"My road to success started here"

by Peppino Di Capri

It was the time of the dolce vita and the golden years for <%=ischia%>. I sang "Nun è peccato"...

In the early 1950s, <%=ischia%> was nothing but sun, sea and green-clad slopes. The roads were unpaved and there was practically no tourism. A peaceful, isolated world - until Angelo Rizzoli, a famous producer and publisher, arrived on the island in the summer of 1952 bringing the world of the movies with him. Along with the film stars, the international jet-set made its appearance, including the industrial and financial elite, beautiful women and great musicians. The night life was extraordinary. Whereas Capri only had two or three night clubs, in its golden years <%=ischia%> boasted a dozen of them. People flocked to hear Renato Carosone, Fausto Cigliano, Mina and Marino Barreto sing at night spots called Rancio Fellone, Monky Bar, Castello Aragonese, Moresco, Scotch Club, Pignatiello. It really was the dolce vita. The atmosphere was unique. In those years, <%=ischia%> was the Italian music capital, not only because artists whose records sold by the million sang in its night clubs but also because of its frontier spirit, its open-minded approach to new experiences. The myth of <%=ischia%> the music capital was fuelled by impresarios of the calibre of Tonino Baiocco, the first to sign on important groups at the Scotch Club, (now the Blue Jane). Looking back, it should be remembered that post-war Naples was full of American soldiers who wanted to have fun. They taught the local artists to play their type of music and Naples became the meeting ground of classical Neapolitan melodies, swing and rock and roll. As a result, a new generation of musicians was born that included great names such as Renato Carosone and Ugo Calice, who created a highly original style and met in <%=ischia%> to add a chapter to the history of modern Italian music.
Calice played a key role in these events. He was a trueborn native of <%=ischia%>, author of the immortal Na voce na chitarra e o' poc 'e luna and a refined jazz expert. In the late 1940s, he held concerts with Romano Mussolini (son of the Duce) in the little square of <%=ischia%> Porto and the Conchiglia in Forio, then in 1950 he opened Rancio Fellone, the island's first night club.
The memory of Calice is very dear to me - he brought me good luck and gave me a beautiful song called Nun è peccato. It was the summer of 1958 and I had a band called I Rockers. We sang American songs, especially Paul Anka and Marino Barreto. Tonino Baiocco had engaged me for the season at Rancio Fellone, where I took turns with Fausto Cigliano.
I had never met Ugo Calice, but everyone had heard of the author of Na voce 'na chitarra e o' poc 'e luna. He sought me out because he heard me sing and liked my voice. He teased me a bit: "Hey boy, try this song, it should sound good" and I will never forget that it was mid-August and we learnt the notes that very afternoon, under the blazing sun, with him saying "Come on boy, I wanna hear it tonight!" When I began to sing Nun è peccato, the audience all turned towards the stage. after the show I was contacted by the agents of Carish, the most important record company of the time. This is the story of how I became Peppino di Capri.

Peppino Di Capri, singer