Rino Gaetano
Encyclopedia
Salvatore Antonio "Rino" Gaetano (Crotone
,-October 29, 1950 - Rome
-June 2, 1981), was an Italian singer-songwriter
.
, in the southern Italian
region of Calabria
. At the age of nine, he had to follow his parents to Rome
, where he spent the rest of his life.
After a few shows at Folkstudio, he was discovered by Vincenzo Micocci and released his first single in 1973, "I Love You Marianna" (with "Jacqueline
" on the B-side) under the pseudonym 'Kammamuri', produced by Antonello Venditti
and Piero Montanari. The title referred to Gaetano's fondness for his grandmother Marianna, who used to play with him as a child, but it was also interpreted as a pun on loving marijuana.
In 1974 he published his first album, Ingresso libero, to little commercial and critical success; however, the LP featured the same eccentric style that would go on to characterize his career.
Success came the following year with the 45 rpm record "Ma il cielo è sempre più blu"; on the album, Gaetano mixed his unique musical talent with a typical "man from the street" attitude and socialistic ideals (then very common among the Italian youth). In 1976 his song "Berta filava" also became very popular, with a long pun on "the good old' times" when Berta would work hard and go out with men.
In 1978 Gaetano took part in the Sanremo Music Festival performing the song "Gianna
" and reaching third place after Anna Oxa
and Matia Bazar
. Gaetano had originally planned to perform "Nuntereggae più", which was a highly-innovative (for the times) half-sung/half-spoken proto-rap
against several Italian sportsmen, politicians and other high-profile figures; producers of the show refused to let him sing that one, pointing out that it also mentioned the then-active Red Brigades
, so he picked "Gianna" instead. The song went on to dominate the charts for several weeks.
An extremely versatile artist, he played the role of the Fox from Pinocchio
in a movie directed by Carmelo Bene
and filmed in Rome during 1981.
His career was cut short by a car accident
at the age of 30. On June 2, 1981, his car (a Volvo 343) crashed into a truck on the Via Nomentana
street in Rome. After the crash, Gaetano was reportedly injured but still alive, but was then rejected by five hospitals, and died on the way to a sixth. He was buried in Verano Cemetery, just a few days before his wedding date. One of his own songs, "La canzone di Renzo", featured a similar death for one of the characters.
According to his friend and colleague Antonello Venditti
Gaetano, a noted cocaine consumer, was under the influence while at the wheel; his sister and family, however, reject the claim.
The first book on his life, also the first official biography, was published in 2001, 20 years after his death.
A a two-episodes TV movie about Rino Gaetano's life aired on RAI 1, on 11–12 November 2007.
Crotone
Crotone is a city and comune in Calabria, southern Italy, on the Ionian Sea. Founded circa 710 BC as the Achaean colony of Croton , it was known as Cotrone from the Middle Ages until 1928, when its name was changed to the current one. In 1994 it became the capital of the newly established...
,-October 29, 1950 - 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...
-June 2, 1981), was an 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...
.
Biography
Rino Gaetano was born in CrotoneCrotone
Crotone is a city and comune in Calabria, southern Italy, on the Ionian Sea. Founded circa 710 BC as the Achaean colony of Croton , it was known as Cotrone from the Middle Ages until 1928, when its name was changed to the current one. In 1994 it became the capital of the newly established...
, in the southern 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...
region of Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
. At the age of nine, he had to follow his parents to 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...
, where he spent the rest of his life.
After a few shows at Folkstudio, he was discovered by Vincenzo Micocci and released his first single in 1973, "I Love You Marianna" (with "Jacqueline
Jacqueline
Jacqueline may refer to:* Jacqueline , a 1956 film* Jacqueline , a French female given name * Jacqueline , a 1961 portrait by Pablo Picasso...
" on the B-side) under the pseudonym 'Kammamuri', produced by Antonello Venditti
Antonello Venditti
Antonello Venditti is an Italian singer-songwriter who became famous in the 1970s for the social themes of his songs.-Biography:...
and Piero Montanari. The title referred to Gaetano's fondness for his grandmother Marianna, who used to play with him as a child, but it was also interpreted as a pun on loving marijuana.
In 1974 he published his first album, Ingresso libero, to little commercial and critical success; however, the LP featured the same eccentric style that would go on to characterize his career.
Success came the following year with the 45 rpm record "Ma il cielo è sempre più blu"; on the album, Gaetano mixed his unique musical talent with a typical "man from the street" attitude and socialistic ideals (then very common among the Italian youth). In 1976 his song "Berta filava" also became very popular, with a long pun on "the good old' times" when Berta would work hard and go out with men.
