Cellamare Rosalino

Rosalino Cellamare, known by his stage name Ron (born in Dorno on August 13, 1953), is one of the most important and beloved Italian singer-songwriters, a key figure in the world of Italian music.

With one of the most prestigious careers in the Italian music scene and a vast repertoire (26 studio albums), Ron boasts 8 appearances at the Sanremo Music Festival (including a victory in 1996 with Vorrei incontrarti fra cent’anni, performed in a duet with Tosca), 7 participations at the Festivalbar (winning in 1982 with Anima), a Mia Martini Critics’ Award (for Almeno pensami in 2018), the Bindi Career Award (2018), and the Tenco Lifetime Achievement Award (2023).

A refined and sensitive artist, Ron has used his talent and creative intuition to write many successful songs, including for other major artists. Many of these hits remain embedded in Italy’s collective memory and continue to be widely played on the radio. He has also been a central figure in some of Italy’s greatest music events, such as the 1979 “Banana Republic” tour with Dalla and De Gregori, and the 2002 “Fab Four Tour” with Pino Daniele, Francesco De Gregori, and Fiorella Mannoia.

THE BEGINNINGS

His first Sanremo appearance with Nada and the song Il gigante e la bambina; Piazza Grande and the beginning of his collaboration with Lucio Dalla; an actor in film; one of the stars of Banana Republic.

Ron’s career began in 1970, when at just 16 years old, he performed at the Sanremo Music Festival with Pa’ diglielo a Ma’, immediately gaining popularity and public approval.

The following year he presented Il gigante e la bambina at “Un disco per l’Estate.”

Throughout the 1970s, Rosalino laid the foundation for his career: the friendship and collaboration with Lucio Dalla (who also gave him the stage name Ron), the first compositions (including Piazza Grande, written by Ron and Dalla, which Dalla performed at Sanremo in 1972), experimental albums, politically engaged concerts, and acting in films such as “Lezioni private,” “In nome del Papa Re,” “L’Agnese va a morire,” “Turi e i Paladini,” and “Mascagni” — all helped shape the artist and firmly establish him in Italian music.

In 1979, he was one of the protagonists of “Banana Republic,” the legendary live tour with Lucio Dalla and Francesco De Gregori, the first to play in Italy’s largest stadiums, where Ron also arranged songs and introduced new ones, including I ragazzi italiani.

THE 1980s

Una città per cantare, Al centro della musica, Joe Temerario among many other hits; Anima wins Festivalbar; discovers and launches a young Biagio Antonacci.

The following decade brought Ron greater success with albums like Una città per cantare, Al centro della musica, Calypso, and Guarda chi si vede (featuring Anima, the 1982 Festivalbar winner). Ron became one of Italy’s most beloved artists, gaining admiration from both the public and music industry professionals. In 1986, director Mario Monicelli included a scene in his film Speriamo che sia femmina where the main characters run away from home to attend a Ron concert, where he performs Joe Temerario, one of Italy’s most iconic songs. At the end of the 1980s, Ron helped launch the career of a young Biagio Antonacci.

THE 1990s

Vorrei incontrarti fra cent’anni wins Sanremo; Non abbiam bisogno di parole, Le ragazze, and Le foglie e il vento among the decade’s hits; pens Attenti al lupo for Dalla — an evergreen.

Between 1990 and 1996, Ron wrote several iconic songs that have become staples of Italian music, such as Attenti al lupo, Non abbiam bisogno di parole, Le ragazze, Le foglie e il vento, and Vorrei incontrarti fra cent’anni, the latter winning the 46th Sanremo Festival in a duet with Tosca.

THE 2000s

On tour with Pino Daniele, Francesco De Gregori, and Fiorella Mannoia; Ma quando dici amore — proceeds go to ALS research.

In the 2000s, Ron continued to collaborate with other artists and committed himself to social causes. His album ‘70/’00 featured duets with friends and colleagues from his career. In the summer of 2002, he participated in the Fab Four Tour with Mannoia, Daniele, and De Gregori. In 2006, he released the album Ma quando dici amore, with proceeds donated to the Italian ALS Association to support research for this devastating neurodegenerative disease. In 2008, he released Quando sarò capace d’amare.

