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| Putumayo World Music Presents: Italian Cafe |
After the chaos and destruction of World War II and the conservative musical
environment Italian leaders promoted, the Italian public was ready for a more
relaxed sound. Jazz, swing and boogie-woogie were achieving worldwide
popularity and, in Italy, merged with the Italian crooner tradition. The musical
rebirth of the 1950s and ’60s was like a second liberation. What’s old is new and
Putumayo’s June 21, 2005 release Italian Café captures the music and attitude
from that era and from current singers whose musical DNA follows that lineage.
The CD follows Putumayo’s successful French Café collection.
Many of the artists on Italian Café packed the nightclubs of the era and gained
popularity through Italy’s newly inaugurated TV channels and burgeoning film
industry. The image of the lovable hoodlum came to life in Fred Buscaglione.
While most foreign music was banned under the Italian fascist regime,
Buscaglione wound up in a U.S. internment camp, where he was able to get a
jump-start in trying out the styles emerging from America. True to his fast-living
ways, he died at 40, crashing his pink Thunder-bird into an oncoming truck early
one morning in 1960.
Quartetto Cetra emerged in the late ’40s, when they provided the overdubs for the
Italian versions of the movies "Dumbo" and "Wizard of Oz." The following decade
found Renato Carosone blending Neapolitan folk music with American jazz and
boogie-woogie to create a signature style that made him a household name in
Italy and a chart-topping crooner in the U.S.
Nicola Arigliano, now in his 80s, is the only 1950s-era artist on Italian Café
performing to this day. Born in 1923 in a small village in southern Italy, Arigliano
ran away from home when he was just 11 years old to play music in the
nightclubs of Milan. After experiencing great commercial success, Arigliano
disappeared from the concert stage for 30 years. In the past decade, he has re-
emerged with four new albums and a critic’s award at the glitzy San Remo
Festival.
Two songs on the CD come from Giorgio Conte, who is not as well known as his
brother, Paolo. As both songs demonstrate, however, the older brother has a jovial
spirit that shines through in his lyrics. “Gnè Gnè” pokes fun at a very famous
movie star lover of his who never says anything of meaning, only petty gossip and
“gnè gnè.” “Cannelloni” teases another lover who is always on a diet and never can
enjoy the pleasures of pasta.
Gianmaria Testa is more famous abroad than he is at home in Italy, where he
works as a tran station manager. Testa performed his subtle and introspective
songs for a local following near his native village of Cueno, not far from the French
border, until a French producer helped him produce a critically acclaimed album in
1995. You can hear his trademark gruff, whispering voice on two songs on Italian
Café; one about the superficiality of fame and one which compares the flight of hot-
air balloons to human relationships.
The CD is rounded out by modern artists who are not retro in sound, but who
cannot deny some heritage from their predecessors. Vinicio Capossela is like a
Tom Waits of Italy, reminiscent of some unnamable era and with no hesitation in
throwing in the sounds of toy pianos and chain saws. Newcomer Maria
Pierantonia Giua makes her CD debut on this album. Meanwhile, Daniele Silvestri’
s “Le Cose in Comune” (The Things We Have in Common) won Italy’s equivalent of
the Grammy, as best song of the year. Over a jazzy bossa beat that echoes
popular Italian music of days gone by, Silvestri sings of all of the 4,280 things he
and his lover have in common.
Austrian band Quadro Nuevo perfected their instrumental versions of popular
Italian songs of the ’50s and ’60s by performing on the streets of cities across
Italy. The instrumental they present here—Renato Carosone’s classic song “Tu
Vuo’ Fa’ L’americano” (You Want to Play the American)—was one of Italy’s first
world wide hits.
The collection features instructions to make a coffee drink by Italian coffee
company Illy and extensive liner notes in English, Italian, Spanish and French. A
portion of the proceeds from this album will be donated to Terres des Hommes, a
Swiss based non-profit, dedicated to improving the lives of children around the
world.
After the chaos and destruction of World War II and the conservative
musical environment Italian leaders promoted, the Italian public was ready
for a more relaxed sound. Jazz, swing and boogie-woogie were achieving
worldwide popularity and, in Italy, merged with the Italian crooner tradition.
The musical rebirth of the 1950s and ’60s was like a second liberation.
What’s old is new and Putumayo’s June 21, 2005 release Italian Café
captures the music and attitude from that era and from current singers
whose musical DNA follows that lineage. The CD follows Putumayo’s
successful French Café collection.
Many of the artists on Italian Café packed the nightclubs of the era and
gained popularity through Italy’s newly inaugurated TV channels and
burgeoning film industry. The image of the lovable hoodlum came to life in
Fred Buscaglione. While most foreign music was banned under the Italian
fascist regime, Buscaglione wound up in a U.S. internment camp, where he
was able to get a jumpstart in trying out the styles emerging from America.
