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Renato Carosone | |
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 Carosone in 1995 | |
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| Born | Renato Carusone (1920-01-03)3 January 1920 |
| Died | 20 May 2001(2001-05-20) (aged 81) Rome, Italy |
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| Years active | 1935–2001 |
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Renato Carosone (Italian pronunciation:[reˈnaːtokaroˈzoːne]; bornRenato Carusone; 3 January 1920 – 20 May 2001) was an Italian musician.
Carosone was a piano prodigy and prominent figure in theItalian music scene in the second half of the 20th century. He was also a modern performer of the so-calledcanzone napoletana, a traditional music genre fromNaples. His biggest successes were:"'O sarracino/Caravan petrol", "Tu vuò fà l'americano", "Maruzzella" and "Pigliate 'na pastiglia".
Carosone was one of the first post-war Italian artists (the other one beingDomenico Modugno) who sold records and toured in theUnited States without singing in English.[1]
Carosone was born on 3 January 1920 inNaples, in Vico dei Tornieri, nearPiazza del Mercato [it], to Antonio and Carolina Daino, along with sister Olga and brother Ottavio. His father, who worked in the box office atTeatro Mercadante, encouraged him to pursue music. At 14, he wrote "Triki-trak", his first composition for piano, and in 1935, he was hired by anopera dei pupi puppet theater to play music to the battles of CountRoland andRenaud. Subsequently, he worked atE. A. Mario's publishing house teaching new songs to singers. He studied piano andcomposition at theNaples Conservatory underAlberto Curci [it], and obtained his diploma in 1937, when he was just 17.[2]
A few months later he signed a contract with comedian Aldo Russo to perform as aband leader inItalian East Africa. The troup landed inMassawa,Eritrea, to work in a restaurant-theatre frequented by Italian workers. The act failed and after less than a week, Aldo Russo decided to dissolve the group and return to Naples. Carosone, however, decided to remain in East Africa, and he moved on toAsmara in the Eritrean highlands, playing piano in an orchestra at the Circolo Italia. There he met and fell in love with Venetian dancer Italia Levidi, known as Lita. The two married in Massawa on 2 January 1938. Carosone adopted her son Giuseppe, known as Pino, born to Lita five years before the wedding. Shortly thereafter, Carosone moved toAddis Ababa (now part of Ethiopia), where he spent a few months as conductor at the White Eagle. In June 1940, at the outbreak ofWorld War II, he was called up and sent tothe front inItalian Somaliland.
Following the surrender of the last regular Italian forces in the region in November 1941, Carasone returned toBritish-occupied Asmara, where his cousin Antonio was director of the Odeon Theatre. Carasone became the musical director of the theater and the adjoining nightclub. He was a prominent figure of the local music scene, performing a combination of big-band music, Neapolitan songs and Eritrean percussive elements.
Carosone worked at the Odeon Club in Asmara, where he become a prominent figure of the local music scene, building his musical experience with a combination ofbig-band music (including Americandance pieces, such as "Night and Day", "Begin the Beguine", "Blue Moon" and "Tea for Two"), Neapolitan songs and Eritrean percussive elements.
In July 1946, after the end of the war in Europe, he returned to Italy, toBrindisi, with his wife and son. Partially due to his long tenure abroad and inactivity caused by the war, Carosone was discovered to be virtually unknown in his home country. He started his career afresh, playing piano for small dance-hall bands. These new performances were strongly influenced by the new rhythms and music styles he had encountered during his ten years in East Africa and caught the attention of local promoters.
In 1949 Carosone was asked to put together a band for a club's opening night. After some auditions, he signed the DutchguitaristPeter van Houten and the NeapolitandrummerGegè Di Giacomo and formed theTrio Carosone. The trio would later become a quartet with the addition of theHungarianromani musicianElek Bacsik on bass, guitar and violin.
During the 1950s Carosone became more and more popular, his orchestra was in great demand both in Italy and abroad, and record sales were soaring high.
His song "Torero", entered the pop charts in the United States in the summer of 1958 where it peaked at #18, making it his only Top 20 hit song for hisone-hit wonder in the United States. "Torero" was translated into twelve languages and covered by almost thirty artists in theUnited States alone, including versions byThe Andrews Sisters,Connie Francis andThe King Brothers.[3] In 1957 Carosone and his band embarked on an American tour, kicking off inCuba. This tour concluded with a triumphant performance at the prestigiousCarnegie Hall inNew York City.[4]
Carosone was then signed byCapitol Records, which released his first two albums:Honeymoon in Rome (1957) andRenato Carosone! (1959). He then moved toPathé and recordedBlue Italian Skies (1958). His fourth studio album,Carnevale Carosone (1960) was released byParlophone.
At the height of his career, Carosone announced his retirement from music in 1960. He felt that the advent ofRock and roll had the consequence of making his swing, big-band sound no longer popular: "I'd rather retire now on the crest of the wave, than being tormented later by the idea of rock and roll wiping away all that I have achieved in so many years of hard work".[5] His decision to retire caused an uproar. Some observers even suspected obscure underworld threats. Away from the spotlight, Carosone turned to other interests, mainlypainting. In 2007 theCastel Sant'Angelo Museum inRome organized a large exhibition of his work.[6]
On 9 August 1975 Carosone made his comeback in atelevised concert. He then resumed his musical career with live concerts, performances at theSanremo Music Festival and TV appearances until the late 1990s.
The majority of Carosone's songs were the result of his long and fruitful collaboration with thelyricistNicola Salerno, who used thepseudonym Nisa."'O suspiro", "Torero", "Tu vuò fà l'americano", "Mambo italiano", "Pigliate 'na pastiglia" and"'O sarracino/Caravan petrol" were among their greatest hits.
A few famous songs not co-written by Nisa were "...E la barca tornò sola" (a parody of a song performed byGino Latilla at Sanremo Music Festival in 1954); "Tre numeri al lotto"; "Maruzzella" (dedicated to his wife); and"'O russo e 'a rossa"
Carosone died on 20 May 2001 at the age of 81 inRome, Italy.[7]
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