Italian popular music
Encyclopedia
The expression Italian Popular Music refers to the music
al output which is not usually considered Academic or Classical Music
but rather have its roots in the popular tradition
s, and it may be defined in two ways: it can either be defined in terms of the current geographical location of the Italian Republic
with the exceptions of the Germanic South Tyrol
and the eastern portion of Friuli Venezia Giulia; alternatively it can be defined as the music produced by all those people who consider themselves as Italians and openly or implicitly refer to this belief. Both these two definitions are very loose: due to the complex political history
of the Italian Peninsula
and the different independent political states, cultural and linguistic traditions which sprang within them, it is rather difficult to define what may be considered to be truly Italian. Since before the formation of a unified educational system and the spread of information through the radio and the press during the twenties, all the different cultural and linguistic groups within the country were independent from one another, and a unified Italian Country was still only a political or ideological concept far from the daily life.
Regional languages and independent cultural inheritances began to be slowly eradicated through the school system and the advent of the mass media
which, at the time, were entirely controlled by the Italian government. Slow process of the industrialization which begun during the fascist period had strong effects on the lower classes; it helped in forming the contemporary Italian society, in particular in the economical separation between the north and the south, which is reflected in the different references to the traditional background in the contemporary popular music. Emigration contributed to the exportation of the Italian musical background to other countries such as Argentina, Australia and the United States.
, Mina
, Andrea Bocelli
, Eros Ramazzotti
, Laura Pausini
, and Elisa. The modern pop music
tends toward sentimental ballads with a crooning
vocal style, though it used to be unique in its blend of Mediterranean folk rhythms with pop forms. These folkier pop artists included Lucio Battisti
, Vasco Rossi
and Pino Daniele
.
During the 1960s and 70s, Italian popular music changed by incorporating Latin American and Anglo musical traditions, especially Brazil
ian bossa nova
and American and British rock and roll
. The same period saw diversification in the cinema of Italy
, and Cinecittà
films included complex scores by composers including Ennio Morricone
, Armando Trovaioli
and Piero Umiliani
. The film music remained popular in the 70s, and then underwent a revival in the 1990s.
Italy was one of the leading nations of the progressive rock movement of the 70's - the others being Germany
and the United Kingdom
- and its progressive scene was quite big, united and lively. The main Italian style of progressive rock was symphonic rock
mixed with Italian folk music
influences, e.g. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso
, Le Orme
, Premiata Forneria Marconi
, Pooh (band)
, Il Balletto di Bronzo
. There were also some experimental rock
bands around, e.g. Area
. Progressive rock concerts were usually political events with an energetic atmosphere, e.g. Area had mainly extremely left-winged political lyrics.
Beginning in the 1980s, pop grew more heterogeneous and more in line with international sounds.
Zucchero
is a leading Italian rock musician along with Vasco Rossi
. Jovanotti
is a widely popular singer mixing elements of dance music
with Italian popular music and rap. Other prominent rock bands include Litfiba
.
from Milan
. Their style was mainly influenced by the East Coast rap. Other early rap groups are typically politically-oriented crews like 99 Posse
(who later became influenced by British trip hop
). More recent artists include Sardinian gangster rapper La Fossa
.
and Teresa De Sio
. There are bands in Italy that play patchanka music, characterized by a mixture of traditional music, punk, reggae, rock and political lyrics. Modena City Ramblers
are one of the more popular bands; they mix Irish, Italian, punk, reggae and many other forms of music. Other bands include Casa del Vento
, Mau Mau and Banda Bassotti
.
scenes are in Rome
and Milan
, however many Italian jazz musicians are resident in Paris
. Italian instrumentalists include: saxophonists Stefano di Battista
and Francesco Cafiso
, pianists Danilo Rea
and Stefano Bollani
, trumpet players Paolo Fresu
and Enrico Rava
. Palermo
also has a lively jazz scene, including Enzo Rao
, who have added native Sicilian
and Arab
influences to American
jazz.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
al output which is not usually considered Academic or Classical Music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
but rather have its roots in the popular tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
s, and it may be defined in two ways: it can either be defined in terms of the current geographical location of the Italian Republic
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...
with the exceptions of the Germanic South Tyrol
South Tyrol
South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
and the eastern portion of Friuli Venezia Giulia; alternatively it can be defined as the music produced by all those people who consider themselves as Italians and openly or implicitly refer to this belief. Both these two definitions are very loose: due to the complex political history
History of Italy
Italy, united in 1861, has significantly contributed to the political, cultural and social development of the entire Mediterranean region. Many cultures and civilizations have existed there since prehistoric times....
of the Italian Peninsula
Italian Peninsula
The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe , spanning from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname Lo Stivale...
and the different independent political states, cultural and linguistic traditions which sprang within them, it is rather difficult to define what may be considered to be truly Italian. Since before the formation of a unified educational system and the spread of information through the radio and the press during the twenties, all the different cultural and linguistic groups within the country were independent from one another, and a unified Italian Country was still only a political or ideological concept far from the daily life.
