Among the many Italian songwriters of the past, a figure that stands out for its intensity and passion is certainly that of Domenico Modugno! His powerful voice, the depth of his lyrics, still echo in the hearts and memories of all of us today. Today, 9 January, is the anniversary of his birth, and we cannot fail to pay homage to one of the greatest golden faces on the national and international scene. His life and his story are as fascinating as his career, and remind us of the good fortune that we too were an involuntary part of the birth of a myth. It is not wonderful?
Domenico Modugno, a life spent chasing a dream
Dreams, as we know, help to live. Our beloved Domenico Modugno also knew it well, who never gave up in order to fully realize his talent. It was the distant 9 January 1928, when this immense singer-songwriter saw the light for the first time in the splendid setting of Polignano a Mare. It is not surprising that his homeland was kissed by the sea, as he inherited power and vitality from it. He also borrowed a skill from his father Cosimo, who taught him to play the guitar and the accordion, as well as transmit a burning passion for music. In fact, he composed his first song when he was only 15, and at 19 he literally ran away from home because life in the small village was too tight for him. His wanderings took him to Turin, where he worked for some time as a tire dealer in a factory.
He returned to Polignano a Mare for military service, and then left for Rome, where his glittering career would begin. He also tried his hand at participating in a competition for actors at the Experimental Center of Cinematography. Not only did he enter it, but he also won a scholarship as the best student of the acting section. Anyone who has ever seen Modugno perform knows how much his gestures and strong physical presence (sometimes plastic) were a fundamental part of his interpretative practice.
The career and the rise, between cinema and stage
In 1951, when he was still an apprentice, Modugno took part in Eduardo De Filippo's film Filumena Marturano. Only the following year, he was in the cast of Heroic charge, by Francesco De Robertis. Precisely in this film, the young Domenico (in the guise of a Sicilian soldier) sang a dirge to a little girl to make her fall asleep. From there, the legend of the Sicilian Modugno. In 53 he also took part in other productions (The bourgeois gentleman of Molière, Easy years di Zampa ...), but it was in this year that the figure of the Modugno singer emerged, and not just an actor: he entered the radio competition Trampoline, and was noticed by Fulvio Palmieri (then screenwriter for Rai). The latter reserved for him various broadcasts, such as for example I love… I love. At this juncture, Modugno took care of the direction, of the screenplay, and even worked as an actor and noise maker.
In these years he conceived many songs in the Apulian and Sicilian dialect, taking inspiration from the everyday life of the people of the people, such as fishermen and miners. The compositions of that period were: Lu pisce sword, Lu minaturi, The alarm clock, The curly woman, Lu sciccareddu 'mbriacu, Attimu d'amuri, and many others. The year that consecrated him as one of the myths of Italian song in the world was 1953, the year in which he participated in the festival of the Italian Song in Sanremo, with In the blue painted blue. The song was translated into all languages, and excelled in both Italian and foreign charts. In North America he sold so many of those records that the local record industry bestowed on him the Oscar of the disc and invented the Grammy Awards. The two Grammy Awards that were given to him were the first in history!
From theater to ideology, the history of mens Modugno
Many were the experiences of dear Domenico Modugno, and infinite fields of interest. In the years from '63 to '78 he devoted himself to the theater, with drama Tommaso d'Amalfi (still working with Eduardo De Filippo). He also won at the Neapolitan Song Festival with You are a great thing, in a poignant and exciting interpretation. He also became passionate about poetry, making music The dead guitars e Now that the day comes by Salvatore Quasimodo. For Pasolini he created What are the clouds, which he played in the eponymous episode of the film Italian capriccio. However, if on the one hand there was the artist, on the other there was the man, who did not fail to fight for what he believed in. In fact, he took part in the divorce campaign of the Italian Socialist Party, writing the song The anniversary. Modugno's energy and passion never made him retreat, until in 1984 he suffered a stroke that hit him hard.
The courage and determination that had accompanied him up to that moment, however, remained unchanged. In 1986 he joined the Radical Party and was elected deputy. He fought strenuously against the injustices of our system, first of all by opposing and condemning the inhuman conditions in which the patients of the psychiatric hospital in Agrigento were facing. In the same year he attended a concert in their honor, Concert not to forget. Although he was still suffering from the disease years later, in 1993 he recorded the single Dolphins, together with his son Massimo. Domenico Modugno died in Lampedusa on August 6, 1994, in his house facing the sea. The sea, which had always accompanied him. Heaven, where his soul can forever ...fly.
