Otello Profazio (1934-2023) was an influential Italian folk singer-songwriter, author, and cantastorie (a traditional storyteller and singer).
Born in Rende, Calabria, Profazio's career began in 1953 with his participation in the radio contest "Il microfono è vostro." He rose to prominence in 1964 with the critically acclaimed album "Il treno del sole" (The Train of the Sun). This album set poems by Ignazio Buttitta to music and marked a turning point in Profazio's style, becoming more original and distinctive.
Profazio was a champion of traditional Southern Italian folk music, particularly from his native Calabria and Sicily. Throughout his career, he revitalized and reinterpreted folk songs, weaving them with his own songwriting to create a unique and powerful sound.author. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.