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Domenico Modugno

“VOLARE (NEL BLU DIPINTO DI BLU)”

(Franco Migliacci, DOMENICO MODUGNO)

Decca 30677

No. 1    August 18, 1958

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Franco Migliacci, a bunkie  of Domenico Modugno, was inspired by the divine light of  creation one

day while peering at the back panel on a pack of cigarettes. At that instant, Franco had the idea to

create a dream-like song about a man with hands painted blue who flies through “blue painted in

blue.”  Yes, it was quite an idea for a song, or so thought his buddy; Domenico drummed up the

music, and together, they got the words just right.

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The duo entered “Volare” in Italy’s annual San Remo Festival of Music, where the flying blue man’s

tale  was selected the best of the batch.  Most Americans didn’t know a hink about what this fellow was

singing: some listeners figured that it must have something to do with love or a romp in the hay,

because Domenico sure sounded happy.  When the dust had settled,”Volare” had sold millions of

copies and had won Grammys for “Best Male  Vocal Performance,” “Song of the Year,” and “Record

of the Year.”

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Domenico Modugno was born on January 9, 1928, in Polignano a Mare, ltaly–“a  bonafide descendent

of gypsy royalty,” proclaimed his record company.  While  no more than a tyke, Domenico ran away

from home with 2,000 lire in his pocket to search out fame and fortune.  He worked  as a waiter

and a factory worker, served a stint in his county’s military, and enrolled in Rome’s Experimental Movie

Center, where one of his fellow students was a then-unknown Sophia Loren.    Domenico won small

parts in Italian flicks–notably the part of a balladeer in II Mantello Rosso ( 1955 )–wrote some tunes–

“Ninna Nanna,” “Lu Piscisnada” and “La Donna Riccia”–made radio appearances, and played Athos in

a European TV takeoff on the Three Musketeers.

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On three other occasions,  Modugno won top honors at the San Remo Festival of Music.  None of his

vocal efforts, however, ever again successfully managed to cross the oceans.  Not even his “Nuda,” a

sensitive song of a spiritual lad’s lusty wish to embrace a naked damsel, sold very well.     Try as he

might to reconnect with his Muse while staring at a cigarette pack, Franco was never again to capture

the magical touch of that flying blue man.

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Domenico Modugno died August 6, 1994.