Rome hosts first exhibition dedicated to Rino Gaetano, one of Italy's most beloved singer-songwriters

The first exhibition dedicated to Rino Gaetano, entitled Rino Gaetano, will be hosted in Rome from February 16 to April 28, 2024, at the Museo di Roma in Trastevere. A singer-songwriter who marked an era in Italian music, with his rough voice and seemingly light but full of content lyrics, he was able to scratch society and politics without ever hiding behind labels and masks.

The exhibition is sponsored by Roma Capitale, Assessorato alla Cultura, Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali, is curated by Alessandro Nicosia and Alessandro Gaetano and is organized and produced by C.O.R. Creare Organizzare Realizzare, with the organizational support of Zètema Progetto Cultura, under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and SIAE Società Italiana degli Autori ed Editori with the media partner of Rai and the collaboration of Rai Teche and Universal Music Publishing Group. A never-before-seen exhibition born from the research of materials documenting Rino Gaetano’s artistic journey, enriched by documents, musical instruments, photos, record collections, granted for the occasion by his sister Anna: also on display are the striped bathrobe worn during Festivalbar at the Arena di Verona in 1978 and the leather jacket worn at Sanremo, as well as posters and a collection of hats. His songs, characterized by strong civic engagement and innovation, have become symbols for modern generations, used in films and compilations. The social denunciation associated with his irony remains relevant today, along with his struggle against conformity. The artist’s lyrics should therefore be interpreted as evocative images that feed the two souls of his inspiration: the anarchic and boisterous one and the poetic and poignant one. Through satirical lyrics the singer-songwriter critiqued the Italian crisis, extolled the strength of women and challenged social clichés with songs such as 1978’s Nuntereggae più and 1975’s Ma il cielo è sempre più blu while songs such as Gianna (1978) and 1976’s Berta filava instead addressed themes of marginalization.The creative peak is reached with the album Mio fratello è figlio unico, which remains one of the most important records not only in the singer’s career but in Italian music in general.

The exhibition will be accompanied by the catalog published by Gangemi Editore, which contains history, images and a long list of testimonies that help to understand the facets of a man considered one of the cult storytellers of our history. The event will feature live performances by Alessandro Gaetano, in trio with the Rino Gaetano Band and Diana Tejera, who will perform some mini acoustic concerts, allowing visitors to discover and experience the power of his music. Dates will be announced on the museum’s website.

Rome hosts first exhibition dedicated to Rino Gaetano, one of Italy's most beloved singer-songwriters

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