Branduardi was born in Cuggiono, a small town in the province of Milan, but early moved with the family to Genoa. He was educated as a classical violinist in the local school of music. At the age of 18 he composed the music for the Confessioni di un malandrino (Hooligan's Confession) by Sergei Yesenin, still one of his finest songs.
He is married to Luisa Zappa, who wrote the lyrics for many of his songs. Luisa and Angelo have two daughters, Sarah and Maddalena, both musicians.
Angelo's first album was never released, and resulted from a co-operation with Maurizio Fabrizio, composer and gifted performer. The first released album, Angelo Branduardi '74 was arranged with Paul Buckmaster.
La Luna ("The Moon"), including "Hooligan's Confessions" and the fine, delicate song giving the LP its name, is a prelude to the success of the following works. Alla Fiera dell'Est (English edition: Highdown Fair, 1976) was Angelo's first vastly popular album, followed by La Pulce d'Acqua ("The Water Flea", 1978) and Cogli la Prima Mela (English edition, Life is the Only Teacher, 1979). In those albums Branduardi exploits themes and patterns from ancient music, mostly Renaissance and early Baroque. The very song Alla Fiera dell'Est ("At the Eastern Fair") is still popular among Italians of every age, who test themselves to send in memory all the fable-like, repetition-based lyrics.
Lyrics have a broad spectrum of inspiration: a Danse macabre, the theme of Satan's mistress, Chinese, Native American and Druidic tradition, the apocryphal Gospels. Concertation owes much to the talents of Maurizio Fabrizio, and exploits unusual instruments for pop music: dulcimer, Pan flute, lute, clarinet, among others - mixed with more standard guitar-bass-and-drums.
Subsequent albums are mark by an increasing desire towards experimentation and differentiation. Branduardi (1981) has a more intimate tone, Cercando l'oro ("Searching for Gold", 1983), has very sophisticated and delicate arrangements (starts with a String Quartet), Branduardi canta Yeats (1985) is a tribute to William Butler Yeats. Pane e rose ("Bread and Roses", 1988) is a still inspired, but increasingly dark picture of life and death. Though similar in style to the early ones, 1980s Branduardi's songs seemed to have lost the strong, rythmical energy that backed masterpieces like "Ballo in Fa Diesis Minore" or "Cogli la prima mela". Il Ladro (1991) marks a very delicate point of Branduardi's life, edging on depression, echoed in a dark, almost cemeterial, style of singing.
The album Si puó fare 1993 brings back Branduardi to normality, but the artist is now struggling to evade the minstrel character which is now too strict for him. In 1994 he publishes Domenica e Lunedì ("Sunday and Monday"), dedicated to Franco Fortini.
In 1996, during the celebrations for the restoration of the Duomo of Spilimbergo after the catastrophic 1976 earthquake, he records the extraordinary album Futuro Antico, in which he poses as an early Baroque musician, reusing, mixing, wording pre-existing material along with his own. This experience, together with musicians and musicologists, will continue with Futuro Antico II and Futuro Antico III.
In 1998 Branduardi teams with Italian stand-up comedian and writer Giorgio Faletti for Il Dito e la Luna ("The Finger and the Moon").
He reworks earlier musical themes with writings of and about St. Francis to produce L'Infinitamente Piccolo; he writes a musical on the same topic (Francesco).
In 2003 a new album, Altro ed Altrove ("Other and Elsewhere"), in a time period marked by a rise of racism and intolerance, brings together (mainly) love stories from several cultures.
Discography
* 1974 Angelo Branduardi
* 1975 la luna(France: Confession d'un malandrin, 1981)
* 1976 Alla fiera dell'est (France: A la foire de l'est - UK: Highdown Fair, 1978)
* 1977 La pulce d'acqua (UK: Fables and fantasies, 1980)
* 1979 Cogli la prima mela (France: Le demoiselle)
* 1980 Gulliver,la luna e altri disegni
* 1980 Concerto
* 1981 Branduardi '81
* 1983 Cercando l'oro (France: Tout l'or du monde)
* 1983 State buoni se potete (Soundtrack for the movie with the same name)
* 1986 Branduardi canta Yeats
* 1988 Pane e rose (France: Du pain et des roses)
* 1990 Il ladro
* 1992 Musiche da film
* 1992 Si può fare France: Ça se fait)
* 1994 Domenica e lunedì (France: La menace, 1995)
* 1996 Camminando camminando (Live collection)
* 1996 Futuro antico I
* 1998 Il dito e la luna (Lyrics by Giorgio Faletti)
* 1998 Studio Collection (Collection)
* 1999 Futuro antico II
* 2000 L'infinitamente piccolo
* 2002 Futuro antico III
* 2003 Altro ed altrove
* 2005 The Platinum collection (Collection)
==LINKS==
*http://www.angelobranduardi.it/
*[http://www.branduardi.info Branduardi.info
*[http://guide.supereva.com/angelo_branduardi/ Guida di Angelo Branduardi
*[http://www.angelo-branduardi.com ABcom - Il sito internazionale di Angelo Branduardi
*[http://www.europamici.com EuropAMICI di Angelo Branduardi
*[http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/branduardi-ans/ Branduardi-ans -Mailing List Ufficiale- Gruppo di discussione su Angelo Branduardi e la sua musica.