The Fascist period: Affirmation of a National Italian Culture
Music and the artistic production of this period reflected the need of the political class to affirm its ideological statement of a united and strong Italian identity on both the political as well as cultural basis.Regional languages and independent cultural inheritances began to be slowly eradicated through the school system and the advent of the mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
which, at the time, were entirely controlled by the Italian government. Slow process of the industrialization which begun during the fascist period had strong effects on the lower classes; it helped in forming the contemporary Italian society, in particular in the economical separation between the north and the south, which is reflected in the different references to the traditional background in the contemporary popular music. Emigration contributed to the exportation of the Italian musical background to other countries such as Argentina, Australia and the United States.
1948 to the late '80: Slow Evolution to new Forms
During the second half of the twentieth century Italian populas music has seen a strong shift as a results of the influences foreign music had on the Italian musicians brought by the technological advances such as television, tapes vinyl. In particular the protests of the 1968 helped to form a new group of musicians in contrast with the stereotypes of the musica leggera (light music) and opened to new musical forms.- Foundation of musica leggera during the fifties and early sixties, e.g. Domenico ModugnoDomenico ModugnoDomenico Modugno was an Italian singer, songwriter, actor, and later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu "...
, Adriano CelentanoAdriano CelentanoAdriano Celentano is an Italian singer, songwriter, comedian, actor, film director and TV host.-Biography:Celentano was born in Milan at 14 Via Gluck, about which he later wrote the famous song "Il ragazzo della via Gluck"...
, MinaMina (singer)Anna Maria Quaini, Grand Officer , known as Mina, is an Italian pop singer. She was a staple of Italian television variety shows and a dominant figure in Italian pop music from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s known for her three-octave vocal range, the agility of her soprano voice, and her image as an...
, Gino PaoliGino PaoliGino Paoli is an Italian singer-songwriter. He wrote four masterpieces of Italian popular music: "Il cielo in una stanza", "Che cosa c'è", "Senza fine" and "Sapore di sale".- Biography :...
, Sanremo Festival - Music of the '68 and the Modern Italian troubadours e.g. Fabrizio De AndréFabrizio De AndréFabrizio De André was an Italian singer-songwriter.Known for his sympathies towards anarchism, libertarianism, and pacifism, he also was a convicted atheist , and his songs often featured marginalized and rebellious people, prostitutes and knaves, and attacked the Catholic Church...
, Francesco GucciniFrancesco GucciniFrancesco Guccini is an Italian singer-songwriter, considered one of the most important Cantautori. During the five decades of his music career he has recorded 16 studio albums and collections, and 6 live albums. He is also a writer, having published autobiographic and noir novels, and a comics...
, Francesco De GregoriFrancesco De GregoriFrancesco De Gregori is an Italian singer-songwriter. He is popularly known as "Il Principe Poeta" , a nickname referring to the elegance of his lyrics.-1970s:...
, Giorgio GaberGiorgio GaberGiorgio Gaber, byname of Giorgio Gaberscik , was an Italian singer-songwriter, actor and playwright. He was also an accomplished guitar player and author of one of the first rock songs in Italian... - Opposition with the traditional musica leggera, e.g. Celentano, Mina, Toto CutugnoToto CutugnoSalvatore "Toto" Cutugno is an Italian pop singer-songwriter and musician.-Biography: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 ....
, Gianni MorandiGianni MorandiGianni Morandi is an Italian pop singer and entertainer.He made his debut in 1962 and quickly placed high at or won a number of Italian popular song festivals, including the Canzonissima festival in 1969. In 1970, he represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest with "Occhi di ragazza"... - New direction of the late 1970s, e.g. progressive rockProgressive rockProgressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, Franco BattiatoFranco BattiatoFrancesco Battiato is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes...
, Le OrmeLe OrmeLe Orme is an Italian progressive rock band formed in 1966 in Marghera, a frazione of Venice. The band was one of the major groups of the Italian progressive rock scene in the 1970s...
