PRESS RELEASE (20/04/2016)
Continued at Loano the ninth edition of the review “Flying Disks...Close Encounters with Records, Books, Words and Sounds”, promoted by the’Department of Tourism, Culture and Sports of the City of Loano and organized by the’Society of the Curious Association.
Friday, April 22, to the 9 p.m. at Council Chamber in Doria Palace, the “words and music” event will take place with Shel Shapiro. The music journalist will be in conversation with the voice and soul of the historic band The Rokes. John Vignola.
Shapiro will retrace his career starting from the early 1960s, bringing the beat explosion period back to life for the audience. The singer will recall his arrival in Italy and his musical adventure with the band The Rokes, which lasted seven years, from 1963 to 1970, and was accompanied by great successes. The group rose to fame with the song “C'è una strana espressione nei tuoi occhi” (There's a strange expression in your eyes) – the Italian version of “When You Walk in the Room” written by American singer-songwriter Jackie DeShannon – which reached the top of the charts and allowed The Rokes to record their first album. They achieved success with the singles “Che colpa abbiamo noi” (What's our fault), “È la pioggia che va” (It's the rain that goes) and “Eccola di nuovo” (Here she is again).
After his adventure with the Rokes came to an end, Shel Shapiro spent the 1970s and 1980s writing songs (for Mina, Patty Pravo, Ornella Vanoni, Gianni Morandi, and Mia Martini) and producing (for Riccardo Cocciante, Rino Gaetano, Enrico Ruggeri, and Musicanova), selling tens of millions of records.
His long career has also led him to collaborate with foreign artists such as Quincy Jones, Bill Conti, Paco De Lucia, and José Luis Rodriguez.
After a break in the 1990s, his artistic career resumed and in 2007 he brought to the theater “It will be a great company.”, written together with political scientist Edmondo Berselli. In 2009, he played Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice in rehearsal” by Moni Ovadia and in 2010 he published his autobiography with Mondadori. “I am immortal.”.
The story will be accompanied by performances of some of the songs written, arranged, or produced by Shel Shapiro throughout his career.
Free admission
