Soli can refer to:

• SOLI, Studio Owned Life Insurance, a business patent owned by Geneva Media Holdings, LLC.
• SOLI (Society of Our Lady of the Isles), an Anglican religious order of nuns in Scotland
• Soli, Cyprus, an ancient city on the island of Cyprus.
• Soli, Cilicia, an ancient city in Cilicia, later renamed Pompeiopolis.
• Soli, a 10th century name for Tuzla, a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• In orchestral music, soli refers to a divided string section with only one player to a line. Compare: solo (music)
• Solidaritätszuschlag, the solidarity tax introduced in Germany to pay for the development of former East Germany

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Adriano Celentano
Background information
Born	(1938-01-06) 6 January 1938 (age 74)
Origin	Milan, Italy
Genres	Pop, rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician, actor, director, television presenter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1957–present
Labels	Jolly, Clan Celentano
Associated acts	I Ribelli, Mina
Website	www.clancelentano.it

Adriano Celentano (Italian pronunciation: [adriˈano tʃelenˈtano]; born 6 January 1938) is an Italian singer, songwriter, comedian, actor, film director and TV host.

Celentano is the best-selling artist in Italy with Mina, and the best-selling male italian singer with more than 150 million records to date.^[1][2]

Biography[link]

Celentano was born in Milan at 14 Via Gluck, about which he later wrote the famous song "Il ragazzo della via Gluck" ("The boy from Gluck Street"). His parents were from Foggia, in Apulia, and had moved north for work.^[3]

According to urban legend, before beginning his singing career, Celentano was a student of Ghigo Agosti during Agosti's 1955-1956 Northern Italian tour, which was also guitarist Giorgio Gaber's debut.

Heavily influenced by his idol Elvis Presley and the 1950s rock revolution and by the American actor Jerry Lewis,^[4] he has retained his popularity in Italy for the last 40 years, selling millions of records and appearing in numerous TV shows and movies. In the latter respect, he has also been a creator of a comic genre, with his characteristic walking and his facial expressions. For the most part, his films were commercially successful; indeed in the 1970s and part of the 1980s, he was the king of the Italian box office in low budget movies. As an actor, critics point to Serafino (1968), directed by Pietro Germi, as his best performance.

As a director he frequently casts Ornella Muti, Eleonora Giorgi and his wife Claudia Mori. He and Claudia have three children; Rosita, Giacomo and Rosalinda Celentano, most notable to worldwide audiences for playing Satan in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. He also often works as a host on several Italian television shows.

He has released forty albums, comprising twenty nine studio albums, three live albums, and eight compilations. His most famous songs are "La coppia piu' bella del mondo", which sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc;^[5] "Azzurro" (1968), written by Paolo Conte; and "Prisencolinensinainciusol" (1972).

Celentano was referenced in the 1979 Ian Dury and the Blockheads song and single, "Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3", as one of the aforementioned "reasons to be cheerful," and in Fellini's 1986 film Ginger and Fred.

Adriano Celentano has been a vegetarian since 2005 and defends animal rights.^[6]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Studio albums

• 1960: Adriano Celentano with Giulio Libano and his Orchestra - Jolly LPJ 5008
• 1960: Furore - Jolly LPJ 5017
• 1962: Peppermint Twist - Jolly LPJ 5021
• 1963: A New Orleans - Jolly LPJ 5025
• 1965: Non mi dir - Clan, ACC 40002
• 1966: La festa - Clan, ACC 40006
• 1966: Il ragazzo della via Gluck - Clan, ACC 40007
• 1968: Azzurro/Una carezza in un pugno - Clan, ACC 40011
• 1968: Adriano rock - Clan, BF 501
• 1969: Le robe che ha detto Adriano - Clan, BF 502
• 1969: Pioggia di successi
• 1970: Il forestiero - Clan, BFM 700
• 1971: Er più - Storia d'amore e di coltello - Clan, BFM 602
• 1972: I mali del secolo - Clan, BFM 701
• 1973: La storia di uno... Adriano Celentano
• 1973: Nostalrock - Clan, CLN 65764
• 1975: Yuppi du - Clan, CLN 69120
• 1976: Svalutation - Clan, CLN 86013
• 1977: Disco dance - Clan, CLN 86026
• 1977: Tecadisk - Clan, CLN 86033
• 1978: Ti avrò - Clan, CLN 20053
• 1978: Geppo il folle - Clan, CLN 20099
• 1979: Il concerto di Adriano - Clan, CLN 22203
• 1979: Soli - Clan, CLN 20150
• 1980: Un po' artista un po' no - Clan, CLN 20201
• 1980: Tu non mi lascerai
• 1981: Deus - Clan, CLN 20257
• 1982: Uh... uh... - Clan, CLN 20324
• 1982: Storia d'amore
• 1983: Atmosfera - Clan, CLN 20380
• 1984: I miei americani - Clan, CLN 20445
• 1985: Joan Lui - Clan, CLN 20485
• 1986: I miei americani 2 - Clan, CLN 20545
• 1987: La pubblica ottusità - Clan, CLN 20699
• 1991: Il re degli ignoranti - Clan, 9031 74439-1
• 1994: Quel punto - Clan, 4509 97319-1
• 1996: Arrivano gli uomini - Clan, CLCD 74321 381192
• 1998: Mina Celentano - Clan/PDU, 90011 (by Mina and Adriano Celentano)
• 1999: Io non so parlar d'amore - Clan, CLN 13641
• 2000: Esco di rado e parlo ancora meno - Clan, CLN 20482
• 2002: Per sempre - Clan, CLN 20511
• 2004: C'è sempre un motivo - Clan, CLN 20551
• 2005: C'è sempre un motivo + L'Indiano - Clan, CLN 20551
• 2007: Dormi amore, la situazione non è buona - Clan, CLN 2058
• 2011: Facciamo finta che sia vero - Clan, CLN 2098

