A Farewell to Peppino di Capri

An old cassette tape that
belonged to my parents

Iconic Neapolitan singer, songwriter, and pianist Peppino di Capri died on July 11 at his home on his beloved native island of Capri. Born Giuseppe Faiella on July 27, 1939, into a family of musicians, he rose to fame in the 1950s by blending the emerging sounds of American rock ‘n’ roll and the twist with the rich melodic traditions of Neapolitan song. As Naples, the Amalfi Coast, and the islands of the Bay of Naples regained their international glamour from the 1960s onward, Peppino di Capri and his music became fixtures of both the international jet set and local social life.

A child prodigy, he began playing the piano at the age of four. During the Second World War, he performed for Allied soldiers while continuing his musical studies in Naples. By the age of fourteen, he was already singing and playing piano professionally in Capri and Ischia. In 1958, he formed the group Peppino di Capri e i Suoi Rockers, adopting the affectionate stage name that proudly proclaimed his Caprese origins. His early Neapolitan-language recordings, including Nun è Peccato and Malattia, quickly became popular successes.

Over the course of a remarkable career spanning more than six decades, he recorded beloved classics from the Neapolitan repertoire alongside numerous original compositions. Among his most enduring songs are Roberta, Champagne, Forever, and Saint Tropez Twist. His willingness to evolve musically allowed him to move seamlessly from the twist era into contemporary Italian popular music while remaining unmistakably Neapolitan in style.

In 1965, he opened for the Beatles during their Italian tour. He won the Sanremo Music Festival in 1973 with Un grande amore e niente più and again in 1976 with Non lo faccio più. In 1970, he founded his own record label, Splash, and in 1991 represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest with the Neapolitan song Comme è ddoce ’o mare.

His signature song, Champagne, released in 1973, became one of the defining love songs of modern Italian music. Reflecting the complexities of romance, marriage, and heartbreak, it established him as one of Italy’s great romantic interpreters and endeared him to successive generations of listeners.

In recognition of his extraordinary career, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sanremo Music Festival in 2023. He continued performing well into his later years and, in 2025, became the subject of the successful Rai 1 biographical film Champagne – Peppino di Capri.

After a long illness, Peppino di Capri passed away on the island that had shaped both his life and his artistic identity. He lay in state in Capri, and the day of his funeral was marked by official mourning, with businesses and shops across the island closing in his honor.

By embracing the Neapolitan language and musical tradition while continually renewing its appeal for modern audiences, Peppino di Capri helped pave the way for generations of twentieth- and twenty-first-century Neapolitan recording artists. He demonstrated that Neapolitan music could remain rooted in its own traditions while speaking to audiences around the world. His legacy endures not only in his unforgettable songs but also in the renewed prestige he brought to Neapolitan music on the international stage.

Peppino di Capri is survived by his son, Igor Faiella, from his first marriage to Roberta Stoppa, and by his sons, Edoardo and Dario Faiella, from his second marriage to Giuliana Gagliardi.

~ By Cav. Charles Sant'Elia