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Adriano Celentano

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Adriano Celentano
Celentano in 1961
Born (1938-01-06) 6 January 1938 (age 88)
Greco, Milan, Kingdom of Italy
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • actor
  • film director
  • screenwriter
  • producer
  • television presenter
Years active1957–present
Spouse
​
(m. 1964)​
Children3, including Rosalinda Celentano
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
  • drums
Labels
Websiteilmondodiadriano.it

Adriano Celentano (Italian: [adriˈaːno tʃelenˈtaːno]; born 6 January 1938) is an Italian singer-songwriter, actor, showman, and filmmaker. He is dubbed Il Molleggiato ('the springy one') because of his energetic dancing.[2][3]

Celentano's many albums frequently enjoyed both commercial and critical success. With around 150 million records sold worldwide, he is one of the best-selling Italian musical artists.[4][5] Often credited as the author of both the music and lyrics of his songs, according to his wife Claudia Mori, some were written in collaboration with others. Due to his prolific career, both in Italy and abroad, he is considered one of the pillars of Italian music.

Celentano is recognized for being particularly perceptive of changes in the music business and is credited for having introduced rock and roll to Italy. As an actor, Celentano has appeared in 39 films, mostly comedies.

Early life

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Celentano was born on 6 January 1938 in Greco, Milan, Italy, at 14 Via Cristoforo Gluck, a street close to the Central Station and this address later became the subject of the famous song "Il ragazzo della via Gluck" ('The boy from Gluck Street'). His parents, Leontino Celentano and Giuditta Giuva, were from Foggia, Apulia, and had moved north for work.[6] His career as a singer started in 1959. Before his debut as an artist, he was working as a watchmaker.[7]

Career

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Celentano with an Eko Guitar
Celentano with Mina in 1967

Heavily influenced by Elvis Presley and the 1950s rock 'n' roll scene as well as by American actor Jerry Lewis,[8] Celentano started playing in a rock and roll band with Giorgio Gaber and Enzo Jannacci. Along with Gaber and Jannacci, he was discovered by Jolly Records A&R Executive Ezio Leoni, who signed him to his first recording contract and co-authored with Celentano some of his greatest early hits, including "24.000 baci", "Il tuo bacio è come un rock", and "Si è spento il Sole". He first appeared on screen in Ragazzi del Juke-Box, a 1959 Italian musical film directed by Lucio Fulci with music by Ezio Leoni. In 1960, Federico Fellini cast him as a rock and roll singer in his film La dolce vita (1960).

In 1962, Celentano founded the Italian record label Clan Celentano (which is still active) with many performers such as Don Backy, Ola & the Janglers, Ricky Gianco, Katty Line, Gino Santercole, Fred Bongusto and his wife Claudia Mori.[citation needed]

As a film director, Celentano frequently cast Ornella Muti, Eleonora Giorgi and his wife Claudia Mori. He and Mori have three children, Rosita, Giacomo and Rosalinda Celentano. Rosalinda is most notable to worldwide audiences for playing Satan in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. Celentano has also hosted several Italian television shows.

Celentano has retained his popularity in Italy for over 50 years, selling millions of records and appearing in numerous TV shows and movies. As part of his TV and movie work, he created a comic genre, with a characteristic walk and facial expressions. For the most part, his films were commercially successful; indeed, in the 1970s and part of the 1980s, his low-budget movies were top of Italian box office rankings. As an actor, critics point to Serafino (1968), directed by Pietro Germi, as his best performance.

Celentano (right) in 2012 with Gianni Morandi

He has released 40 albums, consisting of 29 studio albums, three live albums, and eight compilations. Among his most popular songs there are "La coppia più bella del mondo", which sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc;[9] "Azzurro" (1968), written by Paolo Conte, "Svalutation" (1976), and "Prisencolinensinainciusol" (1972), which was written to mimic the way English sounds to non-English speakers despite being almost entirely gibberish.[10]

Celentano was referenced in the 1979 Ian Dury and the Blockheads song and single, "Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3", as one of the aforementioned "reasons to be cheerful", and in Fellini's 1986 film Ginger and Fred.

After 18 years without live performances, Celentano's 2012 live concert was broadcast on Mediaset channel Canale 5, attracting over 9 million viewers.[11]

Personal life

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Celentano has been a vegetarian since 2005 and has defended animal rights.[12][13] A football fan, Celentano is a well-known Inter Milan supporter.[14] In 2009, Celentano told La Repubblica that for years he wanted to learn English but never found time to do so, and said it is a "real pain" not being able to speak the language.[15]

When the Barilla pasta company introduced a corkscrew pasta in the 1970s, it was named cellentani for Celentano. As Barilla trademarked the name, other companies call the shape cavatappi.[16]

