Rino Gaetano

Salvatore Antonio "Rino" Gaetano (Crotone, October 29, 1950 - Rome, June 2, 1981), was an Italian singer-songwriter very popular during the 1970s.

Biography

Rino Gaetano was born in Crotone, in the Italian region called 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, Rino 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 ol' times" when Berta would work hard and go out with men.

In 1978 Rino took part in the Sanremo Music Festival performing the song "Gianna" and reaching third place after Anna Oxa and Matia Bazar. Gateano had originally planned to perform "Nuntereggaeppiù", which was basically a long 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 film directed by Carmelo Bene, filmed in Rome during 1981.

Tragically, 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 Nomentana street in Rome. After the crash, Rino 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.

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.

Discography

Albums

* 1974 - "Ingresso libero"
* 1976 - "Mio fratello è figlio unico"
* 1977 - "Aida"
* 1978 - "Nuntereggae più"
* 1979 - "Resta vile maschio, dove vai?"
* 1980 - "E io ci sto"
* 1981 - "Q Concert (con Cocciante e New Perigeo)"

Anthologies

* 1990 - "Gianna e le altre" (includes the previously unreleased "Solo con io" and "Le beatitudini")
* 1996 - "Superbest"
* 1998 - "La storia"
* 2003 - "Sotto i cieli di Rino"

Singles

* 1973 - "I love you Marianna"
* 1973 - "Jaqueline"
* 1975 - "Ma il cielo è sempre più blu" ( 1st part )
* 1975 - "Ma il cielo è sempre più blu" ( 2nd part )
* 1978 - "Visto che mi vuoi lasciare"
* 1979 - "Resta vile maschio, dove vai?"
* 1980 - "Solo con io"
* 1981 - "Le beatitudini"

Movie

* Rino Gaetano. Ma il cielo è sempre più blu - Raifiction, 2007

Bibliography

* "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

Others project

External links

* [http://www.rinogaetano.it Rino Gaetano.it - Official Site]
* [http://www.ondarock.it/Gaetano.html]
* [http://biografie.leonardo.it/biografia.htm?BioID=693&biografia=Rino+Gaetano Critic biography]
* [http://gaetanorino.altervista.org Fan Site]
* [http://www.marietto.net/rino Fan Site]
* [http://www.unacasaper-rino.org "Una casa per Rino" - Crotone Music Festival]
* [http://www.auditorium.com/eventi/3705419 "E io ci sto" - Rino Gaetano Day in Rome]