Collection albums

• 1969: Pioggia di successi - Clan, BF LP 506
• 1970: Adriano hits - Clan, BF LP 600 nostal rock
• 1973: La storia di uno...Adriano Celentano - Clan, CLN 68215
• 1975: Il meglio di Adriano Celentano - Clan, CLN 69133
• 1978: Celentanando - Clan, 1978 CGD / CLAN
• 1979: Antologia ('57-'80) - Clan, CLN 22504
• 1980: Il tempo se ne va compilation musica
• 1982: Il cinema di Adriano - Clan, CLN 25037
• 1983: Le volte che Adriano è stato primo - CLN 20391
• 1988: Antologia '57-'87 (6 discs) - Clan, CLN 77002
• 1992: Superbest - Clan, 4509 91216-1
• 1995: Alla corte del ReMix - Clan, CLCD 74321 331042
• 1997: Le origini di Adriano Celentano vol.1 - RTI Music, 11611
• 1997: Und immer Azzurro - Seine 20 größten Erfolge 1962-1997 - Clan, CD 74314905623
• 1999: Le origini di Adriano Celentano vol.2 - Clan, 496155
• 2000: Questa è la storia di uno di noi (cofanetto)
• 2001: Il cuore, la voce - Clan, CLN 20501
• 2003: Le volte che Celentano è stato 1 - Clan, CLN 20521
• 2003: TRE
• 2005: Una stella in mezzo al ciel
• 2006: Le più belle canzoni di Adriano Celentano
• 2006: Unicamente Celentano - Clan, CLN 20571
• 2008: L'animale - Clan
• 2010: Il ribelle rock! - Sony Music
• 2010: Il meglio di Adriano Celentano - NAR International
• 2010: Antologia Italian Style - Venus Distribuzione

Singles[link]

45 rpms

• 1958: "Rip It Up/Jailhouse Rock" - Music 2223
• 1958: "Blueberry Hill/Tutti frutti" - Music 2224
• 1958: "Man Smart/I Love You Baby" - Music 2232
• 1958: "Tell Me That You Love Me/The Stroll" - Music 2233
• 1958: "Happy Days Are Here Again/Buona sera signorina" - Jolly J 20032
• 1958: "Hoola Hop Rock/La febbre dell'hoola hop" - Jolly J 20045
• 1959: "Ciao ti dirò/Un'ora con te" - Jolly J 20057
• 1959: "Il ribelle/Nessuno crederà" - Jolly J 20063
• 1959: "Il tuo bacio è come un rock/I ragazzi del juke-box" - Jolly J 20064
• 1959: "Teddy Girl/Desidero te" - Jolly J 20068
• 1959: "Pronto pronto/Idaho" - Jolly J 20069
• 1960: "Nikita Rock/Blue Jeans Rock" - Jolly J 20079
• 1960: "Rock matto/Impazzivo per te" - Jolly J 20080
• 1960: "Impazzivo per te/Crazy Rock" - Jolly J 20080
• 1960: "Personality/Il mondo gira" - Jolly J 20089
• 1960: "Così no/La gatta che scotta" - Jolly J 20090
• 1960: "Piccola/Ritorna lo shimmy" - Jolly J 20092
• 1960: "Pitagora/A cosa serve soffrire" - Jolly J 20106
• 1960: "Giarrettiera rossa/Che dritta!" - Jolly J 20107
• 1960: "Furore/Movimento di rock" - Jolly J 20124
• 1961: "24 mila baci/Aulì-ulè" - Jolly J 20127
• 1961: "Non esiste l'amor/Basta" - Jolly J 20137
• 1961: "Gilly/Coccolona" - Jolly J 20144
• 1961: "Nata per me/Non essere timida" - Jolly J 20150
• 1962: "Forse forse/Peppermint Twist" - Jolly J 20153
• 1962: "Ciao amore/Veleno" - Caramba Jolly C 11000
• 1962: "Si è spento il sole/La mezza luna" - Jolly J 20178
• 1962: "Stai lontana da me/Sei rimasta sola/Amami e baciami" - Clan, ACC 24001
• 1962: "24 mila baci/Il tuo bacio è come un rock" - Jolly J 20185
• 1962: "Pregherò (prima parte)/Pasticcio in Paradiso" - Clan, ACC 24005
• 1963: "A New Orleans/Un sole caldo caldo caldo" - Jolly J 20197
• 1963: "Il tangaccio/Grazie, prego, scusi" - Clan, ACC 24009
• 1963: "Serafino campanaro/Ehi stella" - Jolly J 20220
• 1963: "Sabato triste/Le notti lunghe" - Clan, ACC 24012
• 1964: "Una notte vicino al mare/Hello Mary Lou" - Jolly J 20228
• 1964: "Non mi dir/Non piangerò" - Clan, ACC 24015
• 1964: "Il problema più importante/È inutile davvero" - Clan, ACC 24016
• 1964: "L'angelo custode/Bambini miei" - Clan, ACC 24019
• 1965: "Ciao ragazzi/Chi ce l'ha con me" - Clan, ACC 24022
• 1965: "Sono un simpatico/E voi ballate/Due tipi come noi" - Clan, ACC 24024
• 1965: "La festa/Ringo" - Clan, ACC 24027
• 1966: "Il ragazzo della via Gluck"/"Chi era lui" - Clan, ACC 24032
• 1966: "Mondo in mi 7°/Una festa sui prati" - Clan, ACC 24040
• 1967: "La coppia più bella del mondo/Torno sui miei passi" - Clan, ACC 24051
• 1967: "Tre passi avanti/Eravamo in 100.000" - Clan, ACC 24058
• 1967: "30 donne nel west/Più forte che puoi" - Clan, ACC 24063
• 1968: "Canzone/Un bimbo sul leone" - Clan, ACC 24073
• 1968: "Azzurro/Una carezza in un pugno" - Clan, ACC 24080
• 1968: "L'attore/La tana del re" - Clan, BF 69001
• 1969: "La storia di Serafino/La pelle" - Clan, BF 69013
• 1969: "Storia d'amore/Straordinariamente" - Clan, BF 69014
• 1969: "Lirica d'inverno/L'uomo nasce nudo" - Clan, BF 69030
• 1970: "Chi non lavora non fa l'amore/Due nemici innamorati" - Clan, BF 69040
• 1970: "Chi non lavora non fa l'amore /EA" - Clan, BF 69041
• 1970: "Viola/Se sapevo non crescevo" - Clan, BF 69051
• 1971: "Sotto le lenzuola/Il forestiero" - Clan, BF 70000
• 1971: "Una storia come questa/Brutta" - Clan, BF 70010
• 1971: "Er più/Una storia d'amore e di coltello" - Clan, BF 70015
• 1972: "Un albero di trenta piani/Forse eri meglio di lei" - Clan, BF 70018
• 1972: "La ballata di Pinocchio/I Will Drink the Wine" - Clan, BF 70022
• 1972: "Prisencolinensinainciusol"/"Disc Jockey" - Clan, BF 70026
• 1973: "L'unica chance/Quel signore del piano di sopra" - Clan, CLN 1319
• 1973: "Only You/We're Gonna Move" - Clan, CLN 1887
• 1974: "Bellissima/Stringimi a te" - Clan, CLN 2443
• 1975: "Yuppi du/La ballata" - Clan, CLN 3208
• 1975: "Un'altra volta chiudi la porta/Do dap" - Clan, CLN 3633
• 1976: "Svalutation/La barca" - Clan, CLN 4375
• 1977: "A Woman in Love/Rock Around the Clock/Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" - Clan, CLN 5048
• 1977: "When Love/Somebody Save Me" - Clan, CLN 5403
• 1978: "Ti avrò/La moglie, l'amante, l'amica" - Clan, CLN 10089
• 1979: "Che cosa ti farei/Geppo" - Clan, CLN 10120
• 1979: "Soli/Io e te" - Clan, CLN 10174
• 1980: "Qua la mano/Gocce d'acqua" - Clan, CLN 10251
• 1980: "Il tempo se ne va/Non se ne parla nemmeno" - Clan, CLN 10252
• 1980: "Innamorata, incavolata a vita/Se non è amore" - Clan, CLN 10305
• 1981: "L'artigiano (1ª parte)/L'artigiano (2ª parte)" - Clan, CLN 10326
• 1982: "Crazy Movie/Roma che fa...te innamora" - Clan, CLN 10371
• 1982: "Uel mae sae/We're Gonna Move" - Clan, CLN 10393
• 1982: "Uh...uh.../Jungla di città" - Clan, CLN 10442
• 1984: "Susanna/Il cantante folle" - Clan, CLN 23001
• 1987: "Mi attrai/La luce del sole" - Clan, CLN 10786