True to his fast-living ways, he died at 40, crashing his pink Thunderbird
into an oncoming truck early one morning in 1960.
Quartetto Cetra emerged in the late ’40s, when they provided the overdubs
for the Italian versions of the movies "Dumbo" and "Wizard of Oz." The
following decade found Renato Carosone blending Neapolitan folk music
with American jazz and boogie-woogie to create a signature style that made
him a household name in Italy and a chart-topping crooner in the U.S.
Nicola Arigliano, now in his 80s, is the only 1950s-era artist on Italian Café
performing to this day. Born in 1923 in a small village in southern Italy,
Arigliano ran away from home when he was just 11 years old to play music
in the nightclubs of Milan. After experiencing great commercial success,
Arigliano disappeared from the concert stage for 30 years. In the past
decade, he has re-emerged with four new albums and a critic’s award at
the glitzy San Remo Festival.
Two songs on the CD come from Giorgio Conte, who is not as well known
as his brother, Paolo. As both songs demonstrate, however, the older
brother has a jovial spirit that shines through in his lyrics. “Gnè Gnè” pokes
fun at a very famous movie star lover of his who never says anything of
meaning, only petty gossip and “gnè gnè.” “Cannelloni” teases another
lover who is always on a diet and never can enjoy the pleasures of pasta.
Gianmaria Testa is more famous abroad than he is at home in Italy, where
he works as a tran station manager. Testa performed his subtle and
introspective songs for a local following near his native village of Cueno,
not far from the French border, until a French producer helped him
produce a critically acclaimed album in 1995. You can hear his trademark
gruff, whispering voice on two songs on Italian Café; one about the
superficiality of fame and one which compares the flight of hot-air balloons
to human relationships.
The CD is rounded out by modern artists who are not retro in sound, but
who cannot deny some heritage from their predecessors. Vinicio
Capossela is like a Tom Waits of Italy, reminiscent of some unnamable era
and with no hesitation in throwing in the sounds of toy pianos and chain
saws. Newcomer Maria Pierantonia Giua makes her CD debut on this
album. Meanwhile, Daniele Silvestri’s “Le Cose in Comune” (The Things
We Have in Common) won Italy’s equivalent of the Grammy, as best song
of the year. Over a jazzy bossa beat that echoes popular Italian music of
days gone by, Silvestri sings of all of the 4,280 things he and his lover
have in common.
Austrian band Quadro Nuevo perfected their instrumental versions of
popular Italian songs of the ’50s and ’60s by performing on the streets of
cities across Italy. The instrumental they present here—Renato Carosone’s
classic song “Tu Vuo’ Fa’ L’americano” (You Want to Play the American)—
was one of Italy’s first world wide hits.
The collection features instructions to make a coffee drink by Italian coffee
company Illy and extensive liner notes in English, Italian, Spanish and
French. A portion of the proceeds from this album will be donated to Terres
des Hommes, a Swiss based non-profit, dedicated to improving the lives of
children around the world.
After the chaos and destruction of World War II and the conservative
musical environment Italian leaders promoted, the Italian public was ready
for a more relaxed sound. Jazz, swing and boogie-woogie were achieving
worldwide popularity and, in Italy, merged with the Italian crooner tradition.
The musical rebirth of the 1950s and ’60s was like a second liberation.
What’s old is new and Putumayo’s June 21, 2005 release Italian Café
captures the music and attitude from that era and from current singers
whose musical DNA follows that lineage. The CD follows Putumayo’s
successful French Café collection.
Many of the artists on Italian Café packed the nightclubs of the era and
gained popularity through Italy’s newly inaugurated TV channels and
burgeoning film industry. The image of the lovable hoodlum came to life in
Fred Buscaglione. While most foreign music was banned under the Italian
fascist regime, Buscaglione wound up in a U.S. internment camp, where he
was able to get a jumpstart in trying out the styles emerging from America.
True to his fast-living ways, he died at 40, crashing his pink Thunderbird
into an oncoming truck early one morning in 1960.
Quartetto Cetra emerged in the late ’40s, when they provided the overdubs
for the Italian versions of the movies "Dumbo" and "Wizard of Oz." The
following decade found Renato Carosone blending Neapolitan folk music
with American jazz and boogie-woogie to create a signature style that made
him a household name in Italy and a chart-topping crooner in the U.S.
