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.
La comica finale
Angelo Branduardi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
che non smettono
di crescere mai
come un piumino di solletico
da far ridere anche il cielo
pelo e contropelo
e dentro un viso fatto ad anfora
c'e un'anima
dagli occhi aguzzi che trasformano
in un fatto naturale
la comica finale
Sono un buffone
lo sai perche'
non c'è nessuno
magro come me
sono un buffone
un fatto a sè
fra quel che c'è e che non c'è
quando mi vedrai
mi avrai visto invano
se il mio nome
non sai qual' è
sono Stan Laurel e a volta ho pianto dal ridere
L'altro ha baffi corti ed ispidi
che non smettono
di crescere mai
come il pennello che usa a radersi
quando ce n'è un velo
pelo e contropelo
e quel cappello troppo piccolo
e un'anima
che rotola via
su piedi grandi che trasportano
un tratto personale
nella comica finale
Sono un buffone
lo sai perchè
non c'e nessuno
grasso come me
sono un buffone
un fatto a se
fra quel che c'è e che non c'è
quando mi vedrai
mi avrai visto invano
se il mio nome
non sai qual'è
Oliver Hardy e a volte ho pianto dal ridere
The song "La comica finale" by Angelo Branduardi is about two clowns, one with long and bristly hair and the other with short and bristly mustache. The first clown describes his appearance and how his hair is always growing uncontrollably, making him look funny and bringing joy to the world, even to the sky. He talks about his face being shaped like an amphora and how his sharp eyes transform everything into a natural and amusing situation, which is his purpose as a clown. The first clown sees himself as a unique character, a buffoon that can make people laugh no matter what others think of him. He then reveals that he is Stan Laurel and sometimes he cries from laughing too hard.
The second clown is described through his short and bristly mustache that never stops growing, and his small hat that makes him look funny. His big feet carry him around, and they are part of his personal comedy. He also refers to himself as a buffoon and a unique character, Oliver Hardy, who sometimes cries from laughing. The song's theme is about how comedy can bring joy, even in difficult times. The clowns see themselves as bringing happiness to people's lives through laughter, and they take pride in their unique appearance and personality.
Line by Line Meaning
Ho capelli lunghi ed ispidi che non smettono di crescere mai
My uneven long hair keeps growing and will never stop.
Come un piumino di solletico da far ridere anche il cielo pelo e contropelo
My hair is fluffy like a tickling feather that would even make the sky laugh.
E dentro un viso fatto ad anfora c'e un'anima che scivola via dagli occhi aguzzi che trasformano in un fatto naturale la comica finale
My comic persona is a part of me that I can easily slip into. My sharp eyes create a natural appearance to my final comical act.
Sono un buffone lo sai perche' non c'è nessuno magro come me sono un buffone un fatto a sè fra quel che c'è e che non c'è
I am a clown, and my unique body type makes me stand out from others. I am my own distinct entity amidst what exists and what does not.
Quando mi vedrai mi avrai visto invano se il mio nome non sai qual' è sono Stan Laurel e a volta ho pianto dal ridere
If you do not know who I am, you have seen me in vain. My name is Stan Laurel, and I have laughed so hard that I cried.
L'altro ha baffi corti ed ispidi che non smettono di crescere mai come il pennello che usa a radersi quando ce n'è un velo pelo e contropelo
The other guy has short and spiky mustaches that never stop growing, much like how he uses a brush to shave when there is a little fuzz.
E quel cappello troppo piccolo e un'anima che rotola via su piedi grandi che trasportano un tratto personale nella comica finale
His small hat is a personal touch that he carries with him in his final comical act as he rolls away on his big feet.
Sono un buffone lo sai perchè non c'e nessuno grasso come me sono un buffone un fatto a se fra quel che c'è e che non c'è
He is a clown, and his unique body type makes him stand out from others. He is his own distinct entity amidst what exists and what does not.
Quando mi vedrai mi avrai visto invano se il mio nome non sai qual'è Oliver Hardy e a volte ho pianto dal ridere
If you do not know who he is, you have seen him in vain. His name is Oliver Hardy, and he has laughed so hard that he cried.
Contributed by Reagan O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.