Paolo Conte
Paolo Conte (born 6 January 1937) is an Italian singer, pianist, songwriter and lawyer known for his distinctly grainy, resonant voice. His compositions fuse Italian and Mediterranean sounds with jazz, boogie and elements of the French chanson and Latin-American rhythms.
Conte was born in Asti, Piedmont. His parents were avid jazz fans and Conte and his younger brother Giorgio spent their formative years listening to a lot of early jazz and blues recordings. After obtaining a law degree at the University of Parma, Conte started working as an assistant solicitor with his father, simultaneously pursuing his musical studies. He learned to play the trombone, the vibraphone and the piano, and formed a jazz band with his brother on guitar. Conte's skill for composing music and original arrangements was noted by music producer Lilli Greco, who paired Conte with lyricist Vito Pallavicini. They wrote songs for Adriano Celentano ("Azzurro", 1968), Caterina Caselli ("Insieme a te non ci sto più", 1968), Fausto Leali ("Deborah", 1968) and Enzo Jannacci ("Messico e nuvole", 1970). In 1974 Conte recorded his first album, Paolo Conte. The following year, he released another eponymous album. Following a series of well-received shows at Club Tenco in Sanremo in 1976 and the commercial success of his third album, 'Un gelato al limon', Conte concentrated almost exclusively on his solo career.
Some of Conte's most popular songs have been used as film soundtracks, including "Come Di" in I Am David (2003) and Mickey Blue Eyes (1999), "Via con me" in French Kiss (1995), Mostly Martha (2001) and Welcome to Collinwood (2002). In addition, Conte's song "L’orchestrina" is featured during the end credits for episodes 3 and 4 of the television series The New Pope (2020). In 1997 Conte won the Nastro d'Argento for Best Score for the film La freccia azzurra.
On 24 March 1999, Conte was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, by President Giorgio Napolitano for his "outstanding cultural achievements". On 15 May 2001, France ordered Paolo Conte Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In 2015, Conte was awarded the Premio Galileo for contemporary music in Padua.
Conte has also received several honorary doctorates, including one from the University of Macerata (1990).
Source: Article "Paolo Conte" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Known For | Sound |
---|---|
Most Rating | 0.85 |
Birthday | 1937-01-06 |
Place of Birth | Asti, Piedmont, Italy |
Also Known As |
2002
A cavallo della tigre
5.3/7
Plagued by financial problems, ne'er-do-well Guido ends up in jail after faking an armed robbery at his workplace. A year later, just a few days befor...
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A cavallo della tigre
2020
Paolo Conte, Come Away with Me
7.2/13
Documentary follows the life and work of Italian singer and composer Paolo Conte.
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Paolo Conte, Come Away with Me
2006
Paolo Conte - Arena Di Verona
10/1
Recorded live in "Arena di Verona" the 26th of July, 2005. Release Date:
03/04/2006
Production Year:
2005
Run Time:
122 minutes
Synopsis:
Trac...
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Paolo Conte - Arena Di Verona
2023
Paolo Conte alla Scala - Il maestro è nell’anima
10/3
On 19 February 2023, the Teatro alla Scala opened its doors to an event of exceptional importance for Italian culture: Paolo Conte presented a concert...
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Paolo Conte alla Scala - Il maestro è nell’anima
1984
Fra la via Emilia e il West
0/0
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Fra la via Emilia e il West
2005
Paolo Conte - In Concert
0/0
The legendary songwriter, pianist and jazzman Paolo Conte is capture here live in concert. Includes tracks such as 'Sud America', 'Sono Qui Con Te Sem...
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Paolo Conte - In Concert
1987
Wenn ich dieses Leben nicht hätte, würde ich sterben: Paolo Conte
0/0
Documentary about Italian musician and lawyer Paolo Conte.
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