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Franco Califano

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Franco Califano
Califano in 1973
Califano in 1973
Background information
Born(1938-09-14)14 September 1938
Tripoli, Libya
OriginRome, Kingdom of Italy
Died30 March 2013(2013-03-30) (aged 74)
Acilia, Rome, Italy
Genres
Occupations
  • Lyricist
  • singer
  • actor
Years active1960–2013
Websitefrancocalifano.it

Franco Califano (14 September 1938 – 30 March 2013) was an Italian lyricist, composer, singer-songwriter, author and actor.[1] His songs sold about 20 million records during his career.[citation needed]

Early life

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Born in an airplane above Tripoli, Libya, Califano lived most of his life in Rome (in whose dialect he usually sang) and Milan.[2]

Music career

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In the 1960s, he began his career in music as a lyricist and a record producer;[3] among his first successes as author "La musica è finita", "E la chiamano estate", "Una ragione di più".[2]

He was arrested in 1970 and again 1984 for possession of drugs; in both cases, Califano was acquitted with the formula "because the fact does not exist".[4] In 1976, Califano got his first and main success as a singer with the song "Tutto il resto è noia", included in his eponymous fourth album, for which the critics paired him to the traditional French chansonniers.[2] During these years he continued his activity as lyricist signing, among others, the Sanremo Music Festival 1973 winner "Un grande amore e niente più" (performed by Peppino di Capri) and the Mia Martini's classic "Minuetto"; he also composed a whole album for Mina, Amanti di valore.[5] In 1978, he released his best-sold album, Tac.[5][6]

Music festival

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In 1988, he entered the Sanremo Music Festival with the autobiographical song "Io per le strade di quartiere"; he came back to Sanremo two more times, in 1994 with "Napoli" and in 2005 with "Non escludo il ritorno".[5]

Books

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He was author of several books, including the autobiographical Senza manette and Il cuore nel sesso.[1] He also starred in several genre films, and had the leading roles in the poliziottesco Gardenia and in the comedy film Due strani papà.[7]

Death

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He died of a heart attack[8] in his house in Acilia.[9]

Discography

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  • 'N bastardo venuto dar sud (1972)
  • Ma che piagni a ffa' (1973)
  • L'evidenza dell'autunno (1973)
  • Io me 'mbriaco (1975)
  • Secondo me, l'amore... (1975)
  • 24-7-75 dalla Bussola, live at La Bussola in Viareggio (1975)
  • Tutto il resto è noia (1976)
  • Tac...! (1977)
  • Bastardo l'autunno e l'amore (1977, collection)
  • Ti perdo (1979)
  • Tuo Califano (1980)
  • La mia libertà (1981)
  • Ritratto di Franco Califano (1981, collection)
  • Buio e luna piena (1982)
  • In concerto dal Blue Moon di Ogliastro Marina (1982, live)
  • Io per amarti (1983)
  • Super Califfo (1983, collection )
  • Impronte digitali (1984)
  • Ma cambierà (1985)
  • Il bello della vita (1987)
  • Io (1988)
  • Coppia dove vai (1989)
  • Califano (1990)
  • Se il teatro è pieno (1991)
  • In concerto dal Blue Moon di Ogliastro Marina 2 (1992, live)
  • Ma io vivo (1994)
  • Giovani uomini (1995)
  • Tu nell'intimità (1999)
  • Stasera canto io (2001, live)
  • Vive chi vive (2001, EP)
  • Luci della notte (2003)
  • Non escludo il ritorno (2005, collection)
  • C'è bisogno d'amore (2009)

Filmography

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Year Title Role
1962 Appuntamento in Riviera
1963 Notti nude
1964 Cherchez l'idole film director
1979 Gardenia Gardenia
1984 Due strani papà Franco
1998 Viola Kisses Everybody Samuele's father
2008 This Night Is Still Ours Franco Cicchilitti
2010 Se fossi attimo
2011 We, People of September himself

Further reading

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  • Pierfranco Bruni (2013). Franco Califano: Sulla punta della matita non sono passati secoli. Editrice il coscile, 2013. ISBN 978-8896276297.
  • Salvatore Coccoluto (27 August 2014). Franco Califano. Non escludo il ritorno: Storia canzoni leggenda. Imprimatur editore, 2014. ISBN 978-8868302153.

References

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  1. ^ a b Paolo Gallori. "È morto Franco Califano, poeta e cantore di donne e borgate". La Repubblica. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  2. ^ a b c Ezio Guaitamacchi (2009). Mille canzoni che ci hanno cambiato la vita. Rizzoli, 2009. ISBN 978-8817033923.
  3. ^ Felice Liperi. Storia della canzone italiana. RAI-ERI, 1999.
  4. ^ Melania Rizzoli, Detenuti, Sperling & Kupfer, 2012. ISBN 8873394515
  5. ^ a b c Enrico Deregibus (8 October 2010). Dizionario completo della Canzone Italiana. Giunti Editore, 2010. ISBN 978-8809756250.
  6. ^ Dario Salvatori (1989). Storia dell'Hit Parade. Gramese, 1989. ISBN 8876054391.
  7. ^ Marco Giusti (1999). Dizionario dei film italiani stracult. Sperling & Kupfer, 1999. ISBN 88-200-2919-7.
  8. ^ Laura Bogliolo (2 April 2013). "Califano tradito dal cuore, il medico: "Non è morto di stenti"". Il Messaggero. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  9. ^ "Addio a Franco Califano". Rai News. 1 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2 April 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
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