Domenico Modugno

Achieving international stardom as one of the earliest Italian performers in popular music, Domenico Modugno embarked on global tours and sold a million copies of his recordings issued across various languages. He took up songwriting at age fifteen, guitar in hand, launching an extraordinary path that embraced acting, singing, and composition. Drawn to cinema, he enrolled at the Experimental Center of Cinematography and made his first screen appearance in 1951, portraying a character in Eduardo de Filippo’s Filomena Marturano. A local radio broadcast featuring his tribute to Frank Sinatra later drew the notice of music-industry figures. He entered San Remo’s Festival in 1958 with the song “Nel Blue Dipinto Di Blu,” better known as “Volare.” Long regarded as a landmark of Italian music, the track earned him Grammy Awards for both Album of the Year and Song of the Year.