Riccardo Cocciante

Riccardo Cocciante
Riccardo Cocciante
	Cocciante in 1974
Background information
Also known as	Richard Cocciante
Born	20 February 1946(age 78); Saigon,French Indochina; (now Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam)
Genres	Pop
Occupations	Singer; songwriter; composer;
Instruments	Vocals; piano;
Years active	1968–present
Labels	RCA Talent; Delta; RCA Italiana; Virgin Dischi; 20th Century;
Website	coccianteclub.it

Riccardo Cocciante(Italian:[rikˈkardokotˈtʃante];born 20 February 1946), also known inFrench-speaking countriesand the United States asRichard Cocciante(French:[ʁiʃaʁkɔʃjɑ̃t]), is an Italian and French singer and songwriter.

Early and personal life

Cocciante was born on 20 February 1946 inSaigon,French Indochina(now Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam), to an Italian father fromRocca di Mezzo,L'Aquila,and a French mother.^[1]At the age of 11, he moved to Rome, Italy, where he attended theLycée français Chateaubriand.He has also lived in France, the United States, and Ireland.^[2]

Career

AnR&Benthusiast, Cocciante began his musical career as an organ player, and in the late 1960s began performing as a singer at L'Approdo, a Roman club for foreign students.^[1]After forming the band GL6 withMarco Lubertiand Paolo Casella, in 1971 he started his professional career with the French name Richard Cocciante and recorded three English language songs for the soundtrack of theCarlo Lizzani's filmRoma Bene.^[1]In 1972, he released his first album, titledMUin Italy andAtlantìin France.^[1]

After the fair commercial results of his 1973 albumPoesia,Cocciante had his breakout one year later with "Bella senz'anima",which turned to be a major hit but also raised controversities, being considered sexist and being censored on Italian television.^[1]In 1976, he got another number one spot on the Italian hit parade with "Margherita",his signature song.^[1]^[3]The same year, he covered theBeatlessong "Michelle",featuring theLondon Symphony Orchestra,for the musical documentaryAll This and World War II,and he released his sole English album in the US, with the single "When Love Has Gone Away" peaking at No. 41 on theBillboardHot 100.^[4]

In 1980, Cocciante began a decade-long collaboration with the lyricistMogol,who had just stopped his professional association withLucio Battisti;their first hit was "Cervo a primavera".^[1]In 1983, Cocciante was the first Italian artist to be signed toVirgin Records,^[5]^[6]andreleased his album "Sincerità", produced and arranged by the American composerJames Newton Howard.^[1]^[7]Following several more hits, notably the 1985 duet withMina"Questione di feeling",in 1987 he moved to Florida, and except for a live album he took a long artistic break.^[1]

Cocciante made his comeback in 1991, winning the41st editionof theSanremo Music Festivalwith the song "Se stiamo insieme",and getting a significant success with both the single and the following albumCocciante.^[1]^[8]In 1994, he recorded an English-language version of his hit song "Pour elle" as a duet with Francesca Bellenis, under the title "I'd Fly",and included it in his albumUn uomo felice;^[9]a Spanish version "Por ella" and an Italian version "Per lei" were also recorded. In 1996, Cocciante was chosen as the singer for the Italian versions of the songs in theToy Storymovie, singing "Un amico in me", "Che strane cose" and "Io non volerò più".^[1]In 1997, his friendPlácido Domingoinvited him to sing at Domingo's annualChristmas in Viennaconcert, together withSarah BrightmanandHelmut Lotti.^[1]^[10]

In 1998, Cocciante composedNotre-Dame de Paris,a musical adaptation ofVictor Hugo'sThe Hunchback of Notre-Dame;the musical, with lyrics byLuc Plamondonin its French version and byPasquale Panellain its Italian version, proved to be a worldwide success, and the relevant CDs sold about 10 million copies.^[1]Other two successful musicals followed:Le Petit Prince,^[1]^[11]andGiulietta e Romeo.^[1]^[12]He also made a Chinese-language adaptation ofGiacomo Puccini's operaTurandot,which was directed byZhang Yimou.^[13]

In 2013, Cocciante was a coach for the first season ofThe Voice of Italy;Elhaida Dani,one of the contestants he coached, won the show.^[14]

Cocciante's oeuvre includes recordings in Italian, French, English, and Spanish.