More singles

• 1995: "Voglio prendere il sole"
• 1995: "Prisencolinensinainciusol (Remixes - maxi single)
• 1996: "Cosi come sei"
• 1996: "Arrivano gli uomini"
• 1996: "Solo da un quarto d'ora"
• 1998: "Acqua e sale"
• 1998: "Brivido felino"
• 1998: "Che taggia dì"
• 1999: "Gelosia"
• 1999: "L'emozione non ha voce"
• 1999: "L'uomo di cartone"
• 1999: "Una rosa pericolosa"
• 1999: "Qual è la direzione"
• 1999: "Mi domando"
• 1999: "L'arcobaleno"
• 2000: "Senz'amore"
• 2000: "Le pesche d'inverno"
• 2000: "Per averti"
• 2001: "Apri il cuore"
• 2001: "Ti prenderò"
• 2001: "Quello che non ti ho detto mai"
• 2001: "Tir"
• 2001: "Le stesse cose"
• 2002: "Confessa"
• 2003: "Per sempre"
• 2003: "Più di un sogno"
• 2003: "Mi fa male"
• 2004: "C'è sempre un motivo"
• 2004: "Marì Marì"
• 2005: "Ancora vivo"
• 2005: "Valeva la pena"
• 2005: "L'indiano"
• 2006: "Oh Diana"
• 2007: "Hai bucato la mia vita"
• 2007: "La situazione non è buona"
• 2008: "Dormi amore"
• 2008: "Fiori"
• 2008: "Aria...non sei più tu"
• 2008: "Sognando Chernobyl"
• 2008: "La cura"
• 2011: "Non ti accorgevi di me"

Films[link]

