Michele Scommegna (born 29 September 1940), known professionally asNicola Di Bari, is an Italian singer-songwriter and actor. He is considered among the main figures of Italian classical pop music.[1]
Born inZapponeta,Apulia, Di Bari was the youngest of ten children from a farming family.[2] He gave up his accountancy studies to work in Rome, and after a short stay in Rome he moved toMilan.[2] In 1962, inCologno Monzese, he won a song contest with a song of which he was also the author, "Piano pianino".[2] In 1964 he achieved his first commercial success with the song "Amore ritorna a casa".[1] In1965,1966, and1967 he entered the competition at three editions of theSanremo Music Festival, coupled withGene Pitney.[3]
In 1970 Di Bari obtained even greater commercial and critical success with the song "La prima cosa bella", which ranked second at theSanremo Music Festival 1970 and first on the Italian hit charts.[3][4] In1971, he won the Sanremo Music Festival andCanzonissima, with the songs "Il cuore è uno zingaro" (jointly withNada) and "Chitarra suona più piano".[3] In1972, he again won the Sanremo Festival and represented Italy at theEurovision Song Contest with the song "I giorni dell'arcobaleno" ("The Days of the Rainbow").[3] In the following years, Di Bari grew his international popularity, especially in Latin America, where he recorded several albums in Spanish and where he gradually focused his career.[1][3]
