Tony Canto: vocals and guitar
Ferruccio Spinetti: double bass
Dino Rubino: piano
Enzo Zirilli: drums and percussion
The upcoming album "Anima" Tony Canto’s sixth, can be described as a natural synthesis of his music. Following years of experience in recording and live performances in Brazil alongside exceptional musicians, Tony returns to composing without adhering to a specific genre. Instead, he freely expresses his musical essence within the song format, collaborating with a remarkable trio of musicians. The album is a live studio recording. “After years of working as an artistic producer and arranger, I wanted to turn off the computer and, like a salmon, swim against the current of ‘trends’ by playing instruments together and recording, imperfections and all.” The result is a collection of songs that, while undoubtedly jazz in their harmonies and execution, remains accessible as songwriting. This project, marking a new chapter in his career, will be presented in live performances. In these shows, the jazz essence of the musicians, combined with their exceptional technical skill and extraordinary melodic sensitivity, creates an emotional synchronicity among the artist, the musicians, and the audience. Tony Canto is a Sicilian musician, composer, singer-songwriter, producer, writer, arranger, and guitarist. For several years, he has been an author for Caterina Caselli's Sugar Music. He has written songs for Nina Zilli, Raphael Gualazzi, Mannarino, Patrizia Laquidara, Le Sorelle Marinetti, Musica Nuda, Pilar, and many others. Among his works is "Life is a Miracle," a song performed by Federico Paciotti and Sumi Jo. As a singer-songwriter, he has released five albums: "Il visionario" (2007), "La strada" (2009), "Italiano federale" (2011), and "Moltiplicato" (2016), the latter also released in Brazil in a unique Italo-Portuguese version under the prestigious Dubas-Musica label, titled "Moltiplicato Brasil." Sung in both Italian and Portuguese, the album features notable names in Brazilian Popular Music (MPB), highlighting the strong influence of Brazilian music in Canto's artistic development. His album "Casa do Canto" (2022) was entirely created in Rio de Janeiro. In addition to self-producing his albums, Tony has produced and arranged the first four albums by singer-songwriter Alessandro Mannarino and Mario Venuti’s "Tropitalia," a reimagining of classic Italian songs with bossa nova, samba, and Brazilian regional influences. In 2023, he produced and arranged Mario Venuti’s upcoming album of original songs, contributing three tracks, including the artist’s latest single, "Paradiso." Tony has also worked with artists such as Pilar, Elisa Ridolfi, Matteo Becucci, Il Parto delle Nuvole Pesanti, Mimmo Cavallaro, and many emerging talents. He wrote both lyrics and music for the poignant "A Mare Si Gioca," a reflection on migration performed by Nino Frassica at the Sanremo Festival in 2016. For cinema, he has collaborated with Paolo Buonvino, composing the score for Ninni Bruschetta’s film "La Prova" and Alessandro Tamburini’s "Ci Vuole Un Fisico," produced by Rai Cinema. His song "Ti Amo Italia" was the main track in Massimo Andrei’s "Benur" and won the Mario Camerini Award for Best Song in Film in 2013. Tony has also worked extensively in theater, composing for Claudio Fava's "Lavori in Corso" and Ninni Bruschetta’s productions of "L’Ufficio" and "Amleto." His deep connection with Brazilian music was cemented during a 2020 tour in Brazil promoting "Moltiplicato Brasil." This tour, which included duets with Brazilian icons like Chico César, Paula Morelenbaum, and Fernanda Takai, inspired his album "Casa do Canto," recorded in Rio with the collaboration of legendary musicians such as Marcelo Costa and Dadi Carvalho. Released in Brazil by Ronaldo Bastos' Dubas label and in Italy by Sugar Music, the album reflects a seamless blending of Italian melody with Brazilian harmonies and rhythms. In 2023, Tony composed and arranged music for Simone Cristicchi’s "Franciscus" and released two singles, "Casa" and "Piove Saudade," in collaboration with Luca Scorziello, Ferruccio Spinetti, and Fabrizio Bosso.
