Death of Gino Paoli, singer of the Italian song and author of “Sapore di sale” and “Senza fine”

The Italian singer Gino Paoli, one of the most famous in Italian music for songs like ‘Sapore di sale’ or ‘Senza fine’, failed this Tuesday at the age of 91, confirming his family. “Gino left us tonight with the peace and affection of his beloved evenings,” the family informed the media in a statement.

Gino Paoli, guilty in his native Genoa (in the north), was one of the great authors of classical Italian songwith themes of international fame, capable of revealing despair and fragility.

The singer-songwriter made his debut in 1959 and during his six-decade career, with ups and downs and serious problems, popularized many songs that inspired music in Italian culture. Cinco veces concursante at the Sanremo Festival, as well as ‘Il cielo in una stanza’ (1960), with the voice of another of the greats, Mina; ‘The Cat’ (1960) or ‘Sapore di sale’ (1963).

In the political sphere, he was a member of the Italian Communist Party from 1987 to 1992 and was presented as an independent on its lists.

Paoli only failed four months after the death of the one on the same wavelength, Ornella Vanonione of the grand dames of Italian music.

The main character of the llama Genoa schoolAlongside Luigi Tenco, Bruno Lauzi and Fabrizio De André, Paoli was one of the voices that modernized Italian song to incorporate everyday poetry and existential introspection into a genre still dominated by romantic ballet and televised entertainment. His melancholic sensibility and way of narrating love were noted by various later generations of singers.

A reserved artist, Paoli survived difficult personal episodes, incl felt suicidal ideation for yearsof which I speak only with a mixture of irony and sincerity. Throughout, he collaborated with artists of all ages, from Lucio Dalla to Claudio Baglioni or Fiorella Mannoia, always maintaining his artistic curiosity.

With his unmistakable grave, calm voice, he was able to balance the sweetness and melancholy that transmuted in his saddle. He was also a lover of jazz and a defender of music as a free language, without concessions to fashion or etiquette.