Francis Rodino
Encyclopedia
Francis Rodino is a London
-based singer-songwriter
.
on December 18, 1974. His father is Italian
and descends from a long line of Venetian
nobility, most notably Enrico Dandolo
, Venice's first Doge
. His mother is from Romania
n descent. Francis has one older sister, Julia. In 1985 the family relocated to Milan
, Italy
where Francis continued high school and his musical studies, including the cello
, at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Milan
. Francis moved to the UK (London
) in 1993 to study Contemporary Media Practice at the University of Westminster
.
London
was where he had his first gigs; at the Cole Shed in Kilburn where he was a regular featured artist. In addition to performing acoustic shows around the UK capital, Francis started working with Alex White, a notable music composer and session pianist (Joan Armatrading
), on a variety of soundtracks for advertising, film and TV work.
In 2006 he formed the most recent incarnation of his live band, with Allan Burls, Matt George and Nik Hollis - with Luke Juby and Tim Davis joining in 2008.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
.
History
Francis Rodino was born in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
on December 18, 1974. His father is Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and descends from a long line of Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
nobility, most notably Enrico Dandolo
Enrico Dandolo
Enrico Dandolo — anglicised as Henry Dandolo and Latinized as Henricus Dandulus — was the 41st Doge of Venice from 1195 until his death...
, Venice's first Doge
Doge of Venice
The Doge of Venice , often mistranslated Duke was the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state's aristocracy. Commonly the person selected as Doge was the shrewdest elder in the city...
. His mother is from Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n descent. Francis has one older sister, Julia. In 1985 the family relocated to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
where Francis continued high school and his musical studies, including the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Milan
Milan Conservatory
The Milan Conservatory is a college of music which was established by a royal decree of 1807 in Milan, capital of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. It opened the following year with premises in the cloisters of the Baroque church of Santa Maria della Passione. There were initially 18 boarders,...
. Francis moved to the UK (London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) in 1993 to study Contemporary Media Practice at the University of Westminster
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
.
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
was where he had his first gigs; at the Cole Shed in Kilburn where he was a regular featured artist. In addition to performing acoustic shows around the UK capital, Francis started working with Alex White, a notable music composer and session pianist (Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, MBE is a British singer, songwriter and guitarist. Armatrading is a three-time Grammy Award-nominee and has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist...
), on a variety of soundtracks for advertising, film and TV work.
In 2006 he formed the most recent incarnation of his live band, with Allan Burls, Matt George and Nik Hollis - with Luke Juby and Tim Davis joining in 2008.
2007
- Francis was the first male performer in the UK to reach the $50,000 goal on SellabandSellabandSellaband is a music website that allows artists to raise the money from their fans and the SellaBand community in order to record a professional album. It was set up by Johan Vosmeijer , Pim Betist , and Dagmar Heijmans in August 2006. Its offices are located in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but it was...
, which marked a milestone in fan-sponsored music recording.
Influence
- Foo FightersFoo FightersFoo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
- Pearl JamPearl JamPearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
- Counting CrowsCounting CrowsCounting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
- EmbraceEmbraceEmbrace may refer to:*A hug, a form of physical intimacy*Embrace , an English band*Embrace , a United States band*Embraze, a Finnish band originally called Embrace...
- Alanis MorissetteAlanis MorissetteAlanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
- Ruth LorenzoRuth LorenzoRuth Lorenzo) is a Spanish singer notable for coming fifth in the fifth series of the British TV talent show The X Factor in 2008.Lorenzo's debut Single "Burn" entered the Spanish Singles Charts at number 16 when she released the single on the 27th of June 2011 in Spain...
Band members
- Allan Burls - Bass
- Nik Hollis - Electric Guitar
- Matt George - Drums
- Luke Juby - Piano and keyboards
- Tim Davis - Additional programming, synths, guitars and backing vocals
Discography
- Circles & Squares - Released January 2009
- Live at Storm - Bootleg Recorded at Storm, Leicester Square in September 2007 (2007)
- Don't Let Go - Demos and Ideas (2005)
External links
- SellabandSellabandSellaband is a music website that allows artists to raise the money from their fans and the SellaBand community in order to record a professional album. It was set up by Johan Vosmeijer , Pim Betist , and Dagmar Heijmans in August 2006. Its offices are located in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but it was...
Francis Rodino - Francis Rodino's official site