Nicola Arigliano, now in his 80s, is the only 1950s-era artist on Italian Café
performing to this day. Born in 1923 in a small village in southern Italy,
Arigliano ran away from home when he was just 11 years old to play music
in the nightclubs of Milan. After experiencing great commercial success,
Arigliano disappeared from the concert stage for 30 years. In the past
decade, he has re-emerged with four new albums and a critic’s award at
the glitzy San Remo Festival.
Two songs on the CD come from Giorgio Conte, who is not as well known
as his brother, Paolo. As both songs demonstrate, however, the older
brother has a jovial spirit that shines through in his lyrics. “Gnè Gnè” pokes
fun at a very famous movie star lover of his who never says anything of
meaning, only petty gossip and “gnè gnè.” “Cannelloni” teases another
lover who is always on a diet and never can enjoy the pleasures of pasta.
Gianmaria Testa is more famous abroad than he is at home in Italy, where
he works as a tran station manager. Testa performed his subtle and
introspective songs for a local following near his native village of Cueno,
not far from the French border, until a French producer helped him
produce a critically acclaimed album in 1995. You can hear his trademark
gruff, whispering voice on two songs on Italian Café; one about the
superficiality of fame and one which compares the flight of hot-air balloons
to human relationships.
The CD is rounded out by modern artists who are not retro in sound, but
who cannot deny some heritage from their predecessors. Vinicio
Capossela is like a Tom Waits of Italy, reminiscent of some unnamable era
and with no hesitation in throwing in the sounds of toy pianos and chain
saws. Newcomer Maria Pierantonia Giua makes her CD debut on this
album. Meanwhile, Daniele Silvestri’s “Le Cose in Comune” (The Things
We Have in Common) won Italy’s equivalent of the Grammy, as best song
of the year. Over a jazzy bossa beat that echoes popular Italian music of
days gone by, Silvestri sings of all of the 4,280 things he and his lover
have in common.
Austrian band Quadro Nuevo perfected their instrumental versions of
popular Italian songs of the ’50s and ’60s by performing on the streets of
cities across Italy. The instrumental they present here—Renato Carosone’s
classic song “Tu Vuo’ Fa’ L’americano” (You Want to Play the American)—
was one of Italy’s first world wide hits.
The collection features instructions to make a coffee drink by Italian coffee
company Illy and extensive liner notes in English, Italian, Spanish and
French. A portion of the proceeds from this album will be donated to Terres
des Hommes, a Swiss based non-profit, dedicated to improving the lives of
children around the world.
environment Italian leaders promoted, the Italian public was ready for a more
relaxed sound. Jazz, swing and boogie-woogie were achieving worldwide
popularity and, in Italy, merged with the Italian crooner tradition. The musical
rebirth of the 1950s and ’60s was like a second liberation. What’s old is new and
Putumayo’s June 21, 2005 release Italian Café captures the music and attitude
from that era and from current singers whose musical DNA follows that lineage.
The CD follows Putumayo’s successful French Café collection.
Many of the artists on Italian Café packed the nightclubs of the era and gained
popularity through Italy’s newly inaugurated TV channels and burgeoning film
industry. The image of the lovable hoodlum came to life in Fred Buscaglione.
While most foreign music was banned under the Italian fascist regime,
Buscaglione wound up in a U.S. internment camp, where he was able to get a
jump-start in trying out the styles emerging from America. True to his fast-living
ways, he died at 40, crashing his pink Thunder-bird into an oncoming truck early
one morning in 1960.
Quartetto Cetra emerged in the late ’40s, when they provided the overdubs for the
Italian versions of the movies "Dumbo" and "Wizard of Oz." The following decade
found Renato Carosone blending Neapolitan folk music with American jazz and
boogie-woogie to create a signature style that made him a household name in
Italy and a chart-topping crooner in the U.S.
Nicola Arigliano, now in his 80s, is the only 1950s-era artist on Italian Café
performing to this day. Born in 1923 in a small village in southern Italy, Arigliano
ran away from home when he was just 11 years old to play music in the
nightclubs of Milan. After experiencing great commercial success, Arigliano
disappeared from the concert stage for 30 years. In the past decade, he has re-
emerged with four new albums and a critic’s award at the glitzy San Remo
Festival.
Two songs on the CD come from Giorgio Conte, who is not as well known as his
brother, Paolo. As both songs demonstrate, however, the older brother has a jovial
spirit that shines through in his lyrics. “Gnè Gnè” pokes fun at a very famous
movie star lover of his who never says anything of meaning, only petty gossip and
“gnè gnè.” “Cannelloni” teases another lover who is always on a diet and never can
enjoy the pleasures of pasta.
