Pino Daniele

Born on March 19, 1955, in Naples, singer/songwriter Pino Daniele absorbed classical techniques alongside traditional Neapolitan guitar styles during his early years, only to shift focus in adolescence toward British and American rock influences. His first solo outing, Terra Mia, delivered entirely in Neapolitan, introduced what he termed “taramblù,” a fusion of tarantella, rhumba, and blues. The self-titled follow-up appeared in 1979, with Nero a Metà arriving the next year; that same year he was asked to support reggae superstar Bob Marley at the Milan concert. Over the ensuing period he kept weaving Mediterranean, African, and Western threads together, evident on Common Ground, a joint project with American folksinger Richie Havens, and on the Middle Eastern-tinged Bonne Soirée, while also scoring films directed by Massimo Troisi. Commercial momentum arrived with the 1989 pop album Mascalzone Latino, after which a rapid succession of releases followed: Un Uomo in Blues in 1991, Che Dio Ti Benedica in 1993 (two tracks produced by Chick Corea), Non Calpestare I Fiori Nel Deserto in 1995, Dimmi Cosa Succede Sulla Terra in 1997, and Medina in 2000. Two years afterward he joined Francesco De Gregori, Ron, and Fiorella Mannoia for a tour documented on In Tour. Another studio album, Iguana Café, surfaced in 2005. Pino Daniele suffered a fatal heart attack in Rome in January 2015 at age 59.