, Lucio DallaLucio DallaLucio Dalla is a popular Italian singer-songwriter and musician. He also plays clarinet and keyboards.He is the composer of Caruso , which has been covered by numerous international artists... - Rock leggero of the 1980s and 1990s, e.g. Vasco RossiVasco RossiVasco Rossi , also known as Vasco or with the nickname Il Blasco, is an Italian singer-songwriter. During his career, he has published 25 albums and has written over 150 songs, as well as lyrics for other artists...
, Piero PelùPiero PelùPiero Pelù is an Italian rock singer and songwriter, best known for his work with the famous Italian rock band Litfiba...
Rock and pop
Italian pop and rock has produced many stars including: Adriano CelentanoAdriano Celentano
Adriano Celentano is an Italian singer, songwriter, comedian, actor, film director and TV host.-Biography:Celentano was born in Milan at 14 Via Gluck, about which he later wrote the famous song "Il ragazzo della via Gluck"...
, Mina
Mina (singer)
Anna Maria Quaini, Grand Officer , known as Mina, is an Italian pop singer. She was a staple of Italian television variety shows and a dominant figure in Italian pop music from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s known for her three-octave vocal range, the agility of her soprano voice, and her image as an...
, Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli, is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a soccer accident....
, Eros Ramazzotti
Eros Ramazzotti
Eros Luciano Walter Ramazzotti , known simply as Eros Ramazzotti, is an Italian singer and songwriter. Ramazzotti is enormously popular in Italy, and is well known in most non-English-speaking European countries and in the Spanish-speaking world, as he has released most of his albums in both...
, Laura Pausini
Laura Pausini
Laura Pausini, is a Grammy Award-winning Italian soul singer-songwriter. She debuted in 1993, winning the newcomer artists' section of the 43rd Sanremo Music Festival with the song "La solitudine", which became an Italian standard and an international hit, reaching the top spot on the Italian...
, and Elisa. The modern pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
tends toward sentimental ballads with a crooning
Crooner
Crooner is an American epithet given to male singers of pop standards, mostly from the Great American Songbook, either backed by a full orchestra, a big band or by a piano. Originally it was an ironic term denoting an emphatically sentimental, often emotional singing style made possible by the use...
vocal style, though it used to be unique in its blend of Mediterranean folk rhythms with pop forms. These folkier pop artists included Lucio Battisti
Lucio Battisti
Lucio Battisti was an Italian singer-songwriter . He is considered to be one of the best-known and most influential musicians and authors in Italian pop/rock music history....
, Vasco Rossi
Vasco Rossi
Vasco Rossi , also known as Vasco or with the nickname Il Blasco, is an Italian singer-songwriter. During his career, he has published 25 albums and has written over 150 songs, as well as lyrics for other artists...
and Pino Daniele
Pino Daniele
Pino Daniele is an Italian vocalist, composer, and musician, whose influences cover a wide number of genres, fusing pop, blues, jazz, Italian and Middle eastern music into his own unique brand of world music.-Studio albums:...
.
During the 1960s and 70s, Italian popular music changed by incorporating Latin American and Anglo musical traditions, especially Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
and American and British rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
. The same period saw diversification in the cinema of Italy
Cinema of Italy
The history of Italian cinema began just a few months after the Lumière brothers had patented their Cinematographe, when Pope Leo XIII was filmed for a few seconds in the act of blessing the camera.-Early years:...
, and Cinecittà
Cinecittà
Cinecittà is a large film studio in Rome that is considered the hub of Italian cinema.-History:The studios were founded in 1937 by Benito Mussolini and his head of cinema Luigi Freddi for propaganda purposes, under the slogan "Il cinema è l'arma più forte"...
films included complex scores by composers including Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
, Armando Trovaioli
Armando Trovaioli
Armando Trovaioli is an Italian film composer and pianist with over 200 credits as composer and/or conductor, many of them jazz scores for low-budget exploitation films of the Commedia all'italiana genre. He collaborated with Vittorio De Sica on a number of projects, including one segment of...
and Piero Umiliani
Piero Umiliani
Piero Umiliani was an Italian composer of film scores, and is most famous for his song "Mah Nà Mah Nà".-Biography:Umiliani was born in Florence, Tuscany...
. The film music remained popular in the 70s, and then underwent a revival in the 1990s.