Gianmaria Testa is more famous abroad than he is at home in Italy, where he
works as a tran station manager. Testa performed his subtle and introspective
songs for a local following near his native village of Cueno, not far from the French
border, until a French producer helped him produce a critically acclaimed album in
1995. You can hear his trademark gruff, whispering voice on two songs on Italian
Café; one about the superficiality of fame and one which compares the flight of hot-
air balloons to human relationships.
The CD is rounded out by modern artists who are not retro in sound, but who
cannot deny some heritage from their predecessors. Vinicio Capossela is like a
Tom Waits of Italy, reminiscent of some unnamable era and with no hesitation in
throwing in the sounds of toy pianos and chain saws. Newcomer Maria
Pierantonia Giua makes her CD debut on this album. Meanwhile, Daniele Silvestri’
s “Le Cose in Comune” (The Things We Have in Common) won Italy’s equivalent of
the Grammy, as best song of the year. Over a jazzy bossa beat that echoes
popular Italian music of days gone by, Silvestri sings of all of the 4,280 things he
and his lover have in common.
Austrian band Quadro Nuevo perfected their instrumental versions of popular
Italian songs of the ’50s and ’60s by performing on the streets of cities across
Italy. The instrumental they present here—Renato Carosone’s classic song “Tu
Vuo’ Fa’ L’americano” (You Want to Play the American)—was one of Italy’s first
world wide hits.
The collection features instructions to make a coffee drink by Italian coffee
company Illy and extensive liner notes in English, Italian, Spanish and French. A
portion of the proceeds from this album will be donated to Terres des Hommes, a
Swiss based non-profit, dedicated to improving the lives of children around the
world.
After the chaos and destruction of World War II and the conservative
musical environment Italian leaders promoted, the Italian public was ready
for a more relaxed sound. Jazz, swing and boogie-woogie were achieving
worldwide popularity and, in Italy, merged with the Italian crooner tradition.
The musical rebirth of the 1950s and ’60s was like a second liberation.
What’s old is new and Putumayo’s June 21, 2005 release Italian Café
captures the music and attitude from that era and from current singers
whose musical DNA follows that lineage. The CD follows Putumayo’s
successful French Café collection.
Many of the artists on Italian Café packed the nightclubs of the era and
gained popularity through Italy’s newly inaugurated TV channels and
burgeoning film industry. The image of the lovable hoodlum came to life in
Fred Buscaglione. While most foreign music was banned under the Italian
fascist regime, Buscaglione wound up in a U.S. internment camp, where he
was able to get a jumpstart in trying out the styles emerging from America.
True to his fast-living ways, he died at 40, crashing his pink Thunderbird
into an oncoming truck early one morning in 1960.
Quartetto Cetra emerged in the late ’40s, when they provided the overdubs
for the Italian versions of the movies "Dumbo" and "Wizard of Oz." The
following decade found Renato Carosone blending Neapolitan folk music
with American jazz and boogie-woogie to create a signature style that made
him a household name in Italy and a chart-topping crooner in the U.S.
Nicola Arigliano, now in his 80s, is the only 1950s-era artist on Italian Café
performing to this day. Born in 1923 in a small village in southern Italy,
Arigliano ran away from home when he was just 11 years old to play music
in the nightclubs of Milan. After experiencing great commercial success,
Arigliano disappeared from the concert stage for 30 years. In the past
decade, he has re-emerged with four new albums and a critic’s award at
the glitzy San Remo Festival.
Two songs on the CD come from Giorgio Conte, who is not as well known
as his brother, Paolo. As both songs demonstrate, however, the older
brother has a jovial spirit that shines through in his lyrics. “Gnè Gnè” pokes
fun at a very famous movie star lover of his who never says anything of
meaning, only petty gossip and “gnè gnè.” “Cannelloni” teases another
lover who is always on a diet and never can enjoy the pleasures of pasta.
Gianmaria Testa is more famous abroad than he is at home in Italy, where
he works as a tran station manager. Testa performed his subtle and
introspective songs for a local following near his native village of Cueno,
not far from the French border, until a French producer helped him
produce a critically acclaimed album in 1995. You can hear his trademark
gruff, whispering voice on two songs on Italian Café; one about the
superficiality of fame and one which compares the flight of hot-air balloons
to human relationships.
The CD is rounded out by modern artists who are not retro in sound, but
who cannot deny some heritage from their predecessors. Vinicio
Capossela is like a Tom Waits of Italy, reminiscent of some unnamable era
and with no hesitation in throwing in the sounds of toy pianos and chain
saws. Newcomer Maria Pierantonia Giua makes her CD debut on this
album. Meanwhile, Daniele Silvestri’s “Le Cose in Comune” (The Things
We Have in Common) won Italy’s equivalent of the Grammy, as best song
of the year. Over a jazzy bossa beat that echoes popular Italian music of
days gone by, Silvestri sings of all of the 4,280 things he and his lover
have in common.
