Franco Battiato

Italian singer-songwriter and musician (1945-2021)

Person · Open Library

Born: 1945-03-23
Died: 2021-05-18
Works: 5

Top works

Attraversando il bardo
Il silenzio e l'ascolto
Musikanten
Battiato
Tecnica mista su tappeto

via Open Library + Wikidata

Film & TV

Sound · Riposto, Catania, Italy

Known for

Falso Nueve — Franco Battiato2025
Milva, diva per sempre — Himself2024
Il coraggio di essere Franco — Sé stesso (materiale d'archivio)2022
Marco Unedited: From Pannella's Last 100 Days — Self2022
Franco Battiato - La voce del padrone2022
TV Story Superstar — Self (archive footage)2020
Father — Guilio Fontana2016
Crossing the Bardo

Article

Francesco "Franco" Battiato ( Italian: [ˈfraŋko batˈtjaːto, - battiˈaːto] ; 23 March 1945 – 18 May 2021) was an Italian musician, singer, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani (from Arabic: سبحان البارزاني), also a painter. Battiato's songs explore many themes (including, but not limited to, philosophy, art, spirituality, science, introspection, innovation, esotericism, religiousness), and have spanned genres such as experimental pop, electronic music, minimalism, avant-garde, progressive rock, new wave, symphonic music, sound collage, opera, oratorio and movie soundtrack.

He was for decades one of the most popular singer-songwriters in Italy. His unique sound, song-crafting and especially his lyrics (often containing philosophical, intellectual and culturally exotic references, as well as tackling universal themes about the human condition) earned him a unique spot on Italy's music scene, and the nickname of "Il Maestro". His work includes songwriting and joint production efforts with several Italian and international musicians and pop singers, including the long-lasting professional relationship with Italian singers Alice and Giuni Russo. Together with Alice, Battiato represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 1984 with the song "I treni di Tozeur".