Luigi Tenco
Encyclopedia
Luigi Tenco was an Italian
singer
, songwriter
and actor
.
(province of Alessandria
) in 1938, the son of Teresa Zoccola and Giuseppe Tenco. He never knew his father, who died in unclear circumstances. It has been rumoured that Luigi Tenco was the fruit of an extramarital relationship of his mother.
Tenco spent his childhood in Cassine and Ricaldone
until 1948, when he moved to Liguria
, first to Nervi
and then to Genoa
, where his mother had a wine shop. During high school, Tenco founded the Jelly Roll Morton Boys Jazz band, in which Tenco played the clarinet
and another singer, later to become famous, Bruno Lauzi
, the banjo
. Gino Paoli
, also a future famous Italian singer-songwriter, was a member of the later Tenco band, I Diavoli del Rock (The Rock Devils).
Tenco made his debut in the world of Italian professional music with the band I Cavalieri (The Knights), which included Giampiero Reverberi and Enzo Jannacci
amongst others. During this period he used the pseudonym
Gigi Mai. In 1961 Tenco released his first single under his real name, entitled "Quando" ("When").
In 1962 Tenco began a short-lived cinematic experience, with Luciano Salce
's movie La Cuccagna. He also collaborated on the soundtrack to the film. During this period he also formed a strong friendship with the Genoese anarchist
poet Riccardo Mannerini. In 1963, however, his friendship with Gino Paoli broke up, due to a troubled relationship with the actress Stefania Sandrelli
.
Tenco's first LP
was released in 1962, Ballate E Canzoni. One of the songs, "Cara Maestra" ("Dear Teacher"), was censored by the then thriving Italian media censorship. The censors struck again in the following year, against his songs "Io Sì" ("I Do") and "Una Brava Ragazza" ("A Nice Girl").
In 1966, suffering through a period of compulsory military service, he released Un Giorno Dopo L'Altro (One Day After Another) for RCA
. In Rome during the same year, he met and befriended the Italo-French singer Dalida
. The two were eventually to become lovers.
In 1967 he took part in the Italian Song Festival in Sanremo
. It was rumoured that he participated against his will. The song he presented was "Ciao Amore Ciao" ("Bye Love, Bye"), which he sang together with Dalida. Tenco allegedly committed suicide
on January 27, 1967, he was only 28 years old, after learning that his song had been eliminated from the final competition. Tenco was found in his hotel room with a bullet wound in his left temple and a note announcing that his gesture was against the jury and public's choices during the competition. Only days earlier Tenco's wedding to Dalida
had been announced. It was she who discovered his body.
Tenco was buried in Ricaldone. In 1974 the Tenco Award was instituted, and has been held every year since in Sanremo. Many of the most renowned Italian singer-songwriter
s from the 1970s declared explicitly the influence of Tenco on their work. Francesco De Gregori
's album Bufalo Bill
of 1976 contained a song, "Festival", about Tenco's suicide; it points out the hypocrisy with which the music establishment tried to minimize the dramatic event, in order to let the show go on.
The French television channel TV5
recently carried a full-length dramatization of the love affair of Tenco and Dalida. Tenco was played by Alessandro Gassman
while Dalida was played by Sabrina Ferilli
.
The Italian judicial system later began re-examinining Luigi Tenco's suicide. It was pointed out that the bullet hole was on the left temple, while the singer was right-handed. It had also been revealed that no autopsy
had been done on the singer's corpse, and no calligraphic analysis on the suicide note
with which he explained his final gesture.
On 15 February 2006, Italian police exhumed Tenco's body for further investigation. The next day, results from the new autopsy
and ballistics
analysis were reported. According to Italian experts, what had been thought to be the entry hole on the left temple was actually the exit site. The bullet trajectory
was said to be compatible with suicide.
, written and directed by Maurizio Valtieri, was performed in Rome
.
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...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Biography
Tenco was born in CassineCassine
Cassine is a town and commune of the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont. It is located 21 km southwest of the town of Alessandria on the left of the lower course of the Bormida in the Alto Monferrato Acquese. The town lies partly in the hills, where the ancient nucleus of...
(province of Alessandria
Province of Alessandria
The Province of Alessandria is an Italian province, with a population of some 430,000, which forms the southeastern part of the region of Piedmont. The provincial capital is the city of Alessandria....
) in 1938, the son of Teresa Zoccola and Giuseppe Tenco. He never knew his father, who died in unclear circumstances. It has been rumoured that Luigi Tenco was the fruit of an extramarital relationship of his mother.
Tenco spent his childhood in Cassine and Ricaldone
Ricaldone
Ricaldone is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km southeast of Turin and about 25 km southwest of Alessandria...
until 1948, when he moved to Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
, first to Nervi
Nervi
Nervi is a former fishing village 12 miles Northwest of Portofino, now a seaside resort in Liguria, in northwest Italy. Once an independent comune, it is now a quartiere of Genoa. Nervi is 7 km east of central Genoa.-Geography:...
and then to Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, where his mother had a wine shop. During high school, Tenco founded the Jelly Roll Morton Boys Jazz band, in which Tenco played the clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
and another singer, later to become famous, Bruno Lauzi
Bruno Lauzi
Bruno Lauzi was an Italian singer-songwriter.-Biography:Lauzi was born in Asmara, then part of the Italian Eastern Africa...
, the banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
. Gino Paoli
Gino Paoli
Gino 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 :...
, also a future famous Italian singer-songwriter, was a member of the later Tenco band, I Diavoli del Rock (The Rock Devils).