In 1978 Gaetano took part in the Sanremo Music Festival performing the song "Gianna
Gianna
Gianna is a female Italian given name, a form of Giovanna, see "John " for the origin.For people known by this name name see -Variations:*Giana*Gia*Giovanna*Janeshe is the angel from the heavens above...
" and reaching third place after Anna Oxa
Anna Oxa
Anna Oxa is an Italian singer of Albanian descent, well-known through her numerous appearances in the televised Italian song contest, the Sanremo Music Festival. In 1978, at the age of sixteen, she took second place with the song "Un'emozione da poco" at the Sanremo Festival...
and Matia Bazar
Matia Bazar
Matia Bazar is an Italian musical group formed in Genoa in 1975. The original members of the group are Piero Cassano, Aldo Stellita and Carlo Marrale. Antonella Ruggiero was the first singer in the group. The group represented Italy in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest with a song called Raggio di...
. Gaetano had originally planned to perform "Nuntereggae più", which was a highly-innovative (for the times) half-sung/half-spoken proto-rap
Rap
Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...
against several Italian sportsmen, politicians and other high-profile figures; producers of the show refused to let him sing that one, pointing out that it also mentioned the then-active Red Brigades
Red Brigades
The Red Brigades was a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organisation, based in Italy, which was responsible for numerous violent incidents, assassinations, and robberies during the so-called "Years of Lead"...
, so he picked "Gianna" instead. The song went on to dominate the charts for several weeks.
An extremely versatile artist, he played the role of the Fox from Pinocchio
Pinocchio
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an...
in a movie directed by Carmelo Bene
Carmelo Bene
Carmelo Bene was an Italian actor, film director and screenwriter. He appeared in 20 films between 1967 and 2002...
and filmed in Rome during 1981.
His career was cut short by a car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
at the age of 30. On June 2, 1981, his car (a Volvo 343) crashed into a truck on the Via Nomentana
Via Nomentana
Via Nomentana is an ancient road of Italy, leading North-East from Rome to Nomentum , a distance of . It originally bore the name Via Ficulnensis, from the old Latin village of Ficulnea, about from Rome. It was subsequently prolonged to Nomentum, but never became an important high road, and merged...
street in Rome. After the crash, Gaetano was reportedly injured but still alive, but was then rejected by five hospitals, and died on the way to a sixth. He was buried in Verano Cemetery, just a few days before his wedding date. One of his own songs, "La canzone di Renzo", featured a similar death for one of the characters.
According to his friend and colleague Antonello Venditti
Antonello Venditti
Antonello Venditti is an Italian singer-songwriter who became famous in the 1970s for the social themes of his songs.-Biography:...
Gaetano, a noted cocaine consumer, was under the influence while at the wheel; his sister and family, however, reject the claim.
The first book on his life, also the first official biography, was published in 2001, 20 years after his death.
A a two-episodes TV movie about Rino Gaetano's life aired on RAI 1, on 11–12 November 2007.
Studio albums
- Ingresso libero (1974)
- Mio fratello è figlio unico (1976)
- Aida (1977)
- Nuntereggae più (1978)
- Resta vile maschio, dove vai? (1979)
- E io ci sto (1980)
Compilations
- Gianna e le altre (1990; includes the previously unreleased "Solo con io" and "Le beatitudini")
- SuperbestSuperBestSuperBest is a chain of Danish supermarkets with approximately 220 stores around the country.In 2007 they took over the two supermarket chains Iso and Dreisler Storkøb.-External links:*...
(1996) - La storia
- Sotto i cieli di Rino (2003)
- Live & Rarities (2009, with some unpublished tracks)
Singles
- "I love you Marianna" (1973)
- "Jaqueline" (1973)
- "Ma il cielo è sempre più blu" (1975, in two parts
- "Visto che mi vuoi lasciare" (1978)
- "Resta vile maschio, dove vai?" (1979)
- "Solo con io" (1980)
- "Le beatitudini" (1981)
- "Gianna" (1978)
Further reading
- Rino Gaetano (La Vita, le canzoni, le poesie e l'ironia di un grande artista) by Peppe Casa and Dario Marigliano - (first book and first unofficial biography), Roma, 1999.
- Rino Gaetano live (first official book and biography) by Emanuele Di Marco, 2001 ISBN 88-7226-625-4
- Rino Gaetano by Yari Selvetella, 2001 ISBN 88-8185-349-3
- Fontana chiara: omaggio a Rino Gaetano by Stefano Calò and Massimiliano Gentile, 2001
- Se mai qualcuno capirà Rino Gaetano by Alfredo Del Curatolo, 2003 ISBN 88-86267-65-7
- Rino Gaetano: ma il cielo è sempre più blu (unreleased thoughts, stories and songs) by Massimo Cotto, 2004 ISBN 88-04-52794-3