Nino D'Angelo | |
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Nino D'Angelo, 1992
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Background information | |
Birth name | Gaetano D'Angelo |
Born |
Naples, Italy |
21 June 1957
Genres | Pop, folk |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 1970s–present |
Labels | Sony BMG, Casa Ricordi |
Website | www |
Gaetano "Nino" d'Angelo (born 21 June 1957) is an Italian pop/folksinger.
He was born to a poor family in San Pietro a Patierno, a suburb of Naples, and dropped out of school, taking jobs like ice cream vendor and wedding singer.
His first album, A storia mia (Neapolitan: "My Story") was received very well, especially in Sicily. In 1979 he married Annamaria with whom he would have two sons. He started a career as an actor in sceneggiate musical dramas, a genre native to Naples, and later as a cinema actor. His first film was Celebrità, released in 1981, a star vehicle written around his singing and the first of five films he acted in that was directed or produced by Ninì Grassia.
In 1982 he released the album Un jeans e una maglietta ("Jeans and a T-shirt") and a film with the same title. The album sold over one million copies and the film surpassed the Hollywood movie Flashdance at the box office. He participated in the Sanremo Music Festival in 1986 with the song "Vai" ("Go"). His album Cantautore was the best seller at the time, although it was not listed in the official Hit Parade. He performed in Australia, Germany, Switzerland, United States, and France—where he debuted 15 December 1987 at the Olympia in Paris.
In 1990, following the deaths of both his parents, he released the album "Tiempo" (Neapolitan for "Time"), which was championed by Italian music critic Goffredo Fofi.
In 1997 he wrote his first musical, Core pazzo ("Mad Heart"), and co-hosted the Dopofestival show that aired immediately after each night of the Sanremo Music Festival with Piero Chiambretti. He also won the David Di Donatello Award for Best Music for his soundtrack to the film To Die for Tano. In 2000, he also starred, directed, wrote and performed the music for Aitanic, a Titanic parody and starring fellow Italian actors Sabina Began and Giacomo Rizzo.