Luciano Ligabue
Encyclopedia
Luciano Ligabue more commonly known as Ligabue or Liga, is an Italian
rock singer-songwriter
, film director and writer.
, in the province of Reggio Emilia
(Emilia-Romagna
in northern Italy). Before becoming a successful singer, he held various jobs, working in agriculture and in factories. He entered the music world in 1987, when he founded the amateur band Orazero. For this band he wrote several original songs, with which they participated in several local and national contests. The following year his fellow Emilian singer-songwriter
Pierangelo Bertoli
was the first to discover Ligabue's writing talents, and included one of Ligabue's songs, "Sogni di Rock'n'Roll" ("Dreams of rock n roll"), in his new LP.
The following year Bertoli introduced him to producer Angelo Carrara, to finish an LP of his own, Ligabue, which was released in May 1990. Ligabue soon gained fame as one of the most successful Italian rock stars, finding fans mainly among younger audiences. His most famous hits include Balliamo sul mondo (Let's Dance On The World), Ho perso le parole (I lost words) and the most successful of all, Certe Notti (Certain Nights), which was voted as "Italian song of the 1990s" in a poll held by a popular music magazine. He also collaborated with another famous singer-songwriter, Francesco Guccini
, who also had a part in Ligabue's first movie (see below).
Ligabue directed his first movie, Radiofreccia
, in 1998, a semi-autobiographical story of a local radio station. Critics acclaimed it as surprisingly well shot for a newcomer, and the film received 3 David di Donatello
(the highest award in Italian cinema). He also composed the soundtrack. Four years later he shot DaZeroADieci ("From Zero to Ten"): however, it was not as well received as the first work, by both critics and fans.
On September 10, 2005, Ligabue held a concert in Reggio Emilia
to celebrate his first 15 years of activity. The audience of around 180,000 set a European audience record for the one, non-free event for a single artist. However, due to problems with the audio system, several thousand people were unable to listen to the music and left the concert early. Ligabue later apologised for the problems.
Ligabue has also published a short story collection, Fuori e dentro il Borgo ("In and out the village"), which won several literary awards, a science fiction
novel La neve se ne frega ("Snow doesn't care") (2005), and a collections of poems Lettere d'Amore nel frigo ("Love Letters in the fridge") (2006).
. Though he no longer assumes a public high level political position, Ligabue, together with Jovanotti
and Piero Pelù
, released the single "Il mio nome è mai più" ("My Name Is Never Again"), a song against the war in Kosovo
to collect funds for the Italian NGO Emergency
.
Ligabue wrote the screenplays of Radiofreccia and DaZeroaDieci and acted in the film Niente Paura. He also played the music for the film Niente Paura.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
rock singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, film director and writer.
Biography
Ligabue was born in CorreggioCorreggio, Italy
Correggio is a small town and comune in the Province of Reggio Emilia, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, in the Po valley. As of 2007 Correggio had an estimated population of 23,108....
, in the province of Reggio Emilia
Province of Reggio Emilia
The Province of Reggio Emilia is one of the eight provinces of the Italian Region of Emilia-Romagna. The capital city, which is the most densely populated comune in the Province, is Reggio Emilia....
(Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
in northern Italy). Before becoming a successful singer, he held various jobs, working in agriculture and in factories. He entered the music world in 1987, when he founded the amateur band Orazero. For this band he wrote several original songs, with which they participated in several local and national contests. The following year his fellow Emilian singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Pierangelo Bertoli
Pierangelo Bertoli
Pierangelo Bertoli was an Italian singer-songwriter and poet. Close to libertarian communist issues his works told mainly about environment, laïcité, antimilitarism and social issues regarding marginalized and rebellious people.-Biography:Born in Sassuolo, in the Province of Modena and belonging...
was the first to discover Ligabue's writing talents, and included one of Ligabue's songs, "Sogni di Rock'n'Roll" ("Dreams of rock n roll"), in his new LP.
The following year Bertoli introduced him to producer Angelo Carrara, to finish an LP of his own, Ligabue, which was released in May 1990. Ligabue soon gained fame as one of the most successful Italian rock stars, finding fans mainly among younger audiences. His most famous hits include Balliamo sul mondo (Let's Dance On The World), Ho perso le parole (I lost words) and the most successful of all, Certe Notti (Certain Nights), which was voted as "Italian song of the 1990s" in a poll held by a popular music magazine. He also collaborated with another famous singer-songwriter, Francesco Guccini
Francesco Guccini
Francesco Guccini is an Italian singer-songwriter, considered one of the most important Cantautori. During the five decades of his music career he has recorded 16 studio albums and collections, and 6 live albums. He is also a writer, having published autobiographic and noir novels, and a comics...
, who also had a part in Ligabue's first movie (see below).
Ligabue directed his first movie, Radiofreccia
Radiofreccia
Radiofreccia, released in 1998, is the first movie directed by Italian rock singer-songwriter Luciano Ligabue, based on his 1997 debut novel Fuori e dentro il Borgo....
