Paolo Conte is hard to confuse with anyone. This composer and musician is called "Italian unique" for the versatility of his talent and a special manner of performance.
Paolo Conte is one of the most charismatic and distinctive Italian musicians, whose name is widely known both in his homeland and abroad. Today it is a veteran of Italian culture, who over the years of creativity has made a name for himself as a composer, songwriter, performer and pianist. Conte created his own unique style, skillfully combining elements of jazz and variety theater, and at the same time, the irony and lightness inherent in the musician are clearly heard in it.
Biography of Paolo Conte
Paolo Conte was born. Asti (Piedmont) in 1937. From an early age, along with his younger brother Giorgio (who, incidentally, also became a famous composer), Paolo studied singing and playing the piano. Initially, intense music was the initiative of the boys' father, a notary public by profession and a passionate jazz lover. Despite success in the musical field, Paolo followed in the footsteps of his father and became a lawyer. He worked as a lawyer until the age of 30, but simultaneously played on the vibraphone in several local jazz groups.
However, gradually the passion for art gained the upper hand. In 1962, Conte first performed for the general public with his ensemble Paolo Conte Quartet. However, even this event did not mark the beginning of a professional career. From time to time, the quartet was invited to perform at various venues, but so far there has been no talk of fame and recognition. A few years later, Conte was seriously interested in composing music: it was at this time that he realized that he was ready to make music for the rest of his life.
Early work
It was in 1965, and the first solo album Paolo was published only in 1974. All these years, the Italian master developed and improved as a composer. He was lucky to work with such authors of texts as Vito Pallavicini or Giorgio Calabrese, as well as with his brother Giorgio. As a result, hits appeared for pop stars of that era.
- La Coppia Più Bella del Mondo and Azzuro for Adriano Celentano;
- Insieme a Te Non Ci Sto Più for Katerina Caselli;
- Tripoli 69 for Patti Law;
- Genova per Noi and Onda Su Onda for Bruno Lautzi and many others.
- By the way, the last two hits were included in the solo album of Paolo Conte himself, becoming his favorite songs.
Paolo Conte seriously thought about the full career of a solo artist with the light hand of producer Italo Greco only in 1974, when he was 37 years old. He called his first albums very simply - Paolo Conte. Both collections were successful. Conte demonstrated an original, non-standard musical vision of the material and declared himself as a person who will remain in modern musical culture for a long time. His work surprisingly combines deep philosophy and satirical clownery, pathetics and a sense of humor. In his works, one can hear the rhythms of jazz ballads, tango, swing and variety show.
In the eighties, Conte continued to release equally successful albums, the most notable of which was Paris Milonga (1982). This collection finally confirmed the special position of the musician in the pantheon of Italian vocal masters. The most impressive from an aesthetic point of view were the following compositions by Paolo Conte.
- Alle Prese con una Verde Milonga;
- Via con Elle;
- Diavolo Rosso;
- Sotto le Stelle del Jazz;
- Bartali.
At the same time, the musician begins to perform on the stage more and more, showing the public his cosmopolitan views. Conte very quickly turned into "Italian unique", who found admirers of his talent in France, Switzerland, Germany and other European countries.
The following albums by Paolo Conte are called by music experts as masterpieces. We are talking about two completely different collections - personal and characteristic for the musician Aguaplano and the brand new Parole d'Amore Scritte a Macchina. It was in the last album that Paolo boldly experiments with new instruments and arrangements, achieving a striking effect.