• La Dolce Vita (1960)
• Il monaco di Monza (1963)
• Super rapina a Milano (1965)
• Serafino (1968)
• Er Più - storia d'amore e di coltello (1971)
• Bianco rosso e... (1972)
• L'emigrante (1973)
• Rugantino (1973)
• The Five Days aka Le Cinque Giornate (1973)
• Yuppi du (1974)
• Di che segno sei? (1975)
• Culastrisce nobile veneziano (1976)
• Bluff - storia di truffe e di imbroglioni (1976)
• Ecco noi per esempio (1977)
• L'altra metà del cielo (1977)
• Geppo il folle (1978)
• Zio Adolfo in arte Führer (1978)
• Mani di velluto (1979)
• La locandiera (1980)
• Qua la mano (1980)
• Sabato, domenica e venerdì (1980)
• Il bisbetico domato (1980)
• Innamorato pazzo (1981)
• Asso (1981)
• Bingo Bongo (1982)
• Grand Hotel Excelsior (1982)
• The Mystery of the Third Planet (1982) (Mediaset version) (Gromozeka) (voice)
• Segni particolari: bellissimo (1983)
• Sing Sing (1983)
• Lui è peggio di me (1984)
• Joan Lui (1985)
• Il burbero (1986)
• Jackpot (1991)

See also[link]

Biography portal

• List of best-selling music artists

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Adriano Celentano at the Internet Movie Database
• Adriano Celentano discography at iMusic.am
• The complete Adriano Celentano discography (from Music City)
• (Italian) (English) (Russian) Adriano Celentano - Russian Pages
• (Italian) (English) (Dutch) Adriano Celentano - International
• (Italian) Unofficial fanclub
• Youtube movie video
• Adriano Celentano Filmography

Salvatore "Toto" Cutugno (born July 7, 1943) is an Italian pop singer-songwriter and musician.

Biography[link]

Toto Cutugno was born in Fosdinovo, Tuscany, to a Sicilian father and a Tuscan mother. Shortly after his birth the family moved to La Spezia (Liguria).

He began his musical career as a drummer, but later formed a band that performed his own songs. He also had cowritten for popular French-American singer Joe Dassin, contributing some of his most famous songs, including "L'été indien" ("Africa"), "Et si tu n'existais pas" and "Le Jardin du Luxembourg" (written with Vito Pallavicini).^[1] He also co-wrote Dalida's "Laissez moi danser" (Voglio l'anima"), which became a Platinum record shortly after its release.

In 1976 Cutugno participated for the first time in the Sanremo Music Festival coming up with 3rd place with his band Albatros with the song, Volo 504. He then won in 1980 with the song "Solo noi", and subsequently finished second in six editions: in 1984 with the song "Serenata" ("Serenade"), in 1987 with "Figli" ("Sons" or "Children"), in 1988 with "Emozioni" ("Emotions"), in 1989 with the song "Le mamme" ("The Mamas"), in 1990 with Ray Charles with the song "Gli amori" ("Loves", but entitled "Good Love Gone Bad" in Charles' version) and in 2005 with Annalisa Minetti with the song "Come noi nessuno al mondo" ("No One Else in the World Like Us"). Toto Cutugno participated in the festival a total of 13 times.

He won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1990 with his own composition "Insieme: 1992" ("Together: 1992"), a ballad which celebrated European political integration. Along with Gigliola Cinquetti, Italy's only other Eurovision winner from 1964, he presented the 1991 contest, which was staged in Rome as a result of his victory.

Cutugno may be best known for his worldwide hit song, "L'Italiano (Lasciatemi Cantare)", which was on his hit CD, "I Grandi Successi".^[2]

Discography[link]

• Albatros (1976)
• Come ieri, come oggi, come sempre (1978)
• La mia musica (1981)
• L'italiano (1983)
• Azzura malinconia (1986)
• Voglio l'anima (1987)
• Innamorata, innamorato, innamorati (1987)
• Mediterraneo (1987)
• Toto Cutugno (1990)
• Insieme 1992 (1990)
• Non è facile essere uomini (1992)
• Voglio andare a vivere in campagna (1995)
• Canzoni nascoste (1997)
• Il treno va (2002)
• Cantando (2004)
• Come noi nessuno al mondo (2005)
• Un falco chiuso in gabbia (2008)
• I Miei Sanremo (2010)

See also[link]

• List of Eurovision Song Contest presenters

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Toto Cutugno Spain Oficial (Idiomas: Español/Italiano/Inglés)
• Toto Cutugo Fanclub Romania
• Toto Cutugno at the Internet Movie Database
• "Insieme: 1992" lyrics with English translation
• MSN Group

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Riva with "Rock Me"	Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1990	Succeeded by Carola with "Fångad av en stormvind"
Preceded by Anna Oxa and Fausto Leali with "Avrei voluto"	Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990	Succeeded by Peppino di Capri with "Comme è ddoce 'o mare"
Preceded by Helga Vlahović and Oliver Mlakar	Eurovision Song Contest presenter (with Gigliola Cinquetti) 1991	Succeeded by Lydia Cappolicchio and Harald Treutiger

Lucio Battisti (5 March 1943 – 9 September 1998) was an Italian singer-songwriter (cantautore). He is considered to be one of the best-known and most influential musicians and authors in Italian pop/rock music history.^[1]

Battisti started his career in 1966 and from 1969 to 1994 he released 18 albums in his home country. A significant part of his production was translated into Spanish (various albums) and English (one album). He was renowned to be an extremely reserved artist: during his successful career he performed only a small number of live concerts, and in the early 1980s he announced he would communicate only through his studio albums, completely disappearing from the Italian public scene.

Biography[link]

Musician and composer[link]

Battisti was born in Poggio Bustone, a town in the province of Rieti (northern Lazio), and moved with his family to Rome in 1950. A self-taught guitarist, Battisti made his debut as musician in the 1960s, performing in local bands in Rome, Naples and later in Milan where he joined I Campioni (The Champions), the support band of then famous singer Tony Dallara. He also travelled abroad as a working musician, in Germany and England, where he absorbed the music of Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Jimi Hendrix, blues and soul - among others - which he later introduced into Italian Pop music.

