Salvatore Adamo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Knight
Adamo
|
|
|---|---|
Salvatore Adamo in France, 2007
|
|
| Born | 1 November 1943 |
| Nationality | Italian Belgian (since 2019) |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Parents |
|
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
|
| Labels | |
Salvatore Adamo (born November 1, 1943) is a famous musician, singer, and composer from Belgium and Italy. He is especially known for his romantic songs, called ballads. Adamo was born in Comiso, Italy, but moved to Belgium when he was only three years old. This is why he has citizenship in both countries.
By the late 1960s, Adamo was one of the world's top-selling musicians, second only to The Beatles. He has sold over 80 million albums and 20 million singles around the world. This makes him the best-selling Belgian artist ever and one of the most successful musicians globally.
Adamo first became popular in Europe. Later, his music reached the Middle East, Latin America, Japan, and the United States. He mostly sings in French, but he has also performed in many other languages. These include Italian, Dutch, English, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Turkish. Some of his most famous songs are "Tombe la neige", "La nuit", "Vous permettez, Monsieur?", "Inch'Allah", and "Petit bonheur". Many artists worldwide have sung his songs. For example, "Yuki Ga Furu," the Japanese version of "Tombe la neige," has been covered by more than 500 artists. It is even more popular than Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" as a Japanese Christmas song.
Since 2001, Adamo has held the Belgian noble title of Ridder, which is like being a "Knight" in English. He has also received important awards from France, Italy, and Japan for his contributions to music and culture.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Salvatore Adamo's father, Antonio, moved to Belgium in February 1947. He went there to work in the coal mines of Marcinelle. Four months later, Salvatore's mother, Concetta, and young Salvatore joined him. They first lived in Ghlin before moving to Jemappes, near Mons.
In 1956, Salvatore became very ill with meningitis and had to stay in bed for a whole year.
His parents did not want him to become a miner like his father. So, Salvatore went to a Catholic school run by the Frères des Ecoles Chrétiennes. By 1960, Salvatore's parents had seven children in total. Salvatore was a dedicated student. He was especially good at music and other arts.
Music Career Highlights
.jpg)
Adamo was inspired by the poetry of Victor Hugo and Jacques Prévert. He also loved the music of Jacques Brel and French singer-songwriters like Georges Brassens and Charles Aznavour. He started singing and writing his own songs when he was young. His first big break came when he won a competition on Radio Luxembourg. He sang his own song, "Si j'osais" ("If I dared"), in the final in Paris on February 14, 1960.
His first big hit was "Sans toi, ma mie" in 1963. This song was from his first album, 63/64. After that, he had many more hits. Some of the most famous include "Tombe la neige" ("The snow falls") in 1963, "La nuit" ("The Night") in 1964, and "Mes mains sur tes hanches" ("My hands on your hips") in 1965. His song "Inch'Allah" was also very popular. "Petit bonheur" ("Little Happiness"), which he wrote himself, sold over one million copies by April 1970. It earned him a gold disc award.
Adamo has sold more than 100 million recordings worldwide. He has recorded songs in many languages. Besides France and Belgium, he had hits in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, and Japan. He toured Japan many times. He also had hits and toured in Latin America and the Middle East.
In Chile, fans gave him a special award called the "Antorcha" (Gold and Silver Torch). This was at the "Festival de Viña del Mar." One time, he had to perform in three different, sold-out venues in the same night there. In the 1980s, Adamo's music style became less popular. However, since the 1990s, he has made a successful comeback. He started writing new songs, releasing albums, and touring again. He began with a series of shows at the Casino de Paris in April 1990.
In 2003, he released the album Zanzibar. He worked with his friend, the singer Arno, on this album. During a 2004 tour, Adamo became unwell during a performance and had to go to a Paris hospital. Some shows were cancelled because of this. However, in the years that followed, he continued to perform around the world. He sang in French-speaking countries like Belgium, France, Canada, and Switzerland. He also performed in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Romania, Russia, and Japan. Even later in his life, Adamo still had many fans in Latin America. In 2018, during a tour, 50,000 people gathered at Santiago airport in Chile to see him.
.jpg)
In 2023, he released an album called In French Please!. It featured French versions of popular English songs by artists like Elton John and Pearl Jam. A concert tour in 2023 celebrated his 60-year career. Despite some health concerns for the 79-year-old Adamo, the first concerts went ahead as planned.
Film Appearances
Adamo has also acted in a few French-language movies. His first film was Les Arnaud (1967), where he starred with Bourvil. He also appeared in L'ardoise (1970). Adamo himself helped write, direct, and act in L'île au Coquelicot (1972).
Years later, he was in the TV series La Légende de Croc-Blanc (1992). He also appeared in the movie Laisse tes mains sur mes hanches (2003). Adamo played himself in Lili David (2012) and Les Chamois (2017).
Awards and Special Recognitions
In 2001, King Albert II of Belgium made Adamo a noble, giving him the title Ridder (Knight). His motto became "Humbly but with dignity." In 2002, he was made an Officer of the Belgian Order of the Crown. In 2014, Adamo was honored at the Victoires de la Musique in France. For his 38 visits to Japan and over 500 concerts, and for his work as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, Adamo received the Order of the Rising Sun in 2016.
