Nutella

Just returned from the Napoli region, and everywhere I went I heard the famous old songs - Funiculi Funicula, etc. etc. At restaurants people would all join in, it was a lot of fun, and I vowed to learn some of this music before my next trip. Can anyone recommend a "greatest hits" CD of the most famous songs, sung by the original people who made them famous? Thanks!

Nutella

Make that NEAPOLITAN music. I knew it looked funny when I first typed it : )

claire

Nutella, when I've heard Neopolitan songs, they've generally been sung as encores or as concert fare by Italian operatic tenors. You can find CDs with great ones singing these songs (usually including the words) at online shops like amazon, Tower, etc. Names to look for include Caruso, Beniamino Gigli, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Franco Corelli, etc. Most of them note that these songs can be very difficult to sing properly. Anyway, if you are thinking of singers with a bit less "heft" to their voices, surely there are some around, but I can't think of any aside from Hollywood crooners like Dean Martin & co. Not exactly idiomatic stuff.

claire

As you said, it is "Neapolitan!"

Nancy

Hi, do you mind if I call you Nut for short? I have a cd with songs from Napoli by Claudio Villa, he has the sweetest voice and can really hit those high notes. I should say, had, he passed away some time ago, you can also hear his songs on the soundtrack from the movie Big Night, this is where I first discovered him.

Nutella

Thanks Claire and Nancy. And Nut is fine LOL. I'll check out the singers you both mentioned. Come to think of it I really don't need to hear the &quot;original&quot; people. Any nice voice would be fine. As long as it's in the original dialect or whatever language the song is popular in. I think I'd enjoy listening to a popular type singer rather than heavy opera.<BR>P.S. Just curious, do Dean Martin and friends sing in Neapolitan, Italian or English?

claire

Come to think of it, I can't recall Dino singing one of those Neapolitan songs all the way through, in key and in Italian, much less idiomatic dialect! May have misled you there. Sorry. But, perhaps you should go to a site like amazon where you can listen to short excerpts and try out the names you have (and any others that pop up in your search) to see which voices appeal to you. The songs you mention were popular at a time in Italy when &quot;popular&quot; and the operatic Italian tenor repertoire weren't very far apart. Unlike today, especially in the US. So, you are more likely to get closer to the &quot;real thing&quot; with those trained voices, all native Italians. Of the names I threw out, only Caruso is a native of Naples. Have no idea how well the others do in dialect. Best to sample them &amp; see what appeals to you.

Mari

Nutella, if you live near a city with an Italian section it is great fun to go through the Italian record, CD, and tape collections in the stores. Sometimes stores in those areas will have a pretty good authentic selection. I live north of Boston and will often visit Boston's Italian North End and look through the shops for music, cooking supplies, etc.

Alice Twain

Aside from traditional music, Naples has a loto of musicians that produce more modern stuff. A little list of bands and musicians of good fame in Italy (and sometimes also abroad) include Almamegretta (they make a nice trip-hop, kinda Tricky-like, but with more Mediterraneans sounds), 99 posse, 24 grana (their Maicasajusta is a great song), and Piccola Orchestra Avion Travel