Giovanni D’Anzi playlist

Giovanni D’Anzi - From Milan to Naples, by way of Florence

The Milanese Giovanni D'Anzi (1906-74) was one of the most original and prolific songwriters in Italy. Active from the 1930s, he bestowed to the Italian songbook evergreen songs that have entered the repertoires of several generations of performers. His vast production features a good number of songs in dialect, starting with the Madonina. Now an unofficial anthem of Milan, this song was originally written to make fun of the Neapolitan singers who performed successfully in Milanese clubs, and whom Giovanni d’Anzi would honour in other songs.