) (2009)

LPs and CDs[link]

• Mannoia Foresi & co. (RCA Italy) (1972)
• Fiorella Mannoia (CGD)(1982, reissued in 1983 with the addition of Caffè nero bollente (“Steaming Black Coffee”) and E muoviti un po' (“And Get Moving a Little”))
• Momento delicato (“Delicate Moment”) (Ariston) (1985, reissued in 1990 under the title Canto e vivo ("I Sing and I Live") with the addition of the song Come si cambia ("As One Changes"))
• Premiatissima '84 (Ariston) (1985)
• Fiorella Mannoia (Ariston) (1986)
• Canzoni per parlare (“Songs for Talk”) (DDD) (1988)
• Di terra e di vento (“Of Earth and Wind”) (Epic) (1989)
• I treni a vapore (“The Steam Trains”) (Sony) (1992)
• Gente comune (“Common People”) (Sony) (1994)
• Belle speranze (“Beautiful Hopes”) (Sony) (1997)
• Certe piccole voci (“Certain Little Voices”) (Sony) (1999)
• Fragile (“Fragile”) (Sony) (2001)
• In tour (“On Tour”) (Sony) (2002)
• Concerti (“Concerts”) (Sony) (2004)
• Onda tropicale (“Tropical Wave”) (Sony) (2006)
• Canzoni nel tempo (Sony) (2007) - (2 x Platinum 170,000+ copies)
• Il movimento del dare(Sony) (2008) - (Platinum - 105,000+ copies)
• Ho imparato a sognare(Sony) (2009) - (Platinum - 100,000+ copies)

Compilation CDs[link]

• Tre anni di successi (“Three Years of Hits”) (Durium) (1987)
• Canto e vivo (“I Sing and I Live”) (Dischi Ricordi) (1989)
• Basta innamorarsi (“It’s Enough to Fall in Love”) (Dischi Ricordi) (1989)
• Così cantiamo l’amore (“We Sing of Love This Way”) (Dischi Ricordi) (1991)
• Come si cambia '77-'87 (“As One Changes '77-'87”) (Dischi Ricordi) (1992)
• Le canzoni (“The Songs”) (Sony) (1993)
• Le origini (“The Origins”) (Dischi Ricordi) (1996)
• Il meglio (“The Best”) (Dischi Ricordi) (1997)
• I primi passi (“The First Steps”) (On Sale Music) (1998)
• I grandi successi originali (“The Original Big Hits”) (Sony) (2001)

DVDs[link]

• Due anni di concerti ("Two Years of Concerts") (Sony) (2004)
• Live in Roma 2005 (2006) (BUR/Sony) (package includes the book Biografia di una voce ("Biography of a Voice") by Fiorella Mannoia)
• Ho imparato a sognare ("I learned to dream") (Sony BMG Europe) (2009)

Prizes[link]

• 1987 - Sanremo Music Festival: Critic’s Prize for Quello che le donne non dicono
• 1988 - Sanremo Music Festival: Critic’s Prize for Le notti di maggio
• 1988 - Targa Tenco: best singer for Canzoni per parlare
• 1990 - Targa Tenco: best singer for Di terra e di vento
• 1995 - Targa Tenco: best singer for Gente comune
• 1999 - Targa Tenco: best singer for Certe piccole voci
• 2004 - Targa Tenco: best singer for Concerti

References[link]

1. ^ http://www.quirinale.it/onorificenze/DettaglioDecorato.asp?idprogressivo=161339&iddecorato=160832 Website of the President of the Republic of Italy

• Internet Movie Database Entry
• Fiorella Mannoia entry in it.wikipedia.org (Italian)
• Biography at RAI International online
• Biography at www.lacanzoneitaliana.it (Italian)
• Targa Tenco entry in it.wikipedia.org (Italian)
• Biography at www.musicalstage.it (Italian)
• Biography at www. hitparadeitalia.it (Italian)

External links[link]

• Fiorella Mannoia's Official Website (Italian)
• Fiorella Mannoia on line (fan site) (Italian)