In Milan he found the support of the French talent scout, Christine Leroux, who worked for the Ricordi music label. Under Leroux's wing Battisti penned three sizeable hits in 1966 for other artists ("Per una lira" for Ribelli, "Dolce di giorno" for Dik Dik, and "Uno in più" for Riki Maiocchi). Leroux also introduced Battisti to lyricist Giulio Rapetti, better known as Mogol: though not impressed at first by Battisti's music, Mogol later declared to have started the collaboration after recognizing Battisti's humble, though determined, desire to improve his work. Mogol also pushed Ricordi to allow Battisti to sing his own songs: Battisti's voice became the focal point of his strength and originality. As a singer, he made his debut with the song "Per una lira" in 1966: despite the song's poor success (only 520 copies sold throughout Italy!^[2]), it allowed him to begin building his career as a singer.

Battisti continued to write for others, in the late 1960s: the US rock group The Grass Roots scored a hit stateside with one of Battisti's compositions, "Balla Linda", translated as "Bella Linda". With the same song, Battisti classified fourth in the Cantagiro, a then popular Italian Pop music competition. 1969 saw another one of Battisti's compositions, "Il Paradiso", become a hit in the UK when it was covered by the group Amen Corner as "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice", hitting the number one spot on the singles chart. In the same period another English band, The Hollies - featuring Graham Nash - recorded a Battisti song in Italian, "Non prego per me".

Success as a solo singer in 1970s – The Mogol-Battisti duo[link]

	La luce dell'est noicon La luce dell'est (1972)
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In the same year Battisti took part in the Festival of Sanremo, with the song "Un'avventura", and his popularity began to increase. His first great hit was "Acqua azzurra, acqua chiara", which won the Festivalbar. The same year, Ricordi issued Battisti's self-titled debut album. During this successful year he met Grazia Letizia Veronese, who later married and lived with Battisti until his death.

Forming a strong and highly successful duo with lyricist Mogol, Battisti continued to issue solo albums on a regular basis throughout the 1970s: in almost every case they reached the highest places in his country's charts, and are regarded as classics of Italian Pop Music ("musica leggera"). He also became a popular TV presence.

In 1970 Battisti won Festivalbar for the second time in a row, with the song "Fiori rosa, fiori di pesco", and started to collaborate with Mina, who sang some of Mogol-Battisti's finest tunes. In December, Ricordi issued Battisti's second LP, "Emozioni", which was a compilation of previously released singles. Battisti was really angry about this, as he had composed a concept album called Amore e non amore, but his label chose to release the compilation rather than the album, which was considered to be too experimental and advanced for the Italian audience.

Amore e non amore was eventually released in July 1971, but in order to preserve their creative freedom, Battisti and Mogol moved over to Numero Uno, one of Italy's first independent record labels, founded by them in the fall of 1969.

The new label released Umanamente uomo: il sogno (1972) followed by the even more successful Il mio canto libero (1972). The latter topped the Italian charts for 8 weeks: one of its songs - "Io vorrei, non vorrei, ma se vuoi" - was later recorded by Mick Ronson with lyrics translated by David Bowie, as "Music Is Lethal" (on the album Slaughter on 10th Avenue). The song "Il Mio Canto Libero" has remained one of the most popular songs ever among Italians. Another successful album was Il nostro caro angelo (1973).

Anima Latina (1974) is considered Battisti's most complex and multi-layered work, a new personal approach to Prog Rock music with an increased attention to rhythms and increasingly cryptic lyrics by Mogol; nonetheless, their work enjoyed a good success, remaining for 13 weeks at number one in Italian charts.

Lucio Battisti, la batteria, il contrabbasso, eccetera, released in 1976 and including the hit "Ancora tu" was an even bigger success; many of the songs clearly showing the artist's interest in the then-emerging Disco sounds and production values that would have a large influence on his three subsequent albums.

	Amore mio di provincia noicon Amore mio di provincia (1980)
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In 1977 he released Io tu noi tutti. He also relocated to Los Angeles, and issued an album, Images, that featured some of his biggest hits re-recorded in English. However, the attempt to equal his European success in the United States failed. In 1978 Battisti released Una donna per amico: recorded in London and produced by Geoff Westley, it was his best-selling LP ever. This was followed in 1980 by Una giornata uggiosa, produced by the same team. It contained Battisti's last great success, "Con il nastro rosa". Considered one of the duo's best compositions ever, it featured a very fine (and long) guitar solo by Phil Palmer. Battisti's songs written with Mogol continue to be covered by artists with an international reputation; a more recent example is Tanita Tikaram's "And I Think of You" ("E penso a te").

Battisti, a rather shy person, had always been reluctant to talk about himself and his work. In the early 1980s he declared he would no longer make public appearances nor release any interviews: in his words "[he was going to] speak no more, since an artist must communicate with the public only through his work". In some very rare occasions, though, he appeared as a TV guest in other countries such as France, Switzerland and Germany, and only after 1982 his vow can be considered completely fulfilled, with a perseverance similar to that of J. D. Salinger and other famous recluses.

The "Second period"[link]

	Potrebbe essere sera noicon Potrebbe essere sera (1990)
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In 1981 Battisti broke the partnership with Mogol, switching to a more experimental, sometimes weird inspiration, based often on electronic instruments. The LPs of his "second period", starting from E già of 1982 (with lyrics by his wife), received a mixed reception from both critics and audiences. Mogol started to work with Riccardo Cocciante; in 1990, he declared he had not listened to Battisti's LPs for many years.

