Peppino di Capri

Giuseppe Faiella (born 27 July 1939), professionally known as Peppino di Capri ("Jack from Capri"), is an Italian popular music singer, songwriter and pianist, successful in Italy and Europe. His international hits include "St. Tropez Twist", "Daniela", "Torna piccina", "Roberta", "Melancolie", "Freva", "L'ultimo romantico", "Un grande amore e niente più", "Non lo faccio più", "Nun è peccato", and "Champagne".

Biography

Peppino began singing and playing the piano at age 4, entertaining the American army troops stationed on the island of Capri with a repertoire of American standards. After 6 years of classical studies and playing at nightclubs around Capri, Peppino and his group The Rockers released their first single, with the songs "Malattia" ("Sickness") and "Nun è Peccato" ("It's not a sin"), sung in Neapolitan in 1958.

The single was an instant hit, and Peppino spent most of the following year touring. A string of hit singles soon followed, usually alternating between Italian versions of American rock'n'roll and twist songs (with some verses sung in English), and originals in Italian and Napoletano, and di Capri became one of the top acts in the country.

After performing as the opening act for The Beatles in their 1965 tour of Italy, Peppino and his group attempted, with moderate success, to break out of the European market. Their work was well received, particularly in Brazil, thanks to the large Italian immigrant community in the country.

The 1970s saw Peppino with a new band, the New Rockers. He won the prestigious Sanremo Music Festival in 1973, with the song "Un grande amore e niente più" ("A great love and nothing more").

The same year, he released the song "Champagne" that was a big hit in Italy, Germany, Spain and Brazil.