After a five-year break, Ron returned in 2013 with Way Out, an album infused with Anglo-American influences and the kind of music he has always loved. In 2014, he returned to the Sanremo stage with Un abbraccio unico, the title track of a successful album.

THE 2010s

La forza di dire sì — a duet album featuring major Italian artists; Almeno Pensami wins the Mia Martini Critics’ Award at Sanremo; Lucio! and Lucio!! Live albums and tribute tour dedicated to Dalla.

Ten years after his first charity duet album, Ron released La forza di dire sì in 2016, a double album with 24 duets and two new songs, once again with proceeds supporting ALS research. The project included contributions from Lucio Dalla, Francesco De Gregori, Pino Daniele, Jovanotti, Loredana Bertè, Marco Mengoni, Emma Marrone, Biagio Antonacci, Max Pezzali, Giuliano Sangiorgi, Gigi D’Alessio, and others. After performing at Sanremo in 2017, the album was reissued with two new songs: L’ottava meraviglia and Ai confini del mondo.

In 2018, Ron returned to Sanremo with Almeno Pensami, an unreleased song by Lucio Dalla, placing fourth and winning the Mia Martini Critics’ Award.

This was followed by the release of Lucio!, an album that pays homage to Dalla with Ron’s reinterpretation of 12 of his most beloved songs, presented in a theatrical tour.

In 2019, he released Lucio!! Live, a live album recorded at the Teatro Romano in Verona, featuring 11 tracks, including 9 emotional duets with Fiorella Mannoia, Massimo Ranieri, Alice, Ornella Vanoni, Gigi D’Alessio, Luca Carboni, Paola Turci, Federico Zampaglione, and Serena Autieri, along with two studio tracks. The single Tutta la vita was released from this album. The “Lucio!” tour concluded in December 2019 after nearly two years.

In February 2019, Ron participated in the song C’è da fare — a charity track for Genoa following the Morandi Bridge collapse — produced by Paolo Kessisoglu and released by Sony Music.

On January 9, 2020, the film Hammamet, depicting the final six months of Bettino Craxi’s life, premiered in cinemas. Two Ron songs, Vorrei incontrarti fra cent’anni and Piazza Grande, are featured in the soundtrack.

2022–2023

Fifty years of music: the greatest hits collection Non abbiam bisogno di parole and the new studio album Sono un figlio.

To celebrate his 50-year career, in 2022 Ron released Non abbiam bisogno di parole, a double album featuring his greatest hits followed by a summer tour accompanied by the Ensemble Symphony Orchestra. That same year saw the release of his much-anticipated album of new songs, Sono un figlio, produced by Le foglie e il vento and distributed by Sony Music. The autobiographical album is dedicated to his father Savino and presents the portrait of an artist in a state of grace. The songs, written with some of Italy’s top songwriters, reveal his story like never before — fragments that form a mosaic of a lifetime in music. “Music is the life I choose for myself every day,” Ron said. “And songs, which can sometimes make us cry or give us hope, ultimately reveal our innermost essence.”

On August 13, 2023, RAI Uno celebrated his 70th birthday with a dedicated episode of Techetechetè.

On October 20, 2023, Ron received the Tenco Lifetime Achievement Award. The jury praised him as follows: “What could have seemed like a typical young pop singer’s sprint — perhaps bound to a brief season of deserved fame — turned out to be a steady and unstoppable march, adorned with numerous great hits written for himself and for other major artists. His widespread popularity demonstrates how freshness and intelligence can coexist and how poetic lyrics can also be rhythmically accessible.”