From 1986, starting with Don Giovanni, to 1994, the lyrics on Battisti's albums were written by the poet Pasquale Panella. Don Giovanni combined a return to classic "Battistian" melodies with lyrics which some felt were weird and often seemingly meaningless. Others, however, understood the lyrics to be cryptic: an intellectual mind game of sorts. Don Giovanni had a reasonable success in Italy.

The following L'apparenza (1988), however, again contained rather impervious lyrics; its success was worse than the one had by Don Giovanni, in chart position as well as in sales volumes. La sposa occidentale (1990) was released for CBS, and marked another fall in sales and success. The declining sales were hardly a concern for Battisti: it was rumoured that in the 1990s he was earning 4-5 billion lire a year (approximately 3 million Euro in 2006) solely from author rights of his 1970s songs.

Battisti's last albums were Cosa succederà alla ragazza (1992) and Hegel (1994).

On 9 September 1998, Battisti died in a Milan hospital. The New York Times said the cause was cancer.^[1] The news was immediately reported by the media and spread quickly throughout the country, generating an unprecedented wave of emotion for the singer-songwriter. He was later buried in the cemetery of Molteno, the town where he had spent his last years with his family, far from the show business circus.

Several compilations of his best tracks have surfaced after Battisti's death, including 2000's Battisti and 2001's Canzoni d'amore. His catalogue is published by BMG Music Publishing.

Influence and praise[link]

Through the years, Battisti consolidated his status as one of the most well-known Italian singers. His songs remain immensely popular in Italy, and are often performed live by other notable musicians.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]

English language recordings[link]

A few of his songs were translated into the English language. The album Images was the only official worldwide release, however in Britain a single was published with two other translations: "Baby It's You"("Ancora tu") and "Lady" ("Donna selvaggia donna"). A full translation of the album Una donna per amico, to be called Friends, which had the above songs, was recorded but never published. The two songs and the album were translated and produced by Frank Musker.^[19][20][21]

Full list of Battisti's English recordings:^[19]

Released

• Images
• "Baby It's You" ("Ancora tu")
• "Lady" ("Donna selvaggia donna")

Unreleased

• "My Father Told Me" - instrumental of "Nel sole, nel vento, nel sorriso, e nel pianto"
• "Wake Me I'm Dreaming - "Mi ritorni in mente"
• "You and Your Tomorrow" - "Acqua azzurra, acqua chiara"
• The following were considered for Images, translated not by Peter Powell but by Marva Jan Marrow:

• "Star in a Film" - "L'interprete di un film"
• "Since I Have Forgotten About You" - "Eppur mi son scordato di te" with different accompaniment melody and an acoustic guitar
• "Our Dear Angel" - "Il nostro caro angelo"
• "Freedom Song" - An alternate translation of "Il mio canto libero", sung solo and with guitar
• "The Sun Song" - An alternate translation of "La canzone del sole", set to the original Italian version's melody
• "To Love a Bit" - "Amarsi un po'", the words were changed into "To feel in love" for the album

• Friends - A translation of the album Una donna per amico, replacing the song "Maledetto gatto" with translations of two of his other hits. All the songs were translated by Frank Musker.

1. "Baby it's You" - shorter version
2. "I Think of You" - previous hit "E penso a te", different from the tribute by Tanita Tikaram
3. "Take it as it Comes" - "Prendila così"
4. "Lady" - slightly different from released version
5. "Day to Day" - "Perché no"
6. "Afraid of Falling" - "Aver paura di innamorarsi troppo"
7. "Pain is Gone" - "Nessun dolore"
8. "A Woman as a Friend" - "Una donna per amico"
9. "Goin' to the Movies" - "Al cinema"

• "Pain is Gone" and "A woman as a Friend" were recorded twice. The first version of "Pain is Gone" places an emphasis on bongos and the chorus sings "Nessun dolore" in the background; the second version has an English repetition in the background. The only major difference between the two "A Woman as a Friend" versions is the second verse.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lucio Battisti

• (Italian) www.luciobattisti.info - Discography and others information about the singer
• (Italian) Full discography

Vasco Rossi (born 7 February 1952), also known as Vasco or with the nickname Il Blasco, is an Italian singer-songwriter. During his career, he has published 26 albums (not including unofficial releases) and has written over 150 songs, as well as lyrics for other artists. He calls himself a "provoca(u)tore" (an Italian portmanteau for "provoking author") as throughout his career he has been regularly criticized over his choice of lifestyle and the lyrics in his songs.

Biography[link]

Vasco Rossi was born in Zocca, in the province of Modena (Emilia-Romagna). His father, Carlo Rossi, was a truck-driver, and his mother, Novella, a housewife. It was his mother herself who decided to enroll him in singing school when he was a little boy, a choice that must have seemed rather peculiar within the mentality of a small village in the Apennines like Zocca. Nonetheless, Rossi fell in love with music and at the age of 14 began playing with his first band.

Rossi and his family moved to Bologna, Italy, where he studied accounting in high school. Upon graduating he opened a music club, Punto Club, and enrolled in university at the faculty of Economics and Business. In the meantime he supported himself by working as a DJ and founding, along with friends, one of the first private radio stations in Italy, "Punto Radio", with which he began slowly and timidly showcasing his own songs.

