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Otello Profazio was born in Rende (CS) 26/12/1934. debuted in 1952 participating at the musical contest "Il microfono è vostro" with the song "'U Ciucciu", which gave rise to a long carrier spanning ~70 years. He was not only a singer but a researcher and a divulgator of traditional folk music of South Italy, particularly of Sicily and Calabria. In fact he directed a radio program called "Quando la gente canta" for more than 20 years where he promoted many folk singers (cantastorie) like Eugenio Bennato and presented his researchs of traditional stories, proverbs and songs all over Italy by interviewing people. He got large critical praise with the following albums: - Il Brigante Musolino (1963) , a musical recount of life events of the famous brigant Giuseppe Musolino; - Il treno del sole (1964), consisting of Ignazio Buttitta's poems set to music; - Storie e leggende del sud (1965), which includes some of his most important tradesmarks: Vitti 'na crozza, La leggenda di Colapesce, la baronessa di Carini, La canzone del flauto et cetera. Most important achievements: - Inspired ~80 LPs COLLANA FOLK CETRA (1971-1979) by G. Governi