Ligabue

Setting out to give Italy its own, distinct form of rock and roll, Luciano Ligabue established himself as one of the nation's favourite songwriters and performers in the 1990s, later turning his hand to film-making, short story writing and political activism.

Born in the small northern town of Correggio, Ligabue worked in factories, as a farmhand and as an accountant after leaving school, but started pursuing music with his first band Orazero in the mid-1980s. Things took off for them when they won a prestigious talent show in 1988, and singer-songwriter Pierangelo Bertoli became an early mentor for Ligabue, recording his songs 'Sogni di Rock n' Roll' and 'Figlio di un Cane'. He was 30 years old when he released his first self-titled album in 1990, but Ligabue quickly built a loyal following and won the Green Disk Emerging Artist Prize at the Festivalbar competition for his hit single 'Balliamo Sul Mondo'.

At the forefront of a new generation of Italian rock acts, Ligabue went on to open for U2 on their Zoo TV tour and his albums 'Lambrusco Coltelli Rose & Popcorn' and 'Sopravvissuti e Sopravviventi' both sold close to half a million copies. He also started the label La Mescal, which championed younger acts, including Mau Mau and Modena City Ramblers, before he scored his biggest success when the million copy selling 'Buon Compleanno Elvis' spent 70 weeks in the charts.

The live record 'Su e Giu da un Palco' captured his spectacular tours and included an appearance from Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor; he went on to sell-out the San Siro Stadium and play a homecoming gig in Reggio Emilia for more than 180,000 people in 2005. He finally toured in US for the first time in 2014 in support of his pop opus 'Mondovisione' and over his long, storied career Ligabue also directed films including 'Radiofreccia' in 1997 and 'Da Zero a Dieci' in 2001, and published sci-fi novel 'La Neve Se Ne Frega' and poetry book 'Leterre d'Amorenel Frigo'.