Encouraged by his friend Gaetano Curreri (now leading member of Italian rock band Stadio), Rossi released his first EP on 13 June 1977, which included the songs "Jenny è pazza" (Jenny is crazy) and “Silvia", and a full-length album in 1978, Ma cosa vuoi che sia una canzone ("What do you think a song is"). In 1979, he released a second album, Non siamo mica gli americani ("It's not, like, we are the Americans"), which included, "Albachiara" ("Cleardawn"), one of his biggest hits, and a ballad considered emblematic of Rossi’s poetic style. His most controversial album, Colpa d'Alfredo ("Alfredo's fault") followed in 1980; its title-track was censored from the radio and let loose bitter criticism because it contained some lyrics referring to women considered too explicit at that time. The controversy actually increased Rossi’s popularity, and he quickly saw himself famous on a national level, particularly after performing live on Domenica In, a popular Italian television program. The performance did not particularly please journalist Nantas Salvalaggio, who published a scathing article against Rossi calling him drug-addict. Rossi argued that Salvalaggio evidently did not understand his music and remarked how easy it is to criticize a still unknown artist who cannot defend himself.

In 1981, the album Siamo solo noi ("It's only us") was released. The title track, another signature song of his, would become commonly recognized as a generational hymn.

In 1982, Rossi took part for the first time in the Sanremo Music Festival, performing the song "Vado al massimo" ("I'm taking it to the max"). Here, he once again found himself under the harsh criticism, and came in last place in the festival. In April of the same year the album Vado al Massimo was released. The following year, he reappeared at the Sanremo Music Festival, this time performing “Vita spericolata" (Daredevil Life), probably his most popular song, and finishing in second-to-last place due to his apparent state of intoxication. The following album, Bollicine ("Little Bubbles"), published in 1983, was his sixth in seven years, and was the album that consecrated him definitively an idol of the new generation and an icon of Italian rock. The title track, whose lyrics are about Coke (but also demonstrate a clear assonance with cocaine), won the Festivalbar ‘83, and his tour that year was an enormous success.

To celebrate this positive period in his career, Rossi released his first live recording in 1984, Va bene, va bene così ("It’s alright, it’s alright this way"). In April, however, he was arrested on charges of drug possession. He was immediately granted provisional release from jail, but subsequently sentenced to 2 years and 8 months of probation. Shortly thereafter he released his next album, Cosa succede in città ("What goes on in town"), which became one of his weakest critically and did not reach past sales.

In 1987 Vasco Rossi’s ninth album, C'è chi dice no ("There Are Some Who Say ‘No’"), was released; the ever-increasing numbers of fans showing up to his concerts forced him to quit performing in clubs and normal-sized venues and begin the era of something for which he is known to this day—playing in and selling out big arenas and stadiums.

His tenth studio album, Liberi liberi ("[we are] Free, Free"), followed in 1989. The success of his 1989 tour brought the release of the live album Fronte del palco (a pun of the Italian title of Marlon Brando's film "Waterfront" which was "Fronte del porto", and thus meaning "Stage Front") and the organization of two concerts in 1990, one at the San Siro stadium in Milan and the other at the Flaminio in Rome.

Rossi's next album, Gli spari sopra ("The shots above"), released in 1993, went platinum ten times. The title track, which was a major hit, is a cover version of Celebrate by the Irish band An Emotional Fish. In 1994 he gave the unreleased "Senza Parole" ("Without Words") as a gift to members of his official fan-club.

In 1995, Rossi was again the star at San Siro with a double concert, Rock sotto l'assedio ("Rock under siege"), which protested the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Rossi invited a few Bosnian bands like Sikter, Lezi Majmune and Protest to perform but was heavily criticized by the press because the proceeds weren't given to charity, despite the fact they were never meant to.

In 1996, Rossi recorded a new studio album, Nessun Pericolo... Per Te ("No Danger... For You"), featured songs “Sally” and "Gli angeli" ("The Angels"), (the video of the latter was directed by Roman Polanski).

In 1998 Rossi rediscovered his singer-songwriter side, recording and releasing the album Canzoni per me ("Songs for me") with a softer and less “rock” sound, even remaking never-published songs written at the beginning of his career. The nature of the songs, however, did not impede Rossi from winning his second Festivalbar with the song, "Luna per te" ("Moon for you"). Given the low propensity of these songs to fit in his live show with the songs his fans had up to that time become accustomed, he decided to hold just one concert in 1998, accepting the proposal to be a guest star on the first evening of the new Heineken Jammin' Festival in Imola, Italy. The evening is immortalized in both video and in the 1999 live album Rewind. A few days into the tour, Rossi’s inseparable friend, as well as guitarist and writer/cowriter of many songs and lyrics, Massimo Riva, died unexpectedly. He would be remembered and celebrated by Rossi and fans in nearly every concert that followed.

In 2001, Stupido Hotel ("Stupid Hotel"), was released, and Rossi won his third Festivalbar, this time with the song “Siamo Soli” ("We are alone"). In 2002 Rossi released his first official recording of remastered songs in their original version, Tracks, which was followed by three sold-out performances at San Siro Stadium in Milan. His album Buoni o cattivi ("Good or Bad Ones") was the most successful album in Italy in 2004.

On 12 May 2005, Milan’s IULM conferred an honorary degree in Communication Sciences to Vasco Rossi.

On 9 September 2005, Rossi released the double DVD È solo un Rock'n'Roll show ("It’s Only a Rock’n’Roll Show") with Andrea Lehotská, launching the concept of the ‘movieclip,’ in which all the songs from Buoni o cattivi (Good or Bad [guys])’ are used in a 2-hour long music video. Three months later, Buoni o cattivi live anthology 04.05 was released, a comprehensive box-set comprising a double CD and a triple DVD, recorded live from the record-setting Buoni o cattivi tour of 2004 and 2005. In December 2005 he returned to his home town of Zocca, , where his childhood friends and the rest of the community organized a tribute in his honor, including a photo display and other celebrations.

