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Peppino di Capri | |
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 Peppino di Capri inTurin in 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Giuseppe Faiella (1939-07-27)27 July 1939 (age 86) |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1958–present |
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| Website | www |
Giuseppe Faiella (born 27 July 1939), professionally known asPeppino di Capri ("Peppino" is a diminutive of "Giuseppe" and "di Capri" means "of Capri"), is an Italianpopular music singer, songwriter and pianist, successful in Italy and Europe. His internationalhits include "St. Tropez Twist", "Daniela", "Torna piccina", "Roberta", "Melancolie", "Freva", "L'ultimo romantico", "Un grande amore e niente più", "Non lo faccio più", "Nun è peccato", and "Champagne".
Peppino began singing and playing the piano at age 4, entertaining the Americanarmy troops stationed on theisland of Capri with a repertoire of Americanstandards. After 6 years ofclassical studies and playing atnightclubs around Capri, Peppino and his group The Rockers released their first single, with the songs "Malattia" ("Sickness") and "Nun è Peccato" ("It's not a sin"), sung inNeapolitan in 1958.
The single was an instanthit, and Peppino spent most of the following year touring. A string of hit singles soon followed, usually alternating between Italian versions of Americanrock'n'roll andtwist songs (with some verses sung in English), and originals in Italian and Napoletano, and di Capri became one of the top acts in the country.
After performing as the opening act forThe Beatles in their 1965 tour of Italy, Peppino and his group attempted, with moderate success, to break out of the European market. Their work was well received, particularly in Brazil, thanks to the large Italian immigrant community in the country.
The 1970s saw Peppino with a new band, the New Rockers. He won the prestigiousSanremo Music Festival in 1973, with the song "Un grande amore e niente più" ("A great love and nothing more").
The same year, he released the song "Champagne" that was a big hit in Italy, Germany, Spain and Brazil.
He won the Sanremo Festival again in 1976, with the song "Non lo faccio più" ("I won't do it anymore"). He representedItaly in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991, coming in 7th place with 89 points with the song "Comme è ddoce 'o mare" ("How sweet is the sea"), sung inNeapolitan.
As of 2006, Peppino di Capri is the performer with the most appearances (15) at the Sanremo Festival, his last appearance being in 2005, singing "La Panchina" ("The little park bench").
As of 2023,[update] Peppino di Capri has participated 15 times in theSanremo Music Festival, tying for most participations withAl Bano,Anna Oxa,Milva andToto Cutugno. He won the competition twice.
In his writings,Orhan Pamuk brings up Peppino di Capri's songs.His novelSnow, taking place at the Turkish provincial town ofKars, includes the following passage:
"Through the open door of a shop which sold women's stockings, bolts of cotton, coloured pencils, batteries and cassettes, he heard once again the strains of Peppino di Capri's "Roberta". He recalled hearing it on the radio when he was a child and his uncle had taken him out for a drive to the Bosphorus" (Snow, Ch. 12).
InThe Museum of Innocence, he writes:
"Later on I wrapped my arms around the ever patient and compassionate Sibel, swaying with her as Pepino di Capri sang “Melancholy.”" (The Museum of Innocence, Ch. 29)
Media related toPeppino di Capri at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by | Sanremo Music Festival Winner 1973 | Succeeded by Iva Zanicchi with "Ciao cara, come stai?" |
| Preceded by Gilda with "Ragazza del sud" | Sanremo Music Festival Winner 1976 | Succeeded by Homo Sapiens with "Bella da morire" |
| Preceded by | Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991 | Succeeded by |
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