Negramaro

Their moniker originated with a regional varietal known as negro amaro, a phrase denoting bitter black. The six-piece Italian rock outfit Negramaro first crossed paths in Lecce, Puglia, while several of its members pursued university studies there. Shared musical preferences soon prompted them to rehearse as a unit, leading to the group’s formal establishment by 1999. Two years afterward the act placed among the ten finalists in MTV’s Brand New Talent contest. Following a deal with Sugar Music—the imprint fronted by former actress and talent scout Caterina Caselli—the ensemble issued its self-titled debut in 2003; a modestly revised edition appeared the next year under the title 000577.

Enlisting famed Italian producer Corrado Rustici, the lineup—vocalist-guitarist and principal songwriter Giuliano Sangiorgi, guitarist Emanuele Spedicato, bassist Ermanno Carlà, keyboardist and synth player Andrea Mariano, drummer Danilo Tasco, and sampler operator Andrea De Rocco—prepared its sophomore effort. Sangiorgi also supplied the composition “Le Parole Che Non Ti Ho Detto” to Andrea Bocelli for the 2004 album Andrea. The resulting record, Mentre Tutto Scorre, surfaced in 2005; its title track captured top honors at that year’s San Remo Music Festival and earned a Nastro d’Argento for Best Song. The band further received Best Italian Artist recognition at the 2005 MTV Europe Awards.

After an extensive Italian tour in 2006, the sextet relocated with Rustici to San Francisco’s Plant Studios. Sessions there yielded La Finestra, issued in June 2007, which cemented the group’s stature among Italy’s leading acts of the era. The single “Parlami D’Amore” enjoyed widespread acclaim and later triumphed at that year’s Festivalbar. Concurrently, Negramaro assembled the rockumentary Dall’Altra Parte Della Luna chronicling their trajectory, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival. In May 2008 they became the first Italian band to perform at Milan’s San Siro stadium; the event was later preserved on the CD + DVD package San Siro Live.