Vinicio Capossela, 2006 Tenco Prize (Italy’s equivalent to the UK’s Mercury Prize) winner, is at the forefront of a new generation of singer-songwriters re-inventing Italian song. The work of this musical auteur pays homage to the influences of both Paolo Conte and Tom Waits. But Capossela’s own magic lies in his ability to break the boundaries of a song and to evoke, though the use of images, entire worlds inhabited by demons, shadows, lost souls and losers. Lyrics play a crucial role while the music — free from any genre restraints — is at the complete disposal of the musical world Capossela conjures up. In his early pieces, Capossela’s music was informed by the American underground culture and road myth embodied by Jack Kerouac and Charles Bukowski and by the “Italo-American” identity of the work of Martin Scorsese. His songwriting continues to explore the many facets of the Italian cultural diaspora from the Argentine tango of Astor Piazzolla to the American swing of Louis Prima. A dramatic and bewitching ‘circus artist’, Capossela is known for his theatrical live performances. Vinicio Capossela has released nine albums in Italy. His latest studio set “Ovunque Proteggi” (Everywhere Protect) topped the country’s album charts achieving platinum sales status and was described as “...the best side of pop...” by Vanity Fair Italy. The album is steeped in historical, biblical and mythological references. In fact, the artist took a sort of archaeologist’s approach to the project, writing and recording in the very places the songs led him to, from a prehistoric cave in Sardinia to a Renaissance-era church in Sicily to a 19th century theater in the Veneto and to other significant locations. Capossela has collaborated with artists as diverse as Macedonia’s Kocani Orkestar, American jazz crooner Jimmy Scott and New York City guitarist Marc Ribot. He is also an award-winning novelist in Italy whose work “Non si muore tutte le mattine” (You Don’t Die Every Morning) has been adapted for radio broadcast and for the stage.
http://2008.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/73753.html
