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Neapolitan songs

The songs that carried Naples around the world: who wrote them, when they were born and what they tell, from 'O sole mio to Pino Daniele.

  • Tu si 'na cosa grande
    Tu si 'na cosa grande

    "Tu si 'na cosa grande" (‘You are something great’ in Neapolitan dialect) is one of the most famous and best-known songs in Italy, performed by Claudio Villa. The lyrics and music were written by Domenico Modugno and Franco Migliacci, who had already penned "Nel blu dipinto di blu", the celebrated "Volare".

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  • Federico Salvatore, Poet of Neapolitan Music
    Federico Salvatore, Poet of Neapolitan Music

    Every word, every verse he wrote and sang was the fruit of deep reflection, shaped by popular culture and great erudition.

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  • Tu ca nun chiagne (You who don't cry)
    Tu ca nun chiagne (You who don't cry)

    The song, translated literally as "Tu ca nun chiagne" (You who don't cry), captures the heart-wrenching despair of a lost love and the hope of finding new love in life.

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  • Torna a Surriento
    Torna a Surriento

    The song, composed by Ernesto De Curtis with lyrics by his brother Giambattista De Curtis back in 1902, was an instant success and was adopted as the official anthem for the roughly ten thousand Sorrentine emigrants living in New York.

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  • Tammurriata Nera
    Tammurriata Nera

    The song Tammurriata Nera is an anthem to resistance and to the fight against social injustice. Its story is rooted in the Naples of the 1960s, during a historical period marked by deep social and political tensions.

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  • 'E Spingule francese
    'E Spingule francese

    The lyrics of 'E Spingule Francese' (‘The French Pins’) reflect the aching nostalgia of a lost love. The song tells the story of a broken heart, of a love that has left a deep, unbridgeable void.

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  • Santa Lucia Luntana
    Santa Lucia Luntana

    This masterpiece of Neapolitan music is a hymn to nostalgia, sweet melancholy and love for one's homeland, striking a chord in the heart of anyone who hears this moving song.

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  • Santa Lucia
    Santa Lucia

    The song "Santa Lucia" is a timeless anthem that captures the essence of the city of Naples and the enchanting beauty of its history and culture. Written in 1849 by Neapolitan composer Teodoro Cottrau, this sweet and captivating melody continues to enchant generations of listeners around the world.

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  • 'Na sera 'e maggio (One evening in May)
    'Na sera 'e maggio (One evening in May)

    The song "'Na sera 'e maggio" (One evening in May) is a great classic of Neapolitan song, written by E. Cioffi and F. Pisano in 1919, capturing the beauty of a May night and the love between two young people.

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  • Maruzzella
    Maruzzella

    The song tells the story of a girl, Maruzzella (a affectionate nickname meaning “little sea snail”), who drives the narrator wild with her beauty and sweetness. The lyrics are a tribute to feminine beauty, in which the poet sees Naples itself reflected.

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