Popular Culture

Campania is the motherland of many cinematic icons and established artists throughout the world, let's name a few.

Sofia Loren is the stage name of Sofia Villani Scicolone born in Rome on 20 September 1934, but grew up in Pozzuoli, country of origin of the mother. To summarize the career of one of the most beautiful women of all time, just say that 2009 has entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most award-winning Italian actress, and in 1999 was one of the 25 biggest female stars of American cinema of all times. Sofia embodies the stereotype of the southern Italian woman, beautiful and fiery passion, but also has a strong maternal instinct, these characteristics combined with a unique stage presence have allowed all Italian actress to perform in several films always playing different roles, to remember his artistic legacy with another legend of Italian cinema, Marcello Mastroianni.

Totò was one of the greatest interpreters of Italian theater and cinema, comic actor poet and writer, his name was Antonio Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comnenus of Byzantium De Curtis Gagliardi, best known as Antonio De Curtis (name at birth Antonio Vincenzo Stefano Clemente) born in Naples on February 15, 1898 died in Rome on 15 April 1967. Toto played from 1937 until his death (in 1967) well 97 films for the big screen, almost always as a leading actor, for an average of more than 3 per year. Took the stage, from 1928 to 1957 (when he had to forcibly abandon the scenes because of eye disease) some 40 performances of plays and performance of vaudeville (until 1939), as well as twelve "big magazines" in the forties and fifty. Since 1931 Totò often figure as an author. Many also his poems, among all 'level, and his songs, the most famous "Malafemmena. Toto goes to fall between figures such as Charlie Chaplin, Oliver Hardy Stan Laurel and his story is the subject of study in universities around the world.

Eduardo De Filippo, known simply as "Eduardo" (Naples 1900 - Rome 1984) was among the greatest exponents of the culture of 900, one could say that he "is the theater." Illegitimate son of actor and playwright Eduardo Scarpetta and Luisa De Filippo (theatrical seamstress), Eduardo was born in Naples in the Chiaia quarter, and gets on stage at the tender age of 4 years. Titin with his sister and his brother form the company of Peppino De Filippo "that after getting the theatrical scene in that movie will come to fruition at the highest levels.

Massimo Troisi is the latest incarnation of the great legacy of the theater and film made in Campania, such as Toto and De Filippo. Born in San Giorgio a cream in 1953, died young (4 June 1994), only 41 years. Despite the short career of Maximus, his remains a beloved icon even by very young. The unforgettable comic situations with his shoulder ever Lello Arena, are continuously copied to the new Neapolitan comic (just as happens with Toto). Difficult in the future there will be comical to maximum height and its predecessors.

Enrico Caruso (Naples, February 25, 1873 - Naples, 2 August 1921) was an Italian tenor. It is considered the standard for excellence, thanks to the suggestion of the stamp and the unmistakable voice of the instrument used. Thus began performing in theaters in Caserta, Naples and Salerno and made his first exhibition abroad in Cairo perceiving the figure of 600 francs for a month's work. In 1897, Salerno, Carey met the conductor Vincenzo Lombardi, who offered to carry with him the summer season at Livorno; here Caruso met the soprano Ada Giacchetti, married and mother of a child. With her will have a relationship that will last eleven years and which resulted in two children: Rudolph and Henry Junior. Ada leaves him to escape with their driver, with which it will also seek to extort money. All will be in court with the declaration of guilt by the jacket to be sentenced to three months imprisonment and 100 pound fine. In Salerno Matteo Luciani in the square is the Teatro Verdi, opened here in 1872 there took his first steps Enrico Caruso.

Pulcinella, Pulecenella in Neapolitan dialect, is a form of comedy of art invented in the second half of the 500 plaintiff Silvio Fiorillo. The character has become over the centuries also an emblem of Puppet Theater, the archetype of vitality, a kind of anti-hero, rebellious and disrespectful to confront and defeat his opponents ever. Mask, Pulcinella, is an absolute symbol of Naples.

The Napolitan song are popular music originating in Naples, and usually performed with traditional musical instruments, such as, mandolin, guitar, lute, triccheballacche, tamorre, caccavella, putipù and other crafts. Through the centuries has come down to us, maintaining its attractiveness. Although many sources confined in the birth of the Neapolitan song widely known in 1839, many others date back to around the thirteenth century, as a spontaneous expression of the people of Naples. It further develops the end of the sixteenth century to the late eighteenth century. His most important period: around the first 800. They are derived from other genres such as the clown and the neo Melodica. Roberto Murolo, Renato Carosone the distinguished performers of the postwar period, but the most important period of the Neapolitan song is considered one of the first decades of 800, when in 1835 in Naples swept the tune of You want bbene assaje written by Raffaele Sacco and whose music was by Gaetano Donizetti. The celebration of the Feast of Piedigrotta proved the ideal opportunity for the exhibition of new pieces, which saw one of the authors personality Salvatore di Giacomo, Libero Bovio, EA Mario, Ferdinando Russo, Ernesto Murolo. The sixties, however, represent the golden period of the Festival della Canzone Napoletana, but this is also the era of innovative phenomena: Peppino di Capri makes a fusion of Neapolitan songs and rhythms of other musical cultures, the attention of critics and public, Roberto De Simone and his new company of singers popular not only to recover and enhance the traditional folk music, but enriched with elements of classical music.