Carlo Buti

Carlo Buti (Florence, November 14 1902 - Montelupo Fiorentino, November 16 1963) was an Italian singer known as "the Golden Voice of Italy."

Biography

Buti was born near Florence. As a boy, he mastered the Tuscan folk song technique known as "stornello". He was soon being paid by other men to serenade their girlfriends. He received limited vocal training from Raoul Frazzi and Gino Bechi. He was featured on Italian radio and recorded for Edison Records starting in 1930, but went to Columbia Records by 1934.

Buti has been called the Bing Crosby and the "Frank Sinatra of Italy", because of his preference for the popular songs of the day over the more operatic-type songs. He retired in 1956 after having recorded 1574 songs. [ [http://www.timaclub.it/CBFP.htm] (in Italian)] At the time, he was the most recorded voice in Italian music history. His unique warm and melodic "tenorino" style of high quasi-falsetto phrasing sung in the "mezza voce" made him an international success. He also starred in several Italian movies. He died at his home in Montelupo Fiorentino, in Tuscany, Italy at the age of 61. [http://www.italianlosangeles.org/index.php?36&150&203 Traditional Music, Opera, Composers]

One of his songs "Vivere" appears on the score to the 2000 film "Titus" by Elliot Goldenthal.

References

Edison was out of business in 1930.