Discography
Studio albums
• 1973 – Il bosco degli amanti
• 1973 – Dal nostro livello
• 1975 – Esperienze
• 1980 – Una città per cantare
• 1980 – Q Concert (con Ivan Graziani e Goran Kuzminac)
• 1981 – Al centro della musica
• 1982 – Guarda chi si vede
• 1983 – Calypso
• 1985 – Ron
• 1986 – È l’Italia che va
• 1988 – Il mondo avrà una grande anima
• 1990 – Apri le braccia e poi vola
• 1992 – Le foglie e il vento
• 1994 – Angelo
• 1996 – Vorrei Incontrarti tra cent’anni
• 1997 – Stelle
• 1999 – Adesso
• 2001 – Cuori di vetro
• 2004 – Le voci del mondo
• 2005 – Ma quando dici amore
• 2008 – Quando sarò capace d’amare
• 2013 – Way Out
• 2014 – Un abbraccio unico
• 2016 – La forza di dire sì
• 2018 – Lucio!
• 2022 – Sono un figlio
Live albums
• 1983 – Tutti cuori viaggianti
• 1988 – Il mondo avrà una grande anima
• 2002 – In tour (con Fiorella Mannoia, Francesco De Gregori e Pino Daniele)
• 2007 – Rosalino Cellamare – RON – in concerto
• 2019 – Lucio!! Live

Compilations
• 1981 – Incontro con Ron (Spaghetti Records)
• 1982 – RON (Spaghetti Records)
• 1984 – I grandi successi di Ron (Sigla Quattro)
• 1984 – Super Ron (Spaghetti Records)
• 1993 – Ron (RCA)
• 1996 – Vorrei incontrarti fra cent’anni (WEA – CD)
• 1996 – Superbest (RCA)
• 1997 – A modo mio (BMG Ricordi)
• 2000 – 70/00 (CGD East West – doppio CD)
• 2001 – I miti (BMG Ricordi)
• 2002 – Beccati ‘sta canzone (BMG Ricordi)
• 2003 – Ron (RCA-BMG Ricordi)
• 2006 – Le più belle canzoni di Ron
• 2013 – Un’ora con Ron

Participations and victories at the Sanremo Festival
• Sanremo 1970 – Pa’ diglielo a ma’ (in coppia con Nada)
• Sanremo 1988 – Il mondo avrà una grande anima
• Sanremo 1996 – VORREI INCONTRARTI FRA CENT’ANNI (con Tosca) – VINCITORE DEL FESTIVAL
• Sanremo 1998 – Un porto nel vento
• Sanremo 2006 – L’uomo delle stelle
• Sanremo 2014 – Sing in the rain / Un abbraccio unico
• Sanremo 2017 – L’ottava meraviglia
• Sanremo 2018 – ALMENO PENSAMI (PREMIO DELLA CRITICA MIA MARTINI)

Participations and victories at the Festivalbar
• Festivalbar 1978 – Occhi verdi mari calmi (concorso DiscoVerde)
• Festivalbar 1981 – Al centro della musica
• Festivalbar 1982 – ANIMA (CANZONE VINCITRICE)
• Festivalbar 1990 – Un momento anche per te
• Festivalbar 1993 – A un passo dai miei sogni
• Festivalbar 1995 – Il sole e la luna
• Festivalbar 1996 – Ferite e lacrime

Awards
• 2007 – Premio Lunezia Menzione Speciale, per il brano Vorrei incontrarti fra cent’anni
• 2008 – Venice Music Awards
• 2013 – Premio Lunezia Cover d’Autore, per il valore Musical-Letterario dell’album Way out
• 2016 – Premio Anacapri ”Bruno Lauzi” – Penna d’Autore, per la scrittura e la canzone d’autore
• 2017 – Premio ”Ambasciatore di terre di Puglia”
• 2017 – ”Meraviglioso Modugno” – Premio Città di Polignano a Mare
• 2018 – Special Award – XVI Edizione Roma Videoclip, alla carriera e per il videoclip del brano Almeno pensami
• 2019 – Turrita d’Argento di Bologna
• 2018 – Premio ”Bindi” alla carriera
• 2018 – Premio della Critica Mia Martini, per il brano Almeno Pensami
• 2021 – Special Award alla Carriera “Imaginaction”
• 2023 – Premio Roma Videoclip “Il Cinema incontra la Musica”, per il brano Questo vento
• 2023 – Premio Tenco alla Carriera

Filmography
• Lezioni private, regia di Vittorio De Sisti (1975)
• L’Agnese va a morire, regia di Giuliano Montaldo (1976)
• In nome del Papa Re, regia di Luigi Magni (1977)
• La riva di Charleston – miniserie TV, 3 episodi (1978)
• Il était un musicien – serie TV, 1 episodio (1979)
• Turi e i paladini, regia di Angelo D’Alessandro (1979)