In 2007, he released the "Vasco Extended Play", that contains the hit single "Basta Poco" ("A Little Is Enough"). The EP topped the Italian FIMI Charts for 21 Weeks, making that the Italian best-selling single of 2007 thus far.

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Vasco Rossi

In late 2009, SingStar Vasco Rossi was released.

On 4 May 2010 the "Corriere della Sera" reported Vasco Rossi as saying the American and British governments had been responsible for preventing him and other Italian musicians from becoming known in those countries. “Just as Bob Dylan was banned from playing in China, for 20 years I was barred from London. … It’s one of the many ‘presents’ that America left us after World War II. To favour the sale of American and British music to Italy and discourage the export of our talents abroad.”

In June 2011 Rossi announced he would be retiring from touring and live work although would continue to work in the music business. ^[1]

During 2011, Vasco's lawyers threatened to undertake legal actions against popular Italian satire website "Nonciclopedia", the italian version of Uncyclopedia, arguing that the rock star was offended by the contents of the page about him. On October 3rd 2011 the website shut down after repeated inquiries from the police to the site's admins. The news promptly ran across the web via thousands of tweets, blogposts and eventually spread on some Italian newspapers. ^[2][3]

He is an atheist^[4].

Official discography[link]

LPs[link]

• <<..Ma cosa vuoi che sia una canzone>> (1978)
• Non siamo mica gli americani (1979)
• Colpa d'Alfredo (1980)
• Siamo solo noi (1981)
• Vado al massimo (1982)
• Bollicine (1983)
• Va bene, Va bene così (1984)
• Cosa succede in città (1985)
• C'è chi dice no (1987)
• Liberi... Liberi (1989)
• 10.7.90 San Siro (1990)
• Fronte del palco (1990)
• Gli spari sopra (1993)
• Nessun pericolo... Per te (1996)
• Rock (1997)
• Canzoni per me (1998)
• Rewind (1999)
• Stupido Hotel (2001)
• Vasco Rossi Tracks (2002)
• Buoni o Cattivi (2004)
• Buoni o cattivi - Live Anthology 04.05 (2005)
• Il mondo che vorrei (2008)
• Vasco Rossi Tracks 2 (inediti & rarità) (2009)
• Vasco London Instant Live (2010)
• Vivere o niente (2011)
• L'altra metà del cielo (2012)

EPs and singles[link]

• "Jenny / Silvia" (1977)
• "La nostra relazione / ... E poi mi parli di una vita insieme" (1978)
• "Albachiara / Fegato, fegato spappolato" (1979)
• "Non l'hai mica capito / Asilo repubblic" (1980)
• "Voglio andare al mare / Brava" (1981)
• "Splendida giornata Remix" (1982)
• "Vado al massimo / Ogni volta" (1982)
• "Vita spericolata / Mi piaci perchè" (1983)
• "Brava Giulia / Blasco Rossi" (1987)
• "Non mi va Remix" (1987)
• "Gli spari sopra (Hard Attack Mix) / Delusa (Mode Mix) / Delusa (Club Mix)" (1993)
• "Gli spari sopra (Celebrate)/Delusa (Rock Party Mix) /Se è vero o no/ L'uomo che hai di fronte (B. Mix)" (1993)
• "Senza Parole Remix" (1994)
• "Senza Parole" (1994)
• "Vasco Remixed" (1996)
• "Gli angeli" (1996)
• "Praticamente perfetto Remix / Io Perderò Remix" (1996)
• "Quanti anni hai" (1998)
• "L'una per te" (1998)
• "Io no" (1998)
• "Rewind (single)" (1998)
• "La fine del millennio" (1999)
• "Buoni o Cattivi (single)" (2004)
• "Come Stai (single)" (2004)
• "Buoni o Cattivi Remix" (2004)
• "Un senso (single)" (2004)
• "Anymore (single)" (2004)
• "E... (single)" (2005)
• "Cosa vuoi da me remix" (2005)
• "Vasco Extended Play" (2007)
• "Basta poco" (2007)
• "Il mondo che vorrei (single)" (2008)
• "Gioca con me Remix" (2008)
• "Colpa del Whisky Remix" (2009)
• "Sto pensando a te" (2009)
• "Ad ogni costo" (2009)
• "Ho fatto un sogno" (2010)
• "Eh... già" (2011)
• "I soliti" (2011)
• "Manifesto futurista della nuova umanità" (2011)

DVDs[link]

• Rewind (1999)
• Vasco Rossi Tracks (2002)
• Vasco Rossi @ S. Siro 03 (2003)
• E' Solo Un Rock'N' Roll Show (2005)
• Buoni O Cattivi Live Anthology (2005)
• Fronte Del Palco - Live 90 (2006)
• Gli Spari Sopra Tour (2006)
• Vasco@Olimpico.07 27.28 giugno sold out (2007)
• Vasco Rossi. Il mondo che vorrei. Live (2008)

References[link]

1. ^ End of the road for rockstar Vasco Italy for Beginners, 27-06-2011
2. ^ "Vasco, ti presento l'Effetto Streisand". Attivissimo.blogspot.com. 2009-03-02. http://attivissimo.blogspot.com/2011/10/nonciclopedia-sospesa-avrebbe-diffamato.html. Retrieved 2011-11-08. 
3. ^ "Vasco fa chiudere Nonciclopedia La rete: «Mito di cartapesta»". Unita.it. 2008-09-20. http://www.unita.it/culture/vasco-fa-chiudere-nonciclopedia-br-la-rete-mito-di-cartapesta-1.337942. Retrieved 2011-11-08. 
4. ^ Il gionale, 11th August, 2011.

External links[link]

• Official website