Stefano Rosso

An atypical “character” on the Italian singer-songwriter scene. Singer-songwriter? Instrumentalist? Hard to pin down. He sings ironic yet autobiographical songs with a lisping “r”. His songs talk about Italy but also about America, about relationships with women but also about himself, sometimes with light-hearted asides, always with the wit of a true Trastevere native. Stefano Rosso is also an accomplished guitarist, playing in perfect fingerpicking style. In the later years of his career he's rarely managed to record albums and his popularity has somewhat faded, but the audience that loves him has always stayed loyal.

In the second half of the Seventies, Stefano Rosso enjoyed a moment of considerable popularity with “Una storia disonesta”, perhaps the first Italian song in which a joint makes an appearance, offering an amused portrait of the post-'68 hippie. Born in Rome, he lives in Trastevere, on Via della Scala, which he immortalized in the autobiographical song “Letto 26”. The surname Rosso is fictitious - his real one is the most common in Italy (Rossi) - but his songwriting is quite original, drawing on a skewed, furtive perspective from which he observes and experiences everyday life. With a calm, conversational voice, a lisping “r”, and the laid-back, just-right drawl of an old Roman friend, Stefano Rosso has put together a string of albums, perhaps a bit uneven, but scattered here and there with flavorful, loosely-tended gems.

His philosophy of life, his existential drive, stays outside the recording studio; what comes through in his songs instead is a natural warmth, played out through quick-witted realism - the quip is always ready, the punchlines come in rapid fire. He favors simple melodies and instruments that sketch the mood rather than cut through it. And yet listening to his records makes you smile, not just from chewing on the thick irony, but also from catching the parodies that hover undecided between a poisonous jab and a tiptoeing irreverence.

After “Una storia disonesta” and “... E allora senti cosa fo”, which achieve solid commercial success, in '79 he records “Bioradiografie”, his last album for Rca (produced and arranged by Gianni Marchetti, author of a good number of Piero Ciampi's songs), which triggers his anger and discontent, since it's practically boycotted by the record label. In 1980, he takes part in the Sanremo Festival with the song “L'italiano”, included on the album “Io e il signor Rosso”, released by a new label, Ciao Record.

In the Eighties he records five albums, little known, partly due to poor distribution. In 1997 comes his new release, “Miracolo italiano”, an anthology featuring three new tracks. He then records “Il meglio” for DV More, which contains his biggest hits, re-recorded, along with a few new songs. It also includes “Preghiera”, until then only recorded by Mia Martini on her 1976 album “Che vuoi che sia... se t'ho aspettato tanto”.

In recent years he has gone back to performing live and releasing albums - all produced by his own label, Red & Black Music - often live recordings or instrumental pieces for acoustic guitar. His most recent works have been “Fingerstyle guitar”, “Live at the Folk Studio” and “Live at the station” from 2003, “Banjoman” from 2004, “Lullaby of birdland” from 2006, “Mortacci” from 2007 and “Piccolo Mondo Antico” from 2008.

Stefano Rosso passed away on September 15, 2008. And we miss him dearly.

(Gianni Vona)

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