Franco Battiato

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Franco Battiato
Background information
Birth name	Francesco Battiato
Also known as	Süphan Barzani
Born	(1945-03-23)23 March 1945 Ionia, Sicily, Italy
Died	18 May 2021(2021-05-18) (aged 76) Milo, Sicily, Italy
Genres	Beat new wave experimental musique concrète progressive pop electropop pop new-age opera free jazz progressive rock psychedelic[1]
Occupations	Musician singer composer filmmaker painter
Instruments	Vocals piano guitar pianoforte organ violin synthesizer harpsichord mellotron
Years active	1965–2019
Labels	Ricordi EMI Sony Music
Website	Official website

Francesco "Franco" Battiato (Italian: [ˈfraŋko batˈtjaːto, – battiˈaːto]; 23 March 1945 – 18 May 2021)^[2][3] was an Italian musician, singer, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter.^[4] Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes, and have spanned genres such as experimental pop, electronic music, progressive rock, opera, symphonic music, movie soundtrack, oratorio and new wave.

He was for decades one of the most popular singer-songwriters in Italy. His unique sound, song-crafting and especially his lyrics, often containing philosophical, religious, and culturally exotic references, as well as tackling or painting universal themes about the human condition earned him a unique spot on Italy's music scene, and the nickname of "Il Maestro"^[5] His work includes songwriting and joint production efforts with several Italian and international musicians and pop singers, including the long-lasting professional relationship with Italian singers Alice and Giuni Russo. Together with Alice, Battiato represented Italy at the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "I treni di Tozeur".^[6]