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Vinicio Capossela (born 14 December 1965) is an Italian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist.

Capossela is renowned for the highly original and poetic lyrics of his songs. Many of them draw from traditions of Italian folk music, especially those of his parents' native Irpinia, part of the Campania province.

Some of his songs — especially in the album ''Marinai, profeti e balene'' ("Sailors, Prophets and Whales") — are inspired on world themes and legends (''Canzone a manovella'', ''Medusa'') and world literature, such as Homer (''Calypso'', ''La lancia del pellide''), Samuel Taylor Coleridge (''Santissima dei naufragati''), Joseph Conrad (''Lord Jim''), Herman Melville (''Billy Budd'', ''La Bianchezza della Balena''), John Fante (''Accolita dei rancorosi''), Oscar Wilde (''Con una rosa''), Alfred Jarry (''Decervellamento'') and Geoffrey Chaucer (''Corvo torvo''). His musical style has been compared to that of Tom Waits.
He also published translations of original songs by other authors, including Bob Dylan (''La nave sta arrivando''), Vladimir Vysotsky (''Il pugile sentimentale'') and Markos Vamvakaris (''Contratto per Karelias'').

Biography

Capossela was born in Hannover (Germany) to Italian parents. His father Vito was from Calitri and his mother from Andretta, both towns in the Irpinia region of Campania. The name "Vinicio" was an homage to a famous accordion player admired by his father.

At an early age he returned to Italy with the family, that settled in the province of Reggio Emilia. Growing up, Capossela became popular in the underground musical scene of the Emilia-Romagna region. There he attracted the attention of Francesco Guccini, who introduced him to Club Tenco, an organization founded in 1972 to promote emerging songwriters. Capossela published his first album (''All'una e trentacinque circa'') in 1990. It was followed by ''Modì'' (1991) and ''Camera a Sud'' (1994). Capossela's big breakthrough happened in 1996 with the album ''Il ballo di San Vito''.

Private life

Capossela always refused to discuss his private life. In 1994 he married an American model but the couple divorced after about two years.http://temi.repubblica.it/iniziative-capossela/2012/02/24/lintervista-di-e-assante-parte-2/ Intervista di Ernesto Assante - La Repubblica

Discography

*''All'una e trentacinque circa'' - 1990
*''Modì'' - 1991
*''Camera a sud'' - 1994
*''Il ballo di San Vito'' - 1996
*''Liveinvolvo'' - 1998 - (Live Album)
*''Canzoni a manovella'' - 2000
*''L'indispensabile'' - 2003
*''Ovunque proteggi'' - 2006
*''Nel niente sotto il sole - Grand tour 2006'' - 2007 - (Live Album)
*''Da solo'' - 2008 - (ITA Platinum 90,000+)
*''Solo Show Alive'' - 2009 - (Live Album)
*''The Story-Faced Man'' - 2010
*''La nave sta arrivando'' - 2011 - (EP)
*''Marinai, profeti e balene'' - 2011
*''Rebetiko Gymnastas'' - 2012
*''Canzoni della cupa'' - 2016
*''Ballate per uomini e bestie'' - 2019

Bibliography

Books by Vinicio Capossela

*Vinicio Capossela, ''Non si muore tutte le mattine'', , Feltrinelli, Milan (2004)
*Vinicio Capossela, Vincenzo Costantino Cinaski, ''In clandestinità'', , Feltrinelli, Milan (2009)
*Vinicio Capossela, ''Tefteri - Il libro dei conti in sospeso'', , Il Saggiatore, Milan (2013)

Books about Vinicio Capossela

*Elisabetta Cucco, ''Vinicio Capossela. Rabdomante senza requie'', , Auditorium, Milan (2005)
*Vincenzo Mollica, ''Niente canzoni d'amore'' + DVD '' Parole e canzoni'', , Einaudi, Turin (2006)
*Massimo Padalino, ''Il ballo di San Vinicio'', , Arcana (2009)

References

External links

Official Site

1965 births
Living people
People from Avellino
Italian singer-songwriters
Italian composers
Italian male composers
People of Campanian descent
Rebetiko musicians
People from Hanover

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