Tony Esposito, real name Antonio Esposito, is an Italian singer-songwriter best known for being one of the most famous Italian percussionists.
Artist who released a first album "Rosso napoletano" in 1975, an album that will go somewhat unnoticed. Followed a year later in 1976 by "Processione sul mare", an album which did not do better than its predecessor.
At the same time, we find him alongside other artists such as Alan Sorrenti, Don Cherry, Don Moye, Gato Barbieri, Eumir Deodato, Gilberto Gil and other Pino Daniele. Artists to whom he lends his unparalleled drumming talents.
It was the album "Gente distratta" that would change the situation in 1977 and reveal him to the general public, allowing him at the same time to win the Italian Critics' Prize.
We find him in 1978 at the Montreux Jazz Festival, a festival where we find him accompanied by the group 'Perigeo'. The same festival that will welcome him two years later in 1980 with his own group 'Tony Esposito Group'.
It was the 1980s that saw his career take off for good with the composition in 1982 of the TV credits Pagaia for the show 'Domenica in'.
But it was above all the release of the enormous Single "Kalimba de luna" three years later in 1984 that would make his fame and his fortune, a flagship Single from the album "Il grande esploratore" which was released the same year.
New success the following year in 1985 with the release of the album "As tu às", album carried at arm's length by the Single of the same name. Album which will also produce the big Single "Papa chico".
The artist will release other albums thereafter but these will only meet with an average level of success unfortunately.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
70s Decade :
Il venditore di elastici 1975
Breakfast 1975
Fabia moresca 1976
Processione sul mare 1976
Gente distratta 1977
Pastelli 1977
La banda del sole 1978
Danza caruana 1978
80s Decade :
Caminando 1982
Pagaia 1982
Je-Na’ 1983
Simba de Ammon 1984
Kalimba de luna 1984
Papa chico 1985
As tu as 1985
Terra di fueco 1986
Sirena antica 1986
Sinuè 1987
Hands (Mani mani) 1987
Selamur 1987
Lagos 1987
Conga radio 1989
90s Decade :
Babylon 1990
2000s Decade :
Mondo unito 2003
Sarai me 2003
Notte mediterranea 2003
2010s Decade :
Sentirai 2011
Mamacita 2011
Afro canone 2013
Tracks :
1975... only instrumental beginnings. Admittedly, it's in tune with the times to make stories without words, but we still have to add a big touch of originality...
1975...in the same vein of course. It is really hard to imagine at this stage that this young artist will subsequently explode at the highest level...
1976...it's nice of course, but that won't be enough to make him one of the most prominent artists of the moment. He will have to work again and again...
1976... we won't have to expect major improvements in the years to come, it has to be said. We will therefore have to be patient for the big take-off...
1977...even if the tempo picks up a bit, it's still not enough. The fact of not putting words on a piece of music restricts its impact on the general public...
1977...a decade of the 70s which will therefore remain exclusively instrumental. Afterwards it is the artist who chooses to go in such and such a way, nobody can force him at this level...
1978...we will therefore have to be content for the moment with what he wants to offer us. Let's just hope that future years will finally allow him to take off...
1978...we even often border on the experimental. The artist is having fun but other artists are also doing instrumentals at the end of the 1970s and are offering much more original things...
1982... will the transition to the 80s finally allow him to take risks and venture into musical lands a little more open to the general public ? The future will tell us...
1982...the words are still lacking. There is nothing to be done, the artist remains braced on his fundamentals and does not intend to leave it for the moment. Shame...
1983... we move forward in the decade without anything changing. An immobility which necessarily penalizes him and which prevents him from fighting on equal terms with the competition...
1984...ah, finally, words ! Will we finally witness the long-awaited metamorphosis and which will allow him to pass this level on which he has stumbled since his debut...
1984...the miracle finally arrives ! We had hoped for a long time and the artist finally decided to adorn his titles with lyrics. And on this one, it's a real masterstroke with the biggest success of all his discography and a title that will smash everything on a planetary level. MAS-TER-FUL !
1985...like what it didn't take much ! From now on, he is chaining hits with disconcerting ease and is finally recognized on a planetary level for his true value !
1985...even if the bellows will fall as quickly as it rose, the artist has definitely entered the musical history of this end of the 20th century and that's the main thing !
1986...the sequel will be much less glorious but what he continues to offer is not devoid of interest, far from it. Anyway, we'll be happy with that...
1986...the adventure will certainly continue, but far from the rhinestones and glitter. Too bad because the artist had everything he needed to do great things but he will stay in history mainly for a single title...
1987...it looks like 'Kalimba de luna', it sounds like 'Kalimba de luna' but it's not 'Kalimba de luna'. Nice try on this one but not enough to return to the front of the stage unfortunately...
1987... the artist continues on his merry way without worrying too much about the success - or not - of his titles. Afterwards, rightly or wrongly, that's something else...
1987...we can't blame him for much, it's clear, but the level of inspiration remains too average to allow him to achieve a new feat...
1989...he quietly finished his 80s and was already planning for the next one. Afterwards, what will he offer us next, only him will know...
1990...certainly he will reach the 90s but will not find his place there at first sight. A furtive passage followed by a pure and simple disappearance...
2003...we will lose sight of him for almost 13 years and here he is again in this new decade 2000 in a form that we will qualify as relative. In any case, not enough to get him back in the leading pack...
2003...we would have liked him to take more risks and especially to venture into musical lands outside his comfort zone. Sadly disappointed...
2003... not sure if it's this kind of sound that the young generation expects but he doesn't take it into account in any case. Only his basic fans now follow him...
2011...we lose sight of him for almost 8 years and here he is again in this year 2011. To do what, to propose what's new, only him knows...
2011... South American rhythms which work rather well but which are only likely to attract a limited audience. Wrong pick once again...
2013... here he is revisiting Pachelbel in his own way, who would have thought that possible ? It's a good feeling but it won't change anything about a possible return to the general public...
Wiki :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :