Fabrizio De André | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Fabrizio Cristiano De André |
Born | 18 February 1940 |
Origin | Genoa, Italy |
Died | 11 January 1999 | (aged 58)
Genres | Folk music, Italian folk music, Chanson, World music |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, classical guitar |
Years active | 1958–1999 |
Labels | Karim, Sony BMG, Ricordi |
Website | fondazionedeandre.it |
Fabrizio Cristiano De André (Italian pronunciation: [faˈbrittsjo de anˈdre]; 18 February 1940 – 11 January 1999) was an Italian singer-songwriter.
Known for his sympathies towards anarchism, left-libertarianism and pacifism, his songs often featured marginalized and rebellious people, Romani, prostitutes and knaves, and attacked the Catholic Church hierarchy. Artistically active for almost 40 years and the author of thirteen studio albums, he is renowned for the quality of his lyrics and often considered a poet. He contributed to the promotion of the languages of Italy, most notably Ligurian and, to a lesser extent, Sardinian, Gallurese and Neapolitan. Following his early death several streets, places, parks, schools and public libraries were named after him.
De André was born in Genoa, and was welcomed into the world by Gino Marinuzzi's "Country Waltz" on the home gramophone. Twenty-five years later, he would set his "Waltz for a Love" to Marinuzzi's waltz tune.
When the Second World War broke out, the De André family had to seek refuge on a country farm near Revignano (a little town near Asti), in Piedmont. Fabrizio's father, who was an antifascista pursued by the police, joined the partisans. In 1945, at the end of the war, the family moved back to Genoa, where the father became an important member of Genoa's ruling class, as CEO, and later chairman of Eridania, a sugar factory.