Discography

Mu(1972)
Poesia(1973)
Anima(1974)
L'alba(1975)
Richard Cocciante[English version ofAnima] (1976)
Concerto per Margherita(1976)
Riccardo Cocciante(1978)
...E io canto(1979)
Cervo a primavera(1980)
Q Concert(1981)
Cocciante(1982)
Sincerità(1983)
Il mare dei papaveri(1985)
Quando si vuole bene(1986)
La grande avventura(1988)
Viva!(1988)
Cocciante(also known asSe stiamo insieme;1991)
Empreinte(1993)^[15]
Eventi e mutamenti(1993)^[15]
Il mio nome è Riccardo(1994)
Un uomo felice(1994)
Je chante(1995)
Innamorato(1997)
Istantanea(1998)
Notre-Dame de Paris live Arena di Verona(2002)
Songs(2005)

Musicals

Notre-Dame de Paris(1997; lyrics byLuc Plamondon)
Le Petit Prince(2002; lyrics by Élisabeth Anaïs)
Giulietta e Romeo(2007; lyrics byPasquale Panella)

References

^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^oDeregibus, Enrico (2006).Dizionario completo della canzone italiana(in Italian). Giunti. pp. 116–9.ISBN 978-88-09-04602-3.
^informatici, Segretariato generale della Presidenza della Repubblica-Servizio sistemi."Le Onorificenze - Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana".Quirinale(in Italian).Retrieved29 April2021.
^Ezio Guaitamacchi (2009). "Margherita".1000 canzoni che ci hanno cambiato la vita.Rizzoli.ISBN 978-8858617427.
^"The Hot 100 Chart".Billboard.
^Billboard.22 December 1984.
^"Riccardo Cocciante - Biography & History".AllMusic.Retrieved3 July2020.
^"Sincerita - Riccardo Cocciante",AllMusic,retrieved26 December2020
^Emanuelli, Massimo (2004).50 anni di storia della televisione attraverso la stampa settimanale(in Italian). GRECO & GRECO Editori.ISBN 978-88-7980-346-5.
^Un Uomo Felice - Riccardo Cocciante | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic,retrieved26 December2020
^"Christmas in Vienna V - Sarah Brightman, Riccardo Cocciante, Plácido Domingo, Helmut Lotti",AllMusic,retrieved3 July2020
^Keslassy, Elsa (23 October 2009)."'Little Prince' returns to TV ".Variety.Retrieved3 July2020.
^""Romeo e Giulietta", il musical:un vero amore dev'essere cantato ".Spettacoli - La Repubblica(in Italian). 1 October 2013.Retrieved3 July2020.
^Đổng chí thành."Hard act to follow".China Daily.Retrieved3 July2020.
^"The Voice, Elhaida Dani vincitrice dello show della bontà".La Repubblica(in Italian). 30 May 2013.Retrieved3 July2020.
^^a ^bPutti, Laura (21 November 1994)."COCCIANTE CANTA LA ' DOPPIA VITA' DI UN UOMO FELICE".Archivio - la Repubblica.it.

External links

RICCARDO COCCIANTE Official Web Site
Biography of Richard Cocciante,fromRadio France Internationale
Biography of Riccardo Cocciante,fromRAI International
AyerHoy(Cada día un perfil de un artista del ayer)

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Pooh with "Uomini soli"	Sanremo Music Festival Winner 1991	Succeeded by Luca Barbarossa with "Portami a ballare"

[bio-1] ^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^oDeregibus, Enrico (2006).Dizionario completo della canzone italiana(in Italian). Giunti. pp. 116–9.ISBN 978-88-09-04602-3.

[2] rmatici, Segretariato generale della Presidenza della Repubblica-Servizio sistemi."Le Onorificenze - Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana".Quirinale(in Italian).Retrieved29 April2021.

[Rizzoli-3] Ezio Guaitamacchi (2009). "Margherita".1000 canzoni che ci hanno cambiato la vita.Rizzoli.ISBN 978-8858617427.

[4] "The Hot 100 Chart".Billboard.

[5] Billboard.22 December 1984.

[6] "Riccardo Cocciante - Biography & History".AllMusic.Retrieved3 July2020.

[7] "Sincerita - Riccardo Cocciante",AllMusic,retrieved26 December2020

[8] Emanuelli, Massimo (2004).50 anni di storia della televisione attraverso la stampa settimanale(in Italian). GRECO & GRECO Editori.ISBN 978-88-7980-346-5.

[9] Un Uomo Felice - Riccardo Cocciante | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic,retrieved26 December2020

[10] "Christmas in Vienna V - Sarah Brightman, Riccardo Cocciante, Plácido Domingo, Helmut Lotti",AllMusic,retrieved3 July2020

[11] Keslassy, Elsa (23 October 2009)."'Little Prince' returns to TV ".Variety.Retrieved3 July2020.

[12] ""Romeo e Giulietta", il musical:un vero amore dev'essere cantato ".Spettacoli - La Repubblica(in Italian). 1 October 2013.Retrieved3 July2020.

[13] Đổng chí thành."Hard act to follow".China Daily.Retrieved3 July2020.

[14] "The Voice, Elhaida Dani vincitrice dello show della bontà".La Repubblica(in Italian). 30 May 2013.Retrieved3 July2020.

[:0-15] Putti, Laura (21 November 1994)."COCCIANTE CANTA LA ' DOPPIA VITA' DI UN UOMO FELICE".Archivio - la Repubblica.it.

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