The Italian popular song
Different to the folkloric concept of popular song, nevertheless generated from it, the Italian song, by means of its interpreters, became the storytelling in the mid 18th century of events, facts and the transformation of Italian and foreign cities.
This new song style developed in high society homes where meeting of social interest took place; this time, as the slogan says: "They're not songs from the people but for the people". Such slogan exemplified the matrix of a widespread success, thanks also to the subjects of the songs, close to the common human feelings. Often they were songs in dialect that were performed at song festivals like Piedigrotta and soon they transcended country and language barriers.
With the introduction of new partnerships between authors and publishers, created to protect the rights of the authors and to give the chance to a wider audience, the offices of SIAE were overwhelmed by submissions by new authors of every social and cultural level.
Modern Italian popular music reflects a globalization of styles, similar to other European and western countries. Some of the most influential artists in recent years are
Mina,
Ornella Vanoni,
Giusy Ferreri,
Laura Pausini,
Eros Ramazzotti,
Andrea Bocelli,
Tiziano Ferro,
Giorgia,
Vasco Rossi,
Lucio Battisti,
Antonello Venditti,
Jovanotti,
Mario Biondi,
Ligabue,
Zucchero,
Paolo Conte,
Luciano Pavarotti,
Elisa,
Gigi D'Alessio,
Nek,
Piero Pelù,
Patty Pravo,
883,
Biagio Antonacci,
Adriano Celentano,
Gianni Morandi,
Claudio Baglioni,
Lucio Dalla,
Fabrizio De Andrè.
Best selling CD from Italy
Amazon.com: Bestsellers in Music > World Music > Europe > Continental Europe > Italy
(Ranking is updated hourly. Visit the Bestsellers in Italy list for authoritative information on this product's current rank.)
The Neapolitan song With the definition "Neapolitan song" we identify the popular music that originated in Naples. The origin of the Neapolitan song dates back to the 13th century, and as a spontaneous manifestation of the people of Naples, developed to larger scale at the end of the 16th century and at end of the 18th century. This popular and artistic expression was once full of positive content with an optimistic view of life, work and common feelings. Later, between the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century it was object of inclusion, in his themes, of decadence, pessimism and drama, done by intellectuals who modified the original spirit of the songs. During that time a large number of musicians and poets were busy working on numerous new songs. An example of this trend is Gabriele d'Annunzio who writes the lyrics of "A Vucchella".
The most important period of the Neapolitan song is around the early 1800s when a song called "Palummella zompa e vola" was banned for its explicitly subversive content, since it mentioned freedom in its lyrics, and although the authors changed the text, the Neapolitan people keep singing the song with their mouth closed.
In 1835 in Naples the melody of "Te voglio bbene assaje" is heard everywhere, with lyrics written by Raffaele Sacco and music by Gaetano Donizetti. The celebrations of the feast of Piedigrotta are the ideal opportunity to showcase new songs, with prestigious authors like Salvatore di Giacomo, Libero Bovio, E. A. Mario, Ferdinando Russo and Ernesto Murolo.
During the 1900s the Neapolitan song survives thanks to the primary role of the Festival di Napoli, that after several legal issues is able to make the song popular in Italy even before the advent of the Festival di Sanremo. The historical parable of the Neapolitan song ends during the second half of the 1960s, when the Festival enters into a crisis (it will end in 1970) and the song looses ties with his heritage to become an expression or the urban working class. The fame of this genre remains unchanged regardless of the passing of time, and many established singers include regularly a few classic tracks following the footsteps of Enrico Caruso and Beniamino Gigli.
Tipical instruments used in Neapolitan songs are: Guitar, Mandolin, Colascione (bass), Triccheballacche (wooden percussions). Other hand-made instruments are: Tamorre (drums), Tambourine, Caccavella or Putipu.
For more on Italian Music visit Musica Mia.
Italian music links
If you are looking to buy Italian music on CD, Italian MP3, iTunes, etc. we recommend the following websites:
Cduniverse.com: Italian music bestsellers at Cduniverse.com
Amazon.com: Amazon.com has the largest collection of Italian music on CD and MP3
ArkivMusic.com: ArkivMusic.com sells Italian Classical music and Italian Opera on CD
iTunes: with iTunes you can download Italian songs for your iPod or MP3 player
IBS.IT dischi: IBS Dischi Import dall'Italia - Order CD directly from Italy, shipping worldwide
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