Mango (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mango
Mango at the Sanremo Music Festival 1985
Background information
Also known as	Pino Mango
Born	(1954-11-06)6 November 1954 Lagonegro, Italy
Died	8 December 2014(2014-12-08) (aged 60) Policoro, Italy
Genres	Pop rock, folk, world music
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboards, guitar
Years active	1976–2014

Mango, whose real name was Giuseppe Mango, was a famous Italian singer and songwriter. He was born on November 6, 1954, and sadly passed away on December 8, 2014.

Mango was known for his special music style. He mixed pop, rock, folk, and world music. He also had a very wide vocal range, meaning he could sing many different notes. His most famous song was "Oro," from his album Odissea released in 1986. Other popular songs include "Lei verrà", "Mediterraneo", "Bella d'estate", and "La rondine".

Many people in the music world thought Mango was a true innovator. He brought new sounds to Italian pop music. He also wrote songs for other famous Italian singers like Patty Pravo and Andrea Bocelli. His songs were even performed by international artists.

About Mango's Life

How He Started in Music

Mango was born in a town called Lagonegro in Italy. When he was growing up, he loved listening to soul music and hard rock. Some of his favorite bands and singers were Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Aretha Franklin.

He started playing music when he was a teenager. He was in a band with his older brother. At first, he didn't really play Italian music. He even went to college to study sociology, but he decided to move to Rome to try and become a professional musician.

In 1976, Mango released his first album, La mia ragazza è un gran caldo. Some of his songs from this album caught the attention of other singers. For example, Patty Pravo and Mia Martini recorded his songs.

He released a few more albums, but they didn't become very popular. Mango almost gave up on music. But then he met a famous songwriter named Mogol, who helped him change his mind.

Becoming Famous

Mango's big break came in 1985 with his album Australia. A song from this album, "Il viaggio," was performed at the Sanremo Music Festival, a very important music event in Italy.

In 1986, he released Odissea, which made him a huge star. This album had his most famous songs, "Lei verrà" and "Oro." The next year, his album Adesso included another hit song, "Bella d'estate," which he wrote with Lucio Dalla.

Mango performing in Udine in 2009

Mango continued to release successful albums like Sirtaki (1990) and Come l'acqua (1992). He even recorded three albums in Spanish, which became popular in Spain. In 1995, he performed at the Sanremo Music Festival again with the song "Dove vai."

His album Credo (1997) featured the song "Luce," which he sang at the 1998 Sanremo Music Festival. Famous musicians like Peter Gabriel's guitarist David Rhodes played on this album. His song "Amore per te" from 1999 was even used as a theme song for a TV show in Italy. His album Ti Porto in Africa (2004) sold very well, becoming double platinum. His last album was La terra degli aquiloni, released in 2011.

His Passing

On December 7, 2014, Mango was performing a concert in Policoro, Italy. While singing his famous song "Oro," he suddenly felt unwell. He told the crowd "excuse me" and then collapsed. He was taken off stage, and the concert ended. Sadly, Mango passed away early the next morning. He was 60 years old.

Mango's Family Life

Mango was a very private person. He didn't often appear in the news or on TV. He was married to Laura Valente, who was a singer in the band Matia Bazar. They had two children, Filippo (born in 1995) and Angelina (born in 1999). Both of his children followed in his musical footsteps. Filippo became a drummer, and Angelina became a singer. They even worked with their father on his music.

Songs Written by Mango for Others

Mango wrote many songs that were performed by other artists. Here are some of them:

Songs Covered by Other Artists

Many Italian and international artists have sung their own versions of Mango's songs. Here are some examples:

Mango's Albums

Studio Albums

• La mia ragazza è un gran caldo (1976)
• Arlecchino (1979)
• È pericoloso sporgersi (1982)
• Australia (1985)
• Odissea (1986)
• Adesso (1987)
• Inseguendo l’aquila (1988)
• Sirtaki (1990)
• Come l'acqua (1992)
• L'Oro Di Mango (1993)
• Mango (1994)
• Credo (1997)
• Disincanto (2002)
• Ti porto in Africa (2004)
• Ti amo così (2005)
• L’albero delle fate (2007)
• La terra degli aquiloni (2011)

Live Albums

• Dove vai (1995)
• Gli amori son finestre (2009)

Compilation Albums

• Visto così (1999)
• Tutto Mango: oro e platino (2006)

Albums in Spanish

• Ahora (1987)
• Hierro y Fuego (1988)
• Sirtaki (1991)

See also

In Spanish: Mango (cantante) para niños