MARIO NATALE

Born: August 24th, 1959, Verona (Italy)

Nationality: Italian

In due course, the short impression below will be replaced with a more extensive career overview

BIOGRAPHY

Mario Natale, originally a percussionist, has been a record producer and arranger since the early 1980s, working with many disco acts in the first years of his career; these include Francesco Salvi and Angel, a studio group of which Natale was one of the members. Later onwards, he also wrote arrangements for Ricchi & Poveri, Patty Pravo, Toto Cutugno, Loredana Berté, and Jovanotti. In the mid-1990s, he formed another studio group, Clockwork, which released a couple of albums with disco and house tracks. As a conductor, Natale appeared in various TV broadcasts, including talent shows such as Operazione Trionfo (2001) and variety programmes, e.g. ‘Il treno dei desideri’ (2005). From 1990 onwards, he conducted in many San Remo Festivals, very often with quite modern acts, including dance band Eiffel65. He was involved in arranging and conducting the 2002 San Remo winner ‘Messaggio d’amore’ for Matia Bazar.

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST

With his producing partners Silvio Melloni and Roberto Turatti (both co-members of Angel), Mario Natale arranged the 1989 Italian entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, ‘Avrei voluto’, sung by Anna Oxa & Fausto Leali. This singing duo had won San Remo earlier that year with ‘Ti lascerò’ and was now given the opportunity to represent Italy abroad. Natale conducted the orchestra for them in Lausanne. This Italian effort finished ninth.

EUROVISION INVOLVEMENT YEAR BY YEAR

1989 Lausanne

Country – Italy

Song title – "Avrei voluto"

Rendition – Anna Oxa & Fausto Leali

Lyrics – Franco Berlincioni / Franco Ciani

Composition – Franco Fasano

Studio arrangement – Silvio Melloni / Mario Natale / Roberto Turatti

Live orchestration – Mario Natale

Conductor – Mario Natale

Score – 10th place (56 votes)