Important Awards and Honors
Adamo has received many important awards and honors throughout his career. These include:
- Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France, 1987)
- Knight of the Order of the Crown (Belgium, 1991)
- Officer of the Legion of Honour (France, 2005)
- Commander of the Order of the Star of Italy (Italy, 2015)
- Member 4th Class of the Order of the Rising Sun (Japan, 2016)
He has also won music awards like the Dutch Edison Award (1964) and the Victoires de la Musique Lifetime achievement award (2014). He was made an honorary citizen of several cities, including Jemappes (Belgium, 1966), Montreal (Canada, 2002), and Paris (France, 2005). Since 1993, he has been an honorary UNICEF ambassador for Belgium.
Personal Life
Adamo's father sadly passed away in a drowning accident on August 7, 1966. In the late 1960s, Adamo married Nicole Durant. They have three children: Anthony (born 1969), Amélie (born 1980), and Benjamin (born 1981). He also has two granddaughters. His younger sister, Délizia, is also a singer. He wrote several songs for her, including her first hit, "Prends le chien," in 1974. She also joined him on his tour in 1975.
In 1984, Adamo had heart problems and needed a heart bypass operation. He had to take a break from work for a while. Since 1993, he has been an honorary UNICEF ambassador for Belgium. In this role, he has visited many countries, including Vietnam, Lebanon, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. In 2004, health issues forced him to cancel a tour. However, he started touring again in 2007.
Fun Facts
- In his song Dolce Paola, Adamo sang about Paola, who later became the Queen of Belgium. There were rumors in the news that Adamo had a relationship with the princess. Later, Prince Philippe asked him to write a song for his wife, Mathilde.
- Since 1994, there has been a type of Dutch tulip named "Adamo."
- His song Vous permettez, monsieur? was the number one song on the annual list in 1964.
- In the town of Sin-le-Noble in France, there is a street named Rue Salvatore Adamo.
Discography
Salvatore Adamo has released many albums and singles throughout his long career.
Studio Albums
He has released numerous studio albums, starting in 1962. Some of his early albums include:
- 1962 : Sans Toi Ma mie
- 1963 : Chansons non-commerciales
- 1964 : Tombe la neige
- 1964 : Vous Permettez Monsieur
- 1965 : La Nuit, vol. 2
...and many more, including his recent 2023 album In French Please!.
Albums in Other Languages
Adamo has also recorded albums in various languages:
- In German: Seine Grossen Erfolge (1988), All the Best (2011), and others.
- In Spanish: Aquellas manos en tu cintura (1981), Las mejores canciones (1990), and many more.
- In Turkish: ‘’Her yerde kar var’’ (1964).
Compilation Albums
He has many compilation albums that gather his greatest hits, such as:
- 1967: Hits of Adamo
- 1974: Los Hits de Adamo en Castellano
- 2003: C'est ma vie: L'Intégrale 1963/1975
- 2019: 1962-1975 (8 CD PIAS)
- In Italian: Canto L'Amore (1996), Studio Collection (2005), and others.
Live Albums
Adamo has also released many live albums from his concerts, including:
- 1965 : Adamo à l'Olympia
- 1967 : Olympia 67
- 1969 : Adamo in Japan live
- 2004 : Un soir au Zanzibar (En public au Cirque Royal de Bruxelles)
...and many more from his tours around the world.
Singles
Adamo has released a large number of singles throughout his career. Some of his most famous singles include:
- 1963: "Tombe la neige"
- 1964: "Vous permettez, Monsieur ?"
- 1964: "La Nuit"
- 1965: "Dolce Paola"
- 1965: "Mes mains sur tes hanches"
- 1967: "Inch'Allah"
- 1969: "Petit bonheur"
...and many more popular songs.
Singles in Other Languages
He also released singles in other languages, such as:
- In German: "Gestatten Sie, Monsieur?" (1964), "Ein kleines Glück" (1970), and others.
- In Italian: "Cade la neve" (1964), "Inch'Allah (se Dio vuole)" (1967), and others.
- In Spanish: "La noche" (1964), "Mis Manos en tu Cintura" (1966), and others.
DVDs
- 2003: Live in Japan 1992
- 2004: Un soir au Zanzibar (live)
- 2005: Salvatore Adamo en Chile
- 2020: En Concert 1976 (live)
- 2023: Salvatore Adamo : Documents TV (1963-1970)
Fun Facts About Adamo
- In his song Dolce Paola, Adamo sang about Paola, who later became the Queen of Belgium. Later, Prince Philippe asked him to write a song for his wife, Mathilde.
- Since 1994, there has been a type of Dutch tulip flower named "Adamo."
- His song Vous permettez, monsieur? was the number one song on the annual list in 1964.
- In the town of Sin-le-Noble in France, there is a street named "Rue Salvatore Adamo."
See also
In Spanish: Salvatore Adamo para niños