Calenda maia
Angelo Branduardi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ni fuèhls de faia,
Ni chans d'auzèl
Ni flors de glaia
Non es que'm plaia,
Pros dòna gaia
Tro qu'un isnèl
Messatgièr aia
Còrs, qu'im retraia
Plazer novèl
Qu'amors m'atraia
E jaia
E'm traia
Vas vos, Dòmna veraia,
E chaia
De plaia
'L gelòs,
Anz que'm n'estraia.
Ma bèl'amia,
Per Dieu non sia
Que ja'l gelos
De mon dan ria,
Que car vendria
Sa gelosia,
Si aitals dos
Amantz partia;
Qu'ieu ja joiòs
Mais non seria,
Ni jois ses vos
Pro no'm tenria;
Tal via
Faria
Qu'òms ja
Mais no'm veiria;
Cel dia
Morria, Dòmna
Pros, qu'ie'us perdria.
Dòmna grazida,
Quecs lauz'e crida
Vòstra valor
Qu'es abelida,
E qui'us oblida,
Pauc li val vida,
Per qu'ie us azor,
Dòmn' eissernida;
Quar per gencor
Vos ai chausida
E per melhor,
De prètz complida,
Blandida,
Servida Gensès
Qu'Erecs Enida
Bastida,
Finida, N'Englès,
Ai l'estampida.
The lyrics of Angelo Branduardi's Calenda maia depict a message being delivered to a lady by a messenger about a man's attraction towards her. The messenger sings that he does not find pleasure in the usual beauties of nature, like the flames of the beech, bird songs or even flowers of white lilies. The messenger says that he is only happy when he is carrying a message from the man in love to his lady love. The man is attracted to the lady, and his new feelings bring him joy, happiness, and pain. He beseeches the lady not to let his jealousy come between them and cause any distress. He would be lost without her and his love would be incomplete, far from the perfect solution if they were parted.
The first stanza of the song talks about how nature's beauty does not compare with the delight of carrying a message from someone in love. The second stanza speaks of the man's attraction towards the lady and the pain he feels when thinking of potentially losing her. The messenger then pleads with the lady to alleviate any jealousies present so that there can be happiness between the two lovers. The song's melody is soothing and calming, as Branduardi's voice smoothly carries us into the message about love and its complexities.
Line by Line Meaning
Calenda maia
The month of May has arrived
Ni fuèhls de faia
No beech leaves are budding
Ni chans d'auzèl
No bird songs
Ni flors de glaia
No gladiolus flowers
Non es que'm plaia
It's not to my liking
Pros dòna gaia
Except for a happy lady
Tro qu'un isnèl
Only one messenger
Messatgièr aia
May I be that messenger
Del vòste bèl
Of your suitor
Còrs, qu'im retraia
A body that attracts me
Plazer novèl
New pleasure
Qu'amors m'atraia
That love attracts me
E jaia
And joy
E'm traia
It draws me
Vas vos, Dòmna veraia
Towards you, true lady
E chaia
And I fall
De plaia
At your feet
'L gelòs, Anz que'm n'estraia.
Jealousy, before it takes me away
Ma bèl'amia,Per Dieu non sia
My beloved, God forbid
Que ja'l gelosDe mon dan ria,
That the jealousy of my lover
Que car vendriaSa gelosia,
Who would come with its jealousy
Si aitals dosAmantz partia;
If such two lovers parted ways
Qu'ieu ja joiòsMais non seria,
I would no longer be happy
Ni jois ses vosPro no'm tenria;
I wouldn't have joy without you
Tal viaFaria
Maybe I would
Qu'òms jaMais no'm veiria;
Never be seen again
Cel diaMorria, Dòmna
That day I would die, Lady
Pros, qu'ie'us perdria.
Because I would lose you
Dòmna grazida, Quecs lauz'e crida Vòstra valor
Graceful Lady, your value is praised and yelled
Qu'es abelida,
As it is deserved
E qui'us oblida,Pauc li val vida,
And whoever forgets you, their life is worth little
Per qu'ie us azor,Dòmn' eissernida;
That's why you are my anxiety, Lady of the stars
Quar per gencorVos ai chausida
Because for a long time I've chosen you
E per melhor,De prètz complida,
And for the BEST, fully ready
Blandida
Softly
Servida Gensès
Gences served
Qu'Erecs Enida Bastida,Finida, N'Englès, Ai l'estampida.
That the deeds of Erec and Enide were done and printed in English.
Contributed by Daniel B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@SantiagoGarcia-od5gr
Genio y artífice de una sinigual discografía, pocas veces superada en su riqueza musical y calidad estética.
@paolorosin9164
Il suo modo di suonare il violino mi tira matto
@marcomarcomarco9879
Braidoooooo 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
@rockyenfrance
grazie
@chiaradimasi379
Per cosa
@Anneberleur
Grazie !
@chiaradimasi379
Ma per coossa ~uuj~
@chiaradimasi379
shpie@toaddyprods7487
PORCODDIO CHE HIT
@peterarcher1178
Concordo