The book about the birth of the songwriters

Archivio Storico Ricordi is pleased to announce the volume L’inventore dei cantautori – Nanni Ricordi: una storia orale, edited by Claudio Ricordi and Michele Coralli, published by Il Saggiatore and its participation in the project with a contribution about the genesis of the Medea vinyl, also with various images from its own collection. The book retraces the life of Carlo Emanuele Ricordi, known as Nanni, thanks to his stories and to the words of singers, musicians, producers, relatives and friends who have always lived by his side. At the end of the Fifties, Nanni opened the door of his house to the then unknown Giorgio Gaber, Enzo Jannanci and Luigi Tenco and hired them at the newborn Dischi Ricordi. But he also hosted artists and celebrities such as Maria Callas, Carla Fracci, Leonard Bernstein, Luchino Visconti and Dario Fo. His meetings became the hotbed of the culture of those years, the place where knowledge and the most exquisite crafts weaved together: from Gino Paoli who drew the covers of the vinyls, to Sergio Endrigo who wrote for Ornella Vanoni, to De André who introduced him to De Gregori. Tired of a not yet passed Sanremo model, Nanni’s intuition will lead to the revolution of the Italian song and to the consecration of the songwriters we all know. “Everybody knew that Nanni Ricordi was a talent scout. Yet, not all knew he had in mind a revolution of the Italian song. The invention of the songwriters is his” – Ennio Morricone.

More info: ilSaggiatore