Gino Paoli, the poet of Italian song, dies at 91

Gino Paoli, the poet of Italian song, dies at 91

Italy bids farewell to Gino Paoli, who passed away in Genoa at the age of 91. A leading singer-songwriter, Paoli shaped Italian popular music with songs marked by emotional clarity and poetic simplicity.

Born in 1934 and raised in Genoa, Paoli was a central figure of the so-called "Genoese school", alongside artists such as Fabrizio De André and Luigi Tenco. From his late-1950s debut he wrote and performed songs that became part of the national cultural memory and continue to be covered by new artists.

• Il cielo in una stanza
• Sapore di sale
• Senza fine
• La gatta

His artistic path included difficult personal moments in the 1960s, from which he returned to music with renewed intensity. In the late 1980s he also served as a member of parliament, reflecting his engagement with public life.

Gino Paoli’s legacy is a repertoire of songs that explore love, vulnerability and everyday life with an essential, evocative language. He leaves an immense cultural heritage that will continue to be listened to, reinterpreted and studied as a cornerstone of Italian musical history.