Rosario Tindaro Fiorello (born 16 May 1960), known just as Fiorello, is an Italian comedian, singer, radio and television presenter.

Rosario Fiorello
Fiorello at a stage of his theatre tour in Florence in 2011
Born
Rosario Tindaro Fiorello

(1960-05-16) 16 May 1960 (age 64)
Catania, Italy
Occupations
  • Showman
  • comedian
  • television personality
  • singer
  • radio personality
  • television host
  • actor
  • musician
  • producer
SpouseSusanna Biondo
Websitehttp://www.rosariofiorello.it

Career

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Fiorello was born in Catania, Sicily, and raised in Augusta, Sicily. He began his career working in tourist villages, first as a barman, and then as an entertainer. Near the end of the 1980s, Fiorello was brought to Milan by Bernardo Cherubini, whom he had met in Valtur Villages. Bernardo, brother of Jovanotti, who introduced him to Claudio Cecchetto,[1] who directed Radio Deejay and where he met Antonio Germinario, a talent-scout, that become his manager for many years. Soon afterwards, Fiorello began hosting the show "Viva Radio Deejay" with Marco Baldini.

Having become popular through the TV show Karaoke,[2] Fiorello went on to host various TV shows. Soon after, he endured a period of drug problems that kept him away from the world of TV. However, he returned to show business and television in the 1990s, displaying great abilities as a showman, first in the Mediaset networks, then with RAI in 2001, 2002, and 2004 with Stasera Pago Io.

Since 2002, Fiorello[3] has hosted the radio broadcast Viva Radio 2[4] together with Marco Baldini and the musician Enrico Cremonesi, during which Fiorello shows off his skills as a singer, mimic and entertainer. The authors of the program were Rosario Fiorello with Marco Baldini, Francesco Bozzi, Alberto De Risio, Riccardo Cassini and Federico Taddia. In the summer of 2003, was published the 1st of a long series of CD's that collected the best of his radio show. The CD's included the imitation of: Mike Bongiorno and the Forgetful of Cologno (Berlusconi), Andrea Camilleri, Antonio Cassano, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, Gianni Minà, Franco Califano, Carla Bruni, Oliviero Toscani, Marina Flaibani from Onda Verde, Nanni Moretti, Vittorio Cecchi Gori, Ignazio La Russa, the prince Albert of Monaco, Monica Bellucci and her husband Vincent Cassel and many more. In 2007 Fiorello and Baldini realized the single Chi Siamo Noi,[5] that included many gags of their radio show Viva Radio 2, the song was written by Rosario Fiorello, Corrado Rizza, Domenico Scuteri and Luca Leonori and it was in the Italian pop chart.

Fiorello's skills as a vocalist have brought him to the cinema as well. He has participated in such varied roles as: a dubber in cartoons (most recently Garfield), to an appearance in the film The Talented Mr. Ripley,[6] in the role of Fausto, a young Italian friend of the main characters.

His younger brother Giuseppe Fiorello is an actor.

In 2008 came out the compilation "Pronto c'e’ Mike"[7] with his gags on the phone with Mike Bongiorno during the radio show "Viva Radio 2", with a book written by Aldo Grasso. On 14 November 2011 Fiorello[8] back on television with a new program entitled "Il più grande spettacolo dopo il weekend" (inspired by the song "Il più grande spettacolo dopo il Big Bang" of his friend Lorenzo Jovanotti). The first episode showed excellent results, with 10 million viewers and almost 40% share. The data, already outstanding, to further improve in the second episode (with over 12 million viewers and a share of almost 43% [10]) and third (almost 12 million viewers and over 43% share).

Impressions and characters

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Fiorello's most famous imitations include Mike Bongiorno, and that of Silvio Berlusconi as a character called Smemorato di Cologno who, in the parody, loses his memory every time something related to communism is mentioned. Smemorato di Cologno is a pun on the main character of the Italian comedy Lo smemorato di Collegno, Cologno being instead the headquarters of Berlusconi's well-known media company. Other famous impressions and characters include:

During 16 May 2006 episode, on Fiorello's birthday, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi called to wish him a happy birthday and to congratulate him for his impression, especially for the fact that Ciampi doesn't always pronounce clearly the last syllable of some words.

During November 2006 the newspaper Avvenire (linked with CEI) criticized Fiorello for his impression of Padre Georg. Most of the journalists admitted that they had never listened to the radio program directly.

Discography

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Singles

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Album

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Duets

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Compilation

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Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Role Notes
1997 Anastasia Dimitri (voice) Italian voice-over role
1998 Cartoni animati Salvatore
1999 The Talented Mr. Ripley Fausto
2002 Johan Padan a la descoverta de le Americhe Johan Padan (voice) Italian voice-over role
2004 Garfield: The Movie Garfield (voice) Italian voice-over role
Natale a casa Deejay Wagon's man
2005 March of the Penguins Narrator (voice) Italian voice-over role
2006 Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties Garfield/Prince (voice) Italian voice-over role
2007 Manual of Love 2 Nurse Cameo appearance
2010 Passione Himself Documentary film
2011 Domani None Short film; producer
2014 Strani ritmi Himself Documentary film
2017 Chi m'ha visto None Producer

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1989–1990 Deejay Beach Himself/co-host Musical program
Deejay Television Himself/co-host Musical program
1992–1994 Karaoke Himself/host Musical program (seasons 1–2)
1993, 1998–2000 Festivalbar Himself/host Annual music festival
1995 Don't Forget Your Toothbrush Himself/host Game show (season 1)
1996 La febbre del venedì sera Himself/host Variety/musical show
Un disco per l'estate 1996 Himself/host Annual music festival
1996–1997 Buona Domenica Himself/co-host Variety show (season 9)
1998 Dio vede e provvede Rosario Episode: "Sogni proibiti"
1998–1999 Superboll Himself/host Game show
2001–2004 Stasera pago io Himself/host Variety show
2008 Romanzo criminale - La serie Franco Califano Episode: "Episodio 7"
2011 Il più grande spettacolo dopo il Week End Himself/host Variety show
2011–2017 Edicola fiore Himself/host Comedy show
2020–2021 Sanremo Music Festival 2020 and Sanremo Music Festival 2021 Himself/co-host Annual music festival
2022–2023 Sanremo Music Festival 2022 and Sanremo Music Festival 2023 Himself/guest Annual music festival
2022–present Viva Rai 2! Himself/host Variety show
2023 A casa tutti bene: La serie Himself Episode: "Episodio 6"
2024 Sanremo Music Festival 2024 Himself/co-host Annual music festival

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Saporiti, Marco (2011). The History of Canale 5 (Book – pag 122). ISBN 9788896782132. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  2. ^ Hosokawa, Shuhei; Mitsui, Toru (20 June 2005). The TV show " Karaoke" by Rosario Fiorello. ISBN 9781134713400. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Close Encounter with Rosario Fiorello". Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  4. ^ "Italian Comic Takes Summer Break, and Radio Fans Mourn". Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  5. ^ "The single Chi Siamo Noi". Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Rosario Fiorello and Matt Damon in the movie "The Talented Mr. Ripley"". Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  7. ^ Grasso, Aldo; Fiorello, Rosario (2008). The Compilation and book "Pronto c'e' Mike". ISBN 9788804574033. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Comedian, singer closes popular Edicola Fiore show". Retrieved 3 April 2018.
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