Franco Battiato in Toronto

Franco Battiato

L’Altra Italia and CHIN Radio/TV are thrilled to announce, for the first time in Toronto, Franco Battiato.
Battiato’s show will be a compilation of music from four decades of Italian progressive-rock, accompanied
by a 5-piece group

Artist

Born in the province of Catania in the Sicily region, Battiato has built a longstanding career as an artist in every aspect: he
is singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter.

He is and has been for decades one of the most popular pop singer-songwriters in Italy. His unique sound, song-crafting and especially his lyrics, often containing philosophical, religious, and culturally exotic references, as wells as tackling or painting universal themes about the human condition – unusual subjects for pop songs – earned him a unique spot on Italy’s music scene, and the nickname of “Il Maestro” (‘The Master’, or ‘The Teacher’)

Battiato’s unique style has made him stand out in the Italian music scene from the 1970s even until today.

Battiato has collaborated with numerous talented musicians from a variety of musical backgrounds, such as Jim Kerr of Simple Minds, Italian singer Alice, Jim O’Rourke, Carmen Consoli and Mercedes Sosa.

With a career that spans over 30 years, Battiato has produced 38 albums, in multiple languages, from English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and of course Italian. He is not only an acclaimed singer/songwriter, but his talents also extend into the realm of visual arts. He is a painter and has worked in the film industry. His debut film entitled Perduto Amor (Lost Love) has been recognized with the 2004 “Nastro D’Argento” critics prize for best directorial debut in Italy.