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Samuele Bersani - Songwriter
Samuele Bersani (not to be confused with the current Minister of Productive Assets in Romano Prodi's Government, Pier Luigi Bersani) is one of the most popular of a new breed of singer-songwriters. And born in Rimini, he is, as they say, Romagnolo d.o.c.
After working with Lucio Dalla in 1991, Bersani opened his recording career proper with the album C'Hanno Preso Tutto (They've taken everything), from which came a major hit single Chicco e Spillo, a crafted song about two dreaming bank robbers.
After the success of the album, he also got an offer from Italian singer Fiorella Mannoia to pen the song Crazy Boy for her album Gente Comune.
His second album, Freak, came out in 1995 and was a massive success. It sold over 130,000 copies, a huge number for an Italian language album. It remained in the top 100 for over a year. 3 singles came from the album, including Cosa Vuoi Da Me, an adaptation of a Waterboys song - What do you want me to do.
In 1996 he collaborated, again, with Lucio Dalla, writing the song Canzone together, one of the most played songs on Italian radio that year, with over a million copies sold.
1997 saw Bersani's third album released, simply entitled Samuele Bersani. Bersani's ability as a songwriter was recognised when he won the Lunezia prize in 1998, for the song Giudizi Universali. The prize was awarded for the best lyric written between '97 and '98, with a jury composed of important music critics chaired by Fernanda Pivano.
October '98 saw Bersani delving into the world of film, recording the song Siamo Gatti (we're cats) for the film soundtrack of Storia di una gabbianella e del gatto che le insegn volare (The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly - by Luis Sep lveda).
A live album and a short break followed, before in 2000 Bersani returned to the stage, appearing at the world famous San Remo pop festival. His song Replay won the critics special prize, launching his new album L'Oroscopo Speciale. More awards came Bersani's way, including best album of the year prize La Targa Tenco.
In 2002 Bersani released Che Vita! The best of, followed shortly after by the release of In percentuale, a song written for the legendary (and reclusive) Italian singer from the sixties, Mina, and her album Veleno
His prodigious output continued with the publication of Caramella Smog in 2003.
In 2006 he became one of the first Italian artists to realase a digital-download-only single, in the form of the intriguing Lo scrutatore non votante (The non-voting invigilator). The song picked up a lot of press, partly also due to the fact that it came out just prior to Italy's general election, and picked up on a certain cynicism in the air.
As this is written, Bersani's success continues apace. His latest album L'Aldiqua has been warmly recieved, and a national tour is underway.
What the Critics have said about Bersani
"I admit it: right from Chicco e Spillo I've always believed in Bersani. Someone who from the start of his lively career has shown himself to be head and shoulders above the national mediocrity, a singer-songwriter worthy of the title who knows how to bite, move, entertain and make you think"
[Carlo "Cruel" Crudele - Music Boom]
"Already an able wordsmith and blessed with a style that's original in the panorama of light Italian music, Bersani confirms himself to be sensitive to the questions of the day, through a provincial perspective and with his trademark use of jargon metaphors and paradox, fine tuned to a greater simplicity corresponding to his lucid vision of reality"
[Massimiliano Severi - Onda Rock]