Mango

Giuseppe "Pino" Mango (6 November 1954 – 8 December 2014), better known mononymously as Mango, was an Italian singer-songwriter and musician. He was known for his style, which fuses pop, rock, folk, world music and for his extensive vocal range. He is best known for the song "Oro", from his 1986 breakout album release Odissea. Other hits include "Lei verrà", "Mediterraneo", "Bella d'estate", "Amore per te", "Come Monnalisa", "Nella mia città" and "La rondine".

Mango has been defined by Italian music author Mario Luzzatto Fegiz as an "authentic innovator of Italian pop music" and AllMusic considers him an "Italian rock fusion innovator". He wrote songs for Italian artists such as Patty Pravo, Loredana Bertè, Andrea Bocelli, Mietta. Part of his repertoire was performed by Italian and foreign musicians, including Mina, Mia Martini, Leo Sayer, Hélène Ségara and Eleftheria Arvanitaki.

Biography

Beginning and early career Mango was born in Lagonegro, province of Potenza. He grew up listening mainly to soul and hard rock music, his favourite musicians included Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Peter Gabriel. He began his musical activity as a teen, playing in a cover band with his older brother Michele. Mango was not into Italian music at the time, stating he only performed some Lucio Battisti's songs. He started to study sociology at the University of Salerno, but he left after deciding to move to Rome, trying to enter the music business.

In 1976 Mango recorded his first album, La mia ragazza è un gran caldo. Two songs from the album, "Per te che mi apri l'universo" and "Tu pioggia io mattino", attracted the attention of Patty Pravo, who put them on her album Tanto (1976), though the title of the second song was changed to "Per amarti d'amore". Mia Martini also liked Mango's music and covered the song "Se mi sfiori" on the album Che vuoi che sia... se t'ho aspettato tanto (1976).

He released other records like Arlecchino (1979) and È pericoloso sporgersi (1982). His first three works did not receive attention from the media, pushing Mango to abandon his music career, but the meeting with lyricist Mogol changed his mind.

Breakthrough and success His breakthrough came in 1985 with the album Australia, from which the single "Il viaggio" was performed by Mango at the Sanremo Music Festival of the same year. In 1986, he released Odissea, a turning point in his career containing some of his most famous songs, "Lei verrà" and "Oro". The album saw the collaboration of Brian Auger on the keyboards. 1987's Adesso includes the successful single "Bella d'estate", co-written with Lucio Dalla.

Other notable records are Sirtaki (1990), from which famous singles such as the title-track, "Nella mia città" and "Come Monna Lisa" were extracted, and Come l'acqua (1992), known for the song "Mediterraneo". The album featured the involvement of musicians like drummer Manu Katché and bassist Pino Palladino. Around this time, Mango also recorded three albums in Spanish: Ahora (1987), Hierro y Fuego (1988) and a Spanish version of Sirtaki (1991). On 30 April 1988 the single "Flor de Verano", Spanish version of "Bella d'estate" from Ahora, peaked at number No. 1 on the Spain's Los 40 Principales. Mango participated at the 1995 Sanremo Music Festival with the song "Dove vai", accompanied by world musician Ayub Ogada.

Credo (1997) contains the single "Luce" which was performed by Mango along with Zenîma at the 1998 Sanremo Music Festival; an English version of the song called "Light" was included in the 1998 reissue. Peter Gabriel's guitarist David Rhodes and Simple Minds's drummer Mel Gaynor played on the record. The track "Amore per te", from the album Visto così (1999), was used as the Italian theme of the telenovela El Privilegio de Amar. Another successful album, Disincanto (2002), was supported by the singles "La rondine" and the title track. In 2004, he released Ti Porto in Africa, which went double platinum.

Personal life A very reserved person who rarely appeared in mass media, Mango was married to Laura Valente, known for her tenure as vocalist with the pop band Matia Bazar. From their marriage, two children were born: Filippo (b. 1995) and Angelina (b. 2001). They both collaborated with their father, Filippo, as a drummer, and Angelina as a singer.

Songwriting Mango wrote songs that were performed by other artists: Artist Song Year Album Mietta Per esempio… per amore 2003 Per esempio... per amore Abbracciati e vivi Fare l'amore 2000 Tutto o niente E no (Cosa sei) 1991 Volano le pagine Soli mai Oltre te Mia Martini Se mi sfiori 1976 Che vuoi che sia... se t'ho aspettato tanto Patty PravoPer amarti d'amore1976TantoPer te che mi apri l'universo Goodbye my love 1986 Sentirti 1978 Miss Italia Loretta Goggi Io nascerò 1986 C'è poesia C'è poesia Loredana Bertè Re 1986 Fotografando... i miei successi Fotogrando Andrea Bocelli L'attesa 2004 Andrea Scialpi L'Io e l'Es 1983 Es-tensioni Hallelujah Andrea Mirò Non è segreto (single) 1988 Laura Valente – 1985 Tempo di blues (LP) Helena Hellwig Di luna morirei 2006 Di luna morirei (CD Single) Geranio Dennis Fantina Se non-con te 2002 Dennis Non è il cuore Gloria Bonaveri Joe 1996 Gloria Anna Bussotti Nessun dolore (single) 1986

Cover Some of his songs were rearranged by Italian and foreign artists, including:

Artist Song Year AlbumMia MartiniSe Mi Sfiori 1976 Che vuoi che sia... se t'ho aspettato tantoPatty Pravo Per Te Che Mi Apri L'UniversoPer amarti d'amore (Tu pioggia io mattino) 1976 TantoPatty Pravo Sentirti 1978 Sentirti/Notti Bianche Scialpi Nero e blu 1983 Es-tensioni Loretta Goggi Lei verrà (featuring Mango) 1986 C'è poesia Leo Sayer The Moth and the Flame (Tu...si) 1990 Sanremo Music Festival Mina Oro 1994 Canarino mannaro Hélène Ségara Tu peux tout emporter (Amore per te) 2000 Au nom d'une femme Mietta Sentirti 2003 Per esempio... per amore Eleftheria Arvanitaki Min Orkizesai (Come Monna Lisa) 2007 Dinata 1986–2007 Neri per caso Bella d'estate (featuring Mango) 2008 Angoli diversi Wender Lei verrà (featuring Saretta) 2010 Alpacaaaa Antonella Lo Coco Disincanto 2012 Cuore scoppiato Alessio Scarlata featuring Zenîma Luce 20151st Posthumous Tribute Single

Discography

Studio albums La mia ragazza è un gran caldo (1976) Arlecchino (1979) È pericoloso sporgersi (1982) Australia (1985) Odissea (1986) Adesso (1987) Inseguendo l’aquila (1988) Sirtaki (1990) Come l'acqua (1992) L'Oro Di Mango (1993) Mango (1994) Credo (1997) Disincanto (2002) Ti porto in Africa (2004) Ti amo così (2005) L’albero delle fate (2007) La terra degli aquiloni (2011)

Live albums Dove vai (1995) Gli amori son finestre (2009)

Compilations Visto così (1999) Tutto Mango: oro e platino (2006)

Albums recorded in Spanish Ahora (1987) Hierro y Fuego (1988) Sirtaki (1991)