, in 1998, a semi-autobiographical story of a local radio station. Critics acclaimed it as surprisingly well shot for a newcomer, and the film received 3 David di Donatello
David di Donatello
David di Donatello, named after Donatello's David, is a movie award assigned each year for cinematic performances and production by Ente David di Donatello, part of Accademia del Cinema Italiano. It is the Italian equivalent to the Academy Award. There are 24 categories as of 2006.- History :The...
(the highest award in Italian cinema). He also composed the soundtrack. Four years later he shot DaZeroADieci ("From Zero to Ten"): however, it was not as well received as the first work, by both critics and fans.
On September 10, 2005, Ligabue held a concert in Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia is an affluent city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 170,000 inhabitants and is the main comune of the Province of Reggio Emilia....
to celebrate his first 15 years of activity. The audience of around 180,000 set a European audience record for the one, non-free event for a single artist. However, due to problems with the audio system, several thousand people were unable to listen to the music and left the concert early. Ligabue later apologised for the problems.
Ligabue has also published a short story collection, Fuori e dentro il Borgo ("In and out the village"), which won several literary awards, a science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel La neve se ne frega ("Snow doesn't care") (2005), and a collections of poems Lettere d'Amore nel frigo ("Love Letters in the fridge") (2006).
Political involvement
In the 1980s Ligabue was member of the communal council of his native Correggio, elected for the Italian Communist PartyItalian Communist Party
The Italian Communist Party was a communist political party in Italy.The PCI was founded as Communist Party of Italy on 21 January 1921 in Livorno, by seceding from the Italian Socialist Party . Amadeo Bordiga and Antonio Gramsci led the split. Outlawed during the Fascist regime, the party played...
. Though he no longer assumes a public high level political position, Ligabue, together with Jovanotti
Jovanotti
Lorenzo Cherubini, better known as Jovanotti, is an Italian singer-songwriter and rapper.The name Jovanotti derives from the plural form of the Italian word giovanotto , i.e. giovanotti. Lorenzo Cherubini originally auditioned a band with the name "I Giovanotti", but the record producer only was...
and Piero Pelù
Piero Pelù
Piero Pelù is an Italian rock singer and songwriter, best known for his work with the famous Italian rock band Litfiba...
, released the single "Il mio nome è mai più" ("My Name Is Never Again"), a song against the war in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
to collect funds for the Italian NGO Emergency
Emergency (NGO)
Emergency is a humanitarian NGO that provides emergency medical treatment to civilian victims of war, especially in relation to landmines. It was founded by war surgeon Gino Strada in 1994 in Milan ....
.
Discography
- Anime in plexiglass ("Souls in plexiglass") (1987, single with OraZero)
- Ligabue (1990)
- Lambrusco coltelli rose & popcorn ("LambruscoLambruscoLambrusco is the name of both a red wine grape and an Italian wine made principally from the grape. The grapes and the wine originate from four zones in Emilia-Romagna and one in Lombardy, principally around the central provinces of Modena, Parma, Reggio nell'Emilia, and Mantua...
knives roses & popcorn") (1991) - Sopravvissuti e sopravviventi ("Survivors and survivings") (1993)
- A che ora è la fine del mondo? ("At what time is the end of the world?", as the title track, which is a cover of It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"It's the End of the World as We Know It " is a song by the rock band R.E.M., which appeared on their 1987 album Document, the 1988 compilation Eponymous, and the 2006 compilation And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S Years 1982–1987...
by R.E.M.) (1994) - Buon compleanno Elvis! ("Happy birthday Elvis!") (1995)
- Su e giù da un Palco ("Up & down from a stage") (1997, live)
- Radiofreccia (1998, soundtrack)
- Il mio nome è mai più ("My name is never again") (1999)
- Miss Mondo ("Miss World") (1999)
- Fuori come va? ("How is it going out there?") (2002)
- Giro d'Italia (2003, live)
- Nome e Cognome ("Name and Surname") (2005)
- Primo Tempo ("First Half") (2007, greatest hits '89-'95 + 2 new songs, CD+DVD)
- Secondo Tempo ("Second Half") (2008, greatest hits '96-'05 + 3 new songs, CD+DVD)
- Sette notti in Arena ("Seven nights in Arena") (2009, live with Arena di Verona's Symphony Orchestra, CD+DVD)
- Arrivederci, mostro! ("Goodbye, monster!") (2010)
Filmography
- RadiofrecciaRadiofrecciaRadiofreccia, released in 1998, is the first movie directed by Italian rock singer-songwriter Luciano Ligabue, based on his 1997 debut novel Fuori e dentro il Borgo....
(1998) - Da Zero a Dieci ("From Zero To Ten")(2001)
- Niente Paura ("No Worries")(2010)
Ligabue wrote the screenplays of Radiofreccia and DaZeroaDieci and acted in the film Niente Paura. He also played the music for the film Niente Paura.
External links
- Official website
- [ Ligabue on AllMusic.com]