Austrian band Quadro Nuevo perfected their instrumental versions of
popular Italian songs of the ’50s and ’60s by performing on the streets of
cities across Italy. The instrumental they present here—Renato Carosone’s
classic song “Tu Vuo’ Fa’ L’americano” (You Want to Play the American)—
was one of Italy’s first world wide hits.
The collection features instructions to make a coffee drink by Italian coffee
company Illy and extensive liner notes in English, Italian, Spanish and
French. A portion of the proceeds from this album will be donated to Terres
des Hommes, a Swiss based non-profit, dedicated to improving the lives of
children around the world.
After the chaos and destruction of World War II and the conservative
musical environment Italian leaders promoted, the Italian public was ready
for a more relaxed sound. Jazz, swing and boogie-woogie were achieving
worldwide popularity and, in Italy, merged with the Italian crooner tradition.
The musical rebirth of the 1950s and ’60s was like a second liberation.
What’s old is new and Putumayo’s June 21, 2005 release Italian Café
captures the music and attitude from that era and from current singers
whose musical DNA follows that lineage. The CD follows Putumayo’s
successful French Café collection.
Many of the artists on Italian Café packed the nightclubs of the era and
gained popularity through Italy’s newly inaugurated TV channels and
burgeoning film industry. The image of the lovable hoodlum came to life in
Fred Buscaglione. While most foreign music was banned under the Italian
fascist regime, Buscaglione wound up in a U.S. internment camp, where he
was able to get a jumpstart in trying out the styles emerging from America.
True to his fast-living ways, he died at 40, crashing his pink Thunderbird
into an oncoming truck early one morning in 1960.
Quartetto Cetra emerged in the late ’40s, when they provided the overdubs
for the Italian versions of the movies "Dumbo" and "Wizard of Oz." The
following decade found Renato Carosone blending Neapolitan folk music
with American jazz and boogie-woogie to create a signature style that made
him a household name in Italy and a chart-topping crooner in the U.S.
Nicola Arigliano, now in his 80s, is the only 1950s-era artist on Italian Café
performing to this day. Born in 1923 in a small village in southern Italy,
Arigliano ran away from home when he was just 11 years old to play music
in the nightclubs of Milan. After experiencing great commercial success,
Arigliano disappeared from the concert stage for 30 years. In the past
decade, he has re-emerged with four new albums and a critic’s award at
the glitzy San Remo Festival.
Two songs on the CD come from Giorgio Conte, who is not as well known
as his brother, Paolo. As both songs demonstrate, however, the older
brother has a jovial spirit that shines through in his lyrics. “Gnè Gnè” pokes
fun at a very famous movie star lover of his who never says anything of
meaning, only petty gossip and “gnè gnè.” “Cannelloni” teases another
lover who is always on a diet and never can enjoy the pleasures of pasta.
Gianmaria Testa is more famous abroad than he is at home in Italy, where
he works as a tran station manager. Testa performed his subtle and
introspective songs for a local following near his native village of Cueno,
not far from the French border, until a French producer helped him
produce a critically acclaimed album in 1995. You can hear his trademark
gruff, whispering voice on two songs on Italian Café; one about the
superficiality of fame and one which compares the flight of hot-air balloons
to human relationships.
The CD is rounded out by modern artists who are not retro in sound, but
who cannot deny some heritage from their predecessors. Vinicio
Capossela is like a Tom Waits of Italy, reminiscent of some unnamable era
and with no hesitation in throwing in the sounds of toy pianos and chain
saws. Newcomer Maria Pierantonia Giua makes her CD debut on this
album. Meanwhile, Daniele Silvestri’s “Le Cose in Comune” (The Things
We Have in Common) won Italy’s equivalent of the Grammy, as best song
of the year. Over a jazzy bossa beat that echoes popular Italian music of
days gone by, Silvestri sings of all of the 4,280 things he and his lover
have in common.
Austrian band Quadro Nuevo perfected their instrumental versions of
popular Italian songs of the ’50s and ’60s by performing on the streets of
cities across Italy. The instrumental they present here—Renato Carosone’s
classic song “Tu Vuo’ Fa’ L’americano” (You Want to Play the American)—
was one of Italy’s first world wide hits.
The collection features instructions to make a coffee drink by Italian coffee
company Illy and extensive liner notes in English, Italian, Spanish and
French. A portion of the proceeds from this album will be donated to Terres
des Hommes, a Swiss based non-profit, dedicated to improving the lives of
children around the world.