Discography

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Studio albums

Filmography

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Title Year Role(s) Director Notes
Don't Knock the Rock 1956 Himself Fred F. Sears Uncredited
Ragazzi del Juke-Box 1959 Adriano Lucio Fulci
Go, Johnny, Go! Himself Paul Landres Cameo
Juke Box: Urli d'amore Singer Mauro Morassi Cameo
Urlatori alla sbarra 1960 Adriano / Il Molleggiato Lucio Fulci
La Dolce Vita Rock 'n Roll Singer Federico Fellini Cameo
Sanremo: La grande sfida Himself Piero Vivarelli Cameo
Hey, Let's Twist! 1961 Singer Greg Garrison Uncredited
Io bacio… tu baci Himself Piero Vivarelli Cameo
The Monk of Monza 1963 Fake Friar Sergio Corbucci
Uno strano tipo Peppino / Himself Lucio Fulci
Super rapina a Milano 1964 Sergio Adriano Celentano Directional debut
I malamondo Himself Paolo Cavara Documentary
Per un pugno di canzoni 1966 Singer José Luis Merino Cameo
Serafino 1968 Serafino Fiorin Pietro Germi
The Most Beautiful Couple in the World Himself Camillo Mastrocinque Cameo
Er Più – Storia d'amore e di coltello 1971 Nino "Er Più" Patroni Sergio Corbucci
White Sister 1972 Annibale Pezzi Alberto Lattuada
The Five Days 1973 Meo Cainazzo Dario Argento
Little Funny Guy Peppino Cavallo Pasquale Campanile
Rugantino Rugantino Pasquale Campanile
Yuppi du 1975 Felice Della Pietà Adriano Celentano Also director, writer and composer
What's Your Sign? Alfredo Astarita Sergio Corbucci Segment: "Aria"
The Con Artists 1976 Felice Brianza Sergio Corbucci
Lunatics and Lovers Sprint Boss Flavio Mogherini
L'altra metà del cielo 1977 Father Vincenzo Ferrari Franco Rossi
Ecco noi per esempio Antonmatteo Colombo Sergio Corbucci
Loggerheads 1978 Herman / Gustav Castellano & Pipolo
Geppo il folle Geppo Adriano Celentano Also director, writer, producer and composer
Velvet Hands 1979 Guido Quiller Castellano & Pipolo
Saturday, Sunday and Friday Mr. Costantin Castellano & Pipolo Segment: "Friday"
La locandiera 1980 Knight of Ripafretta Paolo Cavara
The Taming of the Scoundrel Elia Codogno Castellano & Pipolo
Qua la mano Father Fulgenzio Pasquale Campanile
Asso 1981 Asso Castellano & Pipolo
Madly in Love Barnaba Cecchini Castellano & Pipolo
Grand Hotel Excelsior 1982 Taddeus Castellano & Pipolo
Bingo Bongo Bingo Bongo Pasquale Campanile
Sing Sing 1983 Alfredo Borghi Sergio Corbucci
Segni particolari: bellissimo Mattia Castellano & Pipolo
Lui è peggio di me 1985 Leonardo Enrico Oldoini
Joan Lui Joan Lui Adriano Celentano Also director, writer and composer
Il burbero 1986 Tito Torrisi Castellano & Pipolo
Jackpot 1992 Furio Mario Orfini

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Kouvarou, Maria (2015). "American Rock with a European Twist: The Institutionalization of Rock'n'Roll in France, West Germany, Greece, and Italy (20th Century)". Historia Crítica (57): 75–94. doi:10.7440/histcrit57.2015.05. ISSN 0121-1617.
  2. ↑ Engelmann, Jennifer (21 October 2015). "MINA e CELENTANO: la tigre e il molleggiato di nuovo insieme nel 2016 » » aLLMusicItalia". allmusicitalia.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  3. ↑ Di Pasqua, Emanuela (21 December 2009). "L'inglese inventato di Celentano spopola negli Usa e su Internet - Corriere della Sera". corriere.it. Archived from the original on 26 May 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "L'inglese inventato di Celentano spopola negli Usa e su Internet – Corriere della Sera". Corriere della Sera. Archived from the original on 26 May 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  5. ↑ Paolo Giordano (22 December 2009). "Toh, gli Usa scoprono il Celentano rapper – Spettacoli" (in Italian). ilGiornale.it. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  6. ↑ "BIOGRAFIE: Adriano Celentano" (in German). Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
  7. ↑ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "High Five: 5 European stars with first jobs you probably wouldn't have expected | DW | 24.06.2016". DW.COM. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  8. ↑ Clancelentano.it Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 217. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  10. ↑ "It's Gibberish, But Italian Pop Song Still Means Something". NPR Music. 4 November 2012. Archived from the original on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  11. ↑ "Celentano a Verona: il pubblico fischia i sermoni – Il Gazzettino". Gazzettino.it. 8 October 2012. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  12. ↑ "Adriano Celentano". Archived from the original on 18 May 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
  13. ↑ "Adriano Celentano’s fake English song explained: What does Prisencolinensinainciusol mean?"[link removed]. thefocus.news. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  14. ↑ Zullo, Leo (17 December 2021). "Adriano Celentano in Serie A: non indovinerai mai quale calciatore imita il cantante". CalcioToday.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  15. ↑ Fallows, James (24 December 2009). "A musical Christmas treat". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2 October 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  16. ↑ This story was related to chef Davide Oldani on his TV show Alle origini della bontà (24 November 2018) by Italo Bardiani, at the time one of the technicians at Barilla research lab. – http://www.acfans.it/blog/minipost/barilla-da-un-errore-e-nata-la-pasta-cellentani/
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