Italy was one of the leading nations of the progressive rock movement of the 70's - the others being Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- and its progressive scene was quite big, united and lively. The main Italian style of progressive rock was symphonic rock
Symphonic rock
Symphonic rock is a sub-genre of progressive rock. Since early in progressive rock's history, the term has been used sometimes to distinguish more classically influenced progressive rock from the more psychedelic and experimental forms of progressive rock....
mixed with Italian folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
influences, e.g. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso is an Italian rock band. A popular progressive rock band in the 1970s, they continued making music in the 1980s and 1990s...
, Le Orme
Le Orme
Le Orme is an Italian progressive rock band formed in 1966 in Marghera, a frazione of Venice. The band was one of the major groups of the Italian progressive rock scene in the 1970s...
, Premiata Forneria Marconi
Premiata Forneria Marconi
Premiata Forneria Marconi is an Italian progressive rock band. They were the first Italian group to have success abroad, entering both the British and American charts. Between 1973 and 1977 they released five albums with English lyrics...
, Pooh (band)
Pooh (band)
Pooh is an Italian pop band formed in 1966. They are referred to in the plural as i Pooh .-Current lineup:*Roby Facchinetti , Vocals and keyboards from 1966...
, Il Balletto di Bronzo
Il Balletto di Bronzo
Il Balletto di Bronzo was an Italian progressive rock band from Naples. They formed in the mid 1960s, and released two albums, Sirio 2222 and Ys, before disbanding in 1973....
. There were also some experimental rock
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
bands around, e.g. Area
Area (band)
Area - International POPular Group, most commonly known as Area or AreA, is an Italian progressive rock, jazz fusion, electronic, experimental groupb) “It was the mid-1970s and live events roused enthusiasm as never before; they fulfilled the need to be together and the illusion of continuing as a...
. Progressive rock concerts were usually political events with an energetic atmosphere, e.g. Area had mainly extremely left-winged political lyrics.
Beginning in the 1980s, pop grew more heterogeneous and more in line with international sounds.
Zucchero
Zucchero
Adelmo Fornaciari, Commander , more commonly known by his stage name Zucchero Fornaciari or simply Zucchero /ˈtsukkero/, is an Italian rock singer. His music is largely inspired by gospel, blues and rock music, and alternates between ballads and more rhythmic boogie-like pieces.Zucchero is the...
is a leading Italian rock musician along with Vasco Rossi
Vasco Rossi
Vasco Rossi , also known as Vasco or with the nickname Il Blasco, is an Italian singer-songwriter. During his career, he has published 25 albums and has written over 150 songs, as well as lyrics for other artists...
. Jovanotti
Jovanotti
Lorenzo Cherubini, better known as Jovanotti, is an Italian singer-songwriter and rapper.The name Jovanotti derives from the plural form of the Italian word giovanotto , i.e. giovanotti. Lorenzo Cherubini originally auditioned a band with the name "I Giovanotti", but the record producer only was...
is a widely popular singer mixing elements of dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
with Italian popular music and rap. Other prominent rock bands include Litfiba
Litfiba
Litfiba is an Italian hard rock band formed in Florence in early 1980.Litfiba originated from the meeting of 5 punk, New Wave and simply rock music fans with then no musical background....
.
Electronic and Dance Music
Techno, Trance, and Electronica are all popular forms of dance music in Italy.- Gabry PonteGabry PonteGabriele "Gabry" Ponte is an Italian DJ best known for his membership in the Italian dance group Eiffel 65. Ponte has been involved with the Bliss Team, DJ Gundam, and Sangwara...
- Eiffel 65Eiffel 65Eiffel 65 is an Italian three-piece group formed in the late 1990s and best known for pioneering in pitch-correction and autotune, and for their international hit "Blue ". Their other hit singles include "Move Your Body" and "Too Much of Heaven", all of which appeared on their album Europop,...
- Gigi D`Agostino
Hip hop
The Italian hip hop scene began in the early 1990s with Articolo 31Articolo 31
Articolo 31 is a popular band from Milan, Italy, melding hip hop, funk, pop and traditional Italian musical forms. They are one of the most popular Italian rock/hip hop groups.-Band history:...
from 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 ,...
. Their style was mainly influenced by the East Coast rap. Other early rap groups are typically politically-oriented crews like 99 Posse
99 Posse
99 Posse is an Italian hip hop/reggae group from Naples. It raps both in Italian and in the local Naples dialect. Most of 99 Posse's songs deal with political or social issues, and the group members are considered left-wing hardliners...
