Enzo Gragnaniello
One amongst the most outstanding representative of a complex cultural renovation in Naples, namely in its song traditon, Enzo was born the 24 Oct. 1954 in vico Cerriglio, perhaps the narrowest vicolo over all Napoli. He was teen in the docks’ quartiere Porto, doing all kind of jobs. Then he’ll bring Americans in night clubs.
At 18 his early compositions: popular songs of love and rage (as he’ll title an album 26 years later). In 1977 he forms the “Banchi nuovi” group, whose name is the same as the “organised unemployed” committee Enzo belonged to, and represents a novel approach to the popular roots of the great, sublime Neapolitan tradition. Early albums:
* 1983 - Enzo Gragnaniello (DDD, 25738)
* 1985 - Salita Trinità degli Spagnoli (DDD, 26459) - this is where he actually lives, in the famous, for good and bad, risky Quartieri Spagnoli: just upside Via Roma on the last Vomero hill slopes.
Enzo's new blood enters as a shock into such a long but orthodox, repetitive and a bit sleepy tradition (with such exceptions as Roberto Murolo "custode della tradizione" on the one hand, and pop injections by Peppino di Capri on the other); his harsh voice is echoing blues singers.
15 other albums will follow, with a language shift from Neapolitan to Italian as well, from 1993. In 1986 and 1990 he wins the Premio Tenco for the best song in “dialect”; and best song in October 1999.
He has been one of the main authors for the great interpreter Mia “Mimì” Martini (in many respects the greatest, and certainly most original Italian pop singer): Mondi blu, Donna, Statte vuicino a me, Cercando il sole, Stringi di più, Scenne l'argento. And his 1989 Cu' mme masterpiece: song by him with Mimì and Roberto Murolo, it won the competition Viva Napoli on October 8, 1992 (won again by Enzo in 2007); a milestone of the “Neo-classical” Neapolitan song revival, translated into different languages, a big hit in Spain.
From 1997 he enters also the territory of musica sacra: first, with his own “Canto a S. Alfonso” and a “Munasterio ‘e S. Chiara” live duet with soprano Cecilia Gasdia (within this Monastery, in 1997\8 and Rai-Mondovisione broadcasted); then with the “Clamor et Gaudium” tour; and soloist in the opera “Passio et Ressurrectio” by Sergio Rendine.
In Feb. 1999, he’s at Sanremo with his song Alberi, in tandem with Ornella Vanoni.
He then wrote “O mare e tu” to be song by Andrea Bocelli together with Dulce Pontes.
The champion of a historical and well alive tradition, Enzo reopens the city Dome of S. Maria Capua Vetere to music after 12 centuries, and breaks a taboo bringing folk-pop inside the Teatro San Carlo (so silly! The Theater of Naples closed to the Neapolitan unique tradition... Afterwards, the self-made actor and pop singer Massimo Ranieri will even be opera director at San Carlo! Its seals will be broken forever).
Unforgettable, the crowd emotion in 2008, on Feb. 28 Monnezza Day, when Enzo sings Cu' mme' in Piazza Dante!
neapolitan language version:
http://nap.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzo_Gragnaniello
E' nato 'ncoppe 'E quartiere spagnuole. Ha vinciuto 'o Premio Tenco 'o 1986 (1990, 1999).
Ha scritto paricchie canzone pe' Mia Martini tra tante, a cchiù famosa è certamente Cu mmè.
Ha participato pure 'o Festival 'e Sanremo 'o 1999 cantanno 'nzieme cu' Ornella Vanoni Alberi.
Dinte 'a carriera soja, 'a scritto e cantato canzone italiane e napulitane. Tene 'na voce bella e sufferta ca arrassumiglia a chelli voce de' cantante nire americane 'e blues. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
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