Salvatore Adamo

Salvatore Adamo
Born (1943-11-01) 1 November 1943
Comiso, Sicily, Italy
Nationality Belgian, Italian
Occupation Musician, singer
Years active 1963–present
Religion Roman Catholic
Parent(s) Antonio and Concetta Adamo

Salvatore, Knight Adamo, known commonly as Adamo (born 1 November 1943, Comiso, Sicily, Italy), is a musician and singer known for his romantic ballads. Adamo was born in Italy and his family's ancestry is Italian, but he grew up from a very early age in Belgium and has made that country his homeland. He first gained popularity throughout Europe and later in the Middle East, Latin America, Japan, and the United States. He has sold more than 80 million albums and 20 million singles making him one of the most commercially successful musicians in the world.[1] He mainly performs in French but has also sung in English, German, Italian, Spanish and Turkish. "Tombe la neige", "La nuit", and "Inch'Allah" remain his best known songs. He is currently the best selling Belgian musician of all time.

Beginnings

Adamo's father Antonio, a well digger, emigrated to Belgium in February 1947 to work in the mines of Marcinelle. Four months later his wife, Concetta, and their son, Salvatore, joined him in the town of Ghlin (Mons) before moving to Jemappes (Mons). In 1950, Salvatore was bedridden for a year with meningitis.

Salvatore's parents did not want their son to become a miner, so he went to a Catholic school run by the Frères des Ecoles Chrétiennes. By 1960, the family of Antonio and Concetta Adamo had seven children overall. Salvatore grew up in Jemappes (Mons), where he was a dedicated student at school and distinguished himself in music and the arts.

Career

Salvatore Adamo, 1964

Adamo's early influences were the poetry of Victor Hugo and Jacques Prévert, the music of French singer-songwriters like Georges Brassens, and the Italian canzonette. He started singing and composing his own songs from an early age. His debut was in a Radio Luxembourg competition, where he participated as singer and composer of the song "Si j'osais" ("If I dared"), winning the competition's final held in Paris on 14 February 1960.

Adamo's first hit was "Sans toi, ma mie", in 1963, from his debut album 63/64. He followed this with a series of hits, the most famous being "Tombe la neige" ("The snow falls") in 1963, "La nuit" ("The Night") in 1964, and "Inch'Allah". The self-penned "Petit bonheur" sold over one million copies by April 1970, and was awarded a gold disc.[2]

Adamo has sold over 100 million copies of recordings worldwide. He has recorded in many languages and, besides France and Belgium, had hits in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Turkey and also in Japan, where he toured repeatedly. He has had hits and toured also in Latin America and throughout the Middle East.

In Chile, the audience awarded him an appreciation prize known as the "Antorcha" (Gold and Silver Torch) at the "Festival de Viña del Mar" held yearly in the "Quinta Vergara", at the seaside resort of Viña del Mar, where he once had to sing in three different, sold-out venues in the same night. In the 1980s, Adamo's career faltered, as the style of his music was no longer fashionable. Since the 1990s, however, and on the crest of a nostalgia wave, he has successfully resumed composing, issuing records and touring, starting with a full season at the Casino de Paris venue in April 1990.[3]

Adamo briefly attempted movie acting when he was cast in the film Les Arnaud (1967), which starred Bourvil. Amália Rodrigues recorded "Inch'Allah" in French. "Tombe la neige", one of his many international hits, has been covered in Bulgarian, Turkish ("Her Yerde Kar Var"), Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Chinese (Cantopop).

Honours

In 2001, Adamo was raised into the Belgian nobility (with motto Humblement mais dignement) by King Albert II and given for life the Belgian noble title Ridder, translated into English as "Knight".[4] He was appointed an Officer of the Belgian Order of the Crown in 2002.[5] In 2014, Adamo was honoured at Victoires de la Musique in France.

Personal life

In 1984, Adamo had heart problems which necessitated a heart bypass operation and a temporary though total withdrawal from work. Since 1993, he has been an honorary UNICEF ambassador from Belgium and, in this capacity, has visited countries such as Vietnam, Lebanon, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and others. In 2004, health problems forced him to cancel a scheduled tour but, since 2007, he is touring again. In December 2011, he has performed in Espinho, Portugal and Bucharest, Romania.

At the end of the 1960s, Adamo married Nicole. Their children were Anthony (born in 1969), Benjamin, and then Amélie. At the height of his stardom, his own father died by drowning on 7 August 1966. His sister Délizia is also a recording artist. He wrote a number of songs for his sister, including her debut hit "Prends le chien" in 1974. She also joined him in his tour in 1975.

Discography

Studio albums

Albums (other languages)

In German
Spanish

Compilation albums

In Italian

Live albums

Singles

(Selective)

Singles (other languages)

In German
In Italian
In Spanish

DVDs

Publications

Bibliography

Adamo – C'est sa vie, Thierry Coljon, éditions du Félin (France), 2003

References

  1. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Salvatore Adamo". Itunes.apple.com. 1 November 1943. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  2. ↑ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London, UK: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 252. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  3. ↑ adamosalvatore.com/bio
  4. ↑ Publicatie : 2001-07-19, Numac : 2001015079 - Belgian official journal
  5. ↑ federation-wallonie-bruxelles.be
  6. ↑ © Le Télégramme: Salvatore Adamo. «L'amour n'a jamais tort»(French)
  7. ↑ Salvatore Adamo : ’L’Amour n’a jamais tort’, son nouvel album 2016(French)
  8. ↑ RTL: «Joyce Jonathan, Elton John et Salvatore Adamo dans les sorties d'album»(French)
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