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.
O sole mio
Angelo Branduardi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
N'aria serena doppo na tempesta!
Pe' ll'aria fresca pare gia' na festa
Che bella cosa na jurnata 'e sole.
Refrain:
Ma n'atu sole
Cchiu' bello, oi ne'.
Sta 'nfronte a te!
'O sole, 'o sole mio
Sta 'nfronte a te,
Sta 'nfronte a te!
Quanno fa notte e 'o sole se ne scenne,
Me vene quase 'na malincunia;
Sotto 'a fenesta toia restarria
Quanno fa notte e 'o sole se ne scenne.
Refrain
Angelo Branduardi's song "O sole mio" is a beautiful ode to the sun and its ability to bring joy and serenity after the storm. In the first verse, the singer marvels at the beauty of a sunny day and the fresh air that follows a storm, comparing it to a celebration. The refrain then highlights how even though there may be other beautiful suns, "O sole mio" (my sun) is the most beautiful because it is in front of the person he loves.
In the second verse, the tone shifts to a sense of longing and melancholy as the sun sets and night descends. The singer expresses a deep sense of sadness, but the thought of being near the person he loves brings him comfort. The refrain is repeated to solidify the importance of the loved one and how their presence can make life beautiful no matter the time of day.
Overall, "O sole mio" is a beautifully crafted song that showcases the dualities of life and how love can bring both joy and comfort in the darkest moments.
Line by Line Meaning
Che bella cosa na jurnata 'e sole,
What a beautiful thing is a sunny day,
N'aria serena doppo na tempesta!
After the storm, a clear sky!
Pe' ll'aria fresca pare gia' na festa
For the fresh air, it seems like a celebration
Che bella cosa na jurnata 'e sole.
What a beautiful thing is a sunny day.
Ma n'atu sole
But another sun
Cchiu' bello, oi ne'.
More beautiful, oh yes.
'O sole mio
My sun
Sta 'nfronte a te!
Is in front of you!
'O sole, 'o sole mio
My sun, my sun,
Sta 'nfronte a te,
Is in front of you,
Sta 'nfronte a te!
Is in front of you!
Quanno fa notte e 'o sole se ne scenne,
When night falls and the sun goes down,
Me vene quase 'na malincunia;
I feel a little melancholy;
Sotto 'a fenesta toia restarria
Under your window, I would stay
Quanno fa notte e 'o sole se ne scenne.
When night falls and the sun goes down.
Contributed by Christian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ulrich Wilke
no Tenor can sing this song so much soulful like Angelo! Heis the best!
ziogustav
C'ero anch'io a quel concerto, fu bellissimo!!
Carmen Nelida Moya Ramírez
I am completely agree with the discription I have read. I've never imagine. such an splendorous version of " O Sole mio ". Thanks
Gabriele Tomasini
una versione delicata e romantica di una canzone d'amore senza tempo
Monika -Josefine Thömmes
Wunderbar , so sanft habe ich es selten gehört ! So typisch Angelo Branduardi !
mikimeta
Un altro grande documento, queste sono le rarità che fanno la differenza!;) Grazie Patrice! Che bella cosa 'na jurnata 'e sole... Thank you for this jewel, better than Elvis!;)
Manuel R Crespo
A máis fermosa versión que escoitei.
marie-hélène Dallard
dolce ,bello ,bravissimo Angelo ! tu es un troubadour
Dino Farese
Wow Chi Sa Tradurre il Tedesco? Gli Spettatore Ridono A Crepapelle... Pure io voglio ridere così Pure io!
Eusepio1957
ha detto ché io sono un latino má del´Nord, quindi sono piú Berlinese di voi (il pubblico) ;-) poi sono un amante appassionato pazzo di Napoli e la sua Musica io adoro una canzone conosciuta in tutto il mondo cioé Ò Sole Mio! má per cantare questa canzone, chiamiatela pure kitchig (ridicola) se vi piace farlo comunque ci vuole un altro volume di voce ché io purtroppo non oso farlo pero(aber) io la canteró per voi a modo mio come una canzone d´amore. p.s. spero di avervi accontentati ;-)