Giovanni D'Anzi

Giovanni D’Anzi (1 January 1906 – 15 April 1974) was an Italian songwriter. Biography D’Anzi was born in Milan. In 1935 he wrote music and lyrics of “Oh mia bella Madonnina” (“My beautiful little Madonna”), a song dedicated to his hometown which soon became very popular and a sort of unofficial city anthem. Between the 1930s and 1950s Giovanni D’Anzi and Alfredo Bracchi formed a very prolific pair of songwriters. They worked for radio, cinema and theater productions. Several of their songs were great hits. Among them “Ma le gambe”, “Bambina innamorata”, “Ma l’amore no”, “Voglio vivere così”, “Ti parlerò d’amor”. His song “Malinconia d’amore” has been sung by both Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras. Most of their songs were in Milanese dialect, and described ironically characters of the past in Milan, for example “La gagarella del Biffi Scala” (“The Spoiled Daughter of Mr Biffi Scala”) and “El Tumiami de Loret” (“The Braggart from Piazzale Loreto”), “El Biscella” (“The Silly-Bully Boy”). During the 1960s Giovanni D’Anzi retired from the musical scene. He moved to Liguria and took up painting. He died at Santa Margherita Ligure. Milan’s local authorities included him in the list of