Vinicio Capossela

Singer/songwriter Vinicio Capossela, frequently compared to an Italian Tom Waits, drew upon an eclectic range of sources that included the hard-edged fiction of John Fante, the visionary poetry and philosophy of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and other literary touchstones to shape a daring, text-driven style of songcraft that stood apart from prevailing trends across Europe. Born in Hannover, Germany, on December 14, 1965, he immersed himself in the club scene of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region during his formative years. As a protégé of folkie Francisco Guccini, Capossela released his first album, All'una e Trentacinque Circa, in 1990, earning recognition for its singular melodies and tango- and gypsy-inflected arrangements alongside lyrics that evoked the raw prose of Charles Bukowski and Louis-Ferdinand Céline. Modì appeared the next year. In 1992 he shifted toward theater, composing scores for actor Paolo Rossi’s Milan-based ensemble, including the notable production Su la Testa. The records Camera a Sud (1994) and Il Ballo di San Vito (1996) both deepened and broadened his musical palette, while Canzoni a Manovella in 2000 received the Targa Tenco and the PIM, two of Italy’s highest musical honors. Extended touring produced multiple live albums and videos before Capossela issued his debut novel, Non Si Muore Tutte le Mattine, in 2004. He reentered the studio two years later with Ovunque Proteggi, enlisting guitar great and longtime Waits sideman Marc Ribot. Later releases such as Da Solo (2008), The Story-Faced Man (2010), Rebetiko Gymnastas (2012), and Canzoni Della Cupa (2016) reinforced his stature among the leading Italian songwriters of his era.