Tenco made his debut in the world of Italian professional music with the band I Cavalieri (The Knights), which included Giampiero Reverberi and Enzo Jannacci
Enzo Jannacci
Vincenzo Jannacci , more commonly known as Enzo Jannacci , is an Italian singer-songwriter, actor and stand-up comedian...
amongst others. During this period he used the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Gigi Mai. In 1961 Tenco released his first single under his real name, entitled "Quando" ("When").
In 1962 Tenco began a short-lived cinematic experience, with Luciano Salce
Luciano Salce
Luciano Salce was an Italian film director and actor. His 1962 film Le pillole di Ercole was shown as part of a retrospective on Italian comedy at the 67th Venice International Film Festival....
's movie La Cuccagna. He also collaborated on the soundtrack to the film. During this period he also formed a strong friendship with the Genoese anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
poet Riccardo Mannerini. In 1963, however, his friendship with Gino Paoli broke up, due to a troubled relationship with the actress Stefania Sandrelli
Stefania Sandrelli
Stefania Sandrelli is an Italian actress, famous for her many roles in the commedia all'Italiana, starting from 1960s. She was 15 years old when she starred in Divorce, Italian Style, as Marcello Mastroianni's cousin, Angela.She was born in Viareggio, Tuscany. She had a long relationship with...
.
Tenco's first LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
was released in 1962, Ballate E Canzoni. One of the songs, "Cara Maestra" ("Dear Teacher"), was censored by the then thriving Italian media censorship. The censors struck again in the following year, against his songs "Io Sì" ("I Do") and "Una Brava Ragazza" ("A Nice Girl").
In 1966, suffering through a period of compulsory military service, he released Un Giorno Dopo L'Altro (One Day After Another) for RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
. In Rome during the same year, he met and befriended the Italo-French singer Dalida
Dalida
Dalida , born with Italian name of Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, was a world-famous singer and actress born in Egypt with Italian origins but naturalised French with the name Yolanda Gigliotti. She spent her early years in Egypt amongst the Italian Egyptian community, but she lived most of her adult...
. The two were eventually to become lovers.
In 1967 he took part in the Italian Song Festival in Sanremo
Sanremo
Sanremo or San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, the city is best known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival...
. It was rumoured that he participated against his will. The song he presented was "Ciao Amore Ciao" ("Bye Love, Bye"), which he sang together with Dalida. Tenco allegedly committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
on January 27, 1967, he was only 28 years old, after learning that his song had been eliminated from the final competition. Tenco was found in his hotel room with a bullet wound in his left temple and a note announcing that his gesture was against the jury and public's choices during the competition. Only days earlier Tenco's wedding to Dalida
Dalida
Dalida , born with Italian name of Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, was a world-famous singer and actress born in Egypt with Italian origins but naturalised French with the name Yolanda Gigliotti. She spent her early years in Egypt amongst the Italian Egyptian community, but she lived most of her adult...
had been announced. It was she who discovered his body.
Tenco was buried in Ricaldone. In 1974 the Tenco Award was instituted, and has been held every year since in Sanremo. Many of the most renowned Italian 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...
s from the 1970s declared explicitly the influence of Tenco on their work. Francesco De Gregori
Francesco De Gregori
Francesco 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:...
's album Bufalo Bill
Bufalo Bill
Bufalo Bill is an album of Italian singer-songwriter Francesco De Gregori. It was released in 1976 by RCA Italia. The title is an intentional misspelling of Buffalo Bill's name: buffalo is often rendered in Italian as "bufalo", although specifically defining a different animal in that language.The...
of 1976 contained a song, "Festival", about Tenco's suicide; it points out the hypocrisy with which the music establishment tried to minimize the dramatic event, in order to let the show go on.
The French television channel TV5
TV5MONDE
TV5MONDE is a global television network, broadcasting several channels of French language programming. It is an approved participant member of the European Broadcasting Union.-History:...
recently carried a full-length dramatization of the love affair of Tenco and Dalida. Tenco was played by Alessandro Gassman
Alessandro Gassman
Alessandro Gassman is an Italian actor.Born in Rome, he is the son of Italian actor Vittorio Gassman and French actress Juliette Mayniel.-Career:...
while Dalida was played by Sabrina Ferilli
Sabrina Ferilli
Sabrina Ferilli is an Italian theater and movie actress.- Selected filmography :* Natale a Beverly Hills * Tutta la vita davanti * Natale A New York * Dalida...
.
The Italian judicial system later began re-examinining Luigi Tenco's suicide. It was pointed out that the bullet hole was on the left temple, while the singer was right-handed. It had also been revealed that no autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
had been done on the singer's corpse, and no calligraphic analysis on the suicide note
Suicide note
A suicide note or death note is a message that states the author has died by suicide, and left to be discovered and read in anticipation of suicide....
with which he explained his final gesture.
On 15 February 2006, Italian police exhumed Tenco's body for further investigation. The next day, results from the new autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
and ballistics
Ballistics
Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
analysis were reported. According to Italian experts, what had been thought to be the entry hole on the left temple was actually the exit site. The bullet trajectory
Trajectory
A trajectory is the path that a moving object follows through space as a function of time. The object might be a projectile or a satellite, for example. It thus includes the meaning of orbit—the path of a planet, an asteroid or a comet as it travels around a central mass...
was said to be compatible with suicide.
Tributes
In 1999 the play Solitudini - Luigi Tenco e DalidaDalida
Dalida , born with Italian name of Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, was a world-famous singer and actress born in Egypt with Italian origins but naturalised French with the name Yolanda Gigliotti. She spent her early years in Egypt amongst the Italian Egyptian community, but she lived most of her adult...
, written and directed by Maurizio Valtieri, was performed 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...
.