(who later became influenced by British trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
). More recent artists include Sardinian gangster rapper La Fossa
La Fossa
La Fossa is one of the earlier rap groups from Italy and one of the first from the island of Sardinia. They formed in 1996. Unlike fellow Sardinian rap group Sa Razza, La Fossa usually does not rap in Sardinian, and uses primarily Italian lyrics...
.
Return to Tradition: Patchanka
Following De André, many artists are rediscovering the forms of traditional music abandoned since the fascist period as a sort of traditional revival, including TazendaTazenda
Tazenda is an Italian ethnic pop-rock band. The group was formed in Sardinia in 1988 by Andrea Parodi, Gigi Camedda and Gino Marielli. The group's music is characterized by the influence from traditional Sardinian music; the lyrics of most of its songs are in the Logudorese dialect of the Sardinian...
and Teresa De Sio
Teresa De Sio
Teresa De Sio is an Italian folk singer-songwriter and the sister of the actress Giuliana De Sio.-Biography and career:She was born in Naples and lived in Cava de' Tirreni, the originary town of her family...
. There are bands in Italy that play patchanka music, characterized by a mixture of traditional music, punk, reggae, rock and political lyrics. Modena City Ramblers
Modena City Ramblers
Modena City Ramblers is an Italian folk band founded in 1991. Their music is heavily influenced by Celtic themes, and can be compared to folk rock music. The band has sold over 500,000 albums...
are one of the more popular bands; they mix Irish, Italian, punk, reggae and many other forms of music. Other bands include Casa del Vento
Casa del Vento
Casa Del Vento is a left wing Italian folk rock band.- History :Casa del Vento is an "extremely controversial, Italo-Celtic, Euro-socialist" folk rock band founded in Italy since 1991. Its current members are Luca Lanzi, Sauro Lanzi, Massimiliano Gregorio, Fabrizio Morganti, Andreas Petermann and...
, Mau Mau and Banda Bassotti
Banda Bassotti
Banda Bassotti is an Italian ska-punk band formed in 1987 in Rome. Their songs are generally political in nature, focusing on Communist and anti-Fascist issues. Many are about Latin America, as well. The band was inspired by The Clash and The Specials. The band was very politically active from the...
.
Jazz
The most important jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
scenes are in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and 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 ,...
, however many Italian jazz musicians are resident in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Italian instrumentalists include: saxophonists Stefano di Battista
Stefano di Battista
Stefano di Battista is an Italian jazz saxophonist who plays soprano and alto.He was born in Rome. He began playing at thirteen with friends and became interested in jazz on hearing Art Pepper. In Italy he received guidance from Massimo Urbani and by his twenties di Battista was performing in Paris...
and Francesco Cafiso
Francesco Cafiso
Francesco Cafiso is an Italian jazz musician who plays alto saxophone. He began playing at age nine and premiered in 2001. In 2003 he toured Europe with Wynton Marsalis. In 2005, at age sixteen, he won Italy's version of the Golden Django...
, pianists Danilo Rea
Danilo Rea
Danilo Rea is an Italian jazz pianist. Born in Vicenza, Italy in 1957. He is a graduate of the Santa Cecilia music conservatory in Rome. He made his debut with Rome Trio in 1975....
and Stefano Bollani
Stefano Bollani
Stefano Bollani is an Italian jazz pianist from Milan.He made his professional debut at fifteen and received his diploma in piano from the Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini in Florence. He performs classical music, smooth jazz, avant-garde jazz, Brazilian jazz, and pop rock...
, trumpet players Paolo Fresu
Paolo Fresu
Paolo Fresu is a trumpet and flugelhorn jazz player, as well as an arranger of music, and music composer.-Career:Fresu was born in Berchidda, Sardinia. He picked up the trumpet at the age of 11, and played in the band Bernardo de Muro in his home town Berchidda...
and Enrico Rava
Enrico Rava
Enrico Rava , is a prolific jazz trumpeter and arguably one of the best known Italian jazz musicians. He originally played trombone, changing to the trumpet after hearing Miles Davis. His first commercial work was as a member of Gato Barbieri's Italian quintet in the mid-1960s; in the late 1960s...
. Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
also has a lively jazz scene, including Enzo Rao
Enzo Rao
Enzo Rao is an Italian musician who plays a number of instruments, including bass guitar, oud, saz, jaw harp and violin, in a variety of folk and popular styles. He has performed with artists like Rakali, Glen Velez and Claudio Lo Cascio. In 1988 he founded the project SHAMAL which combines...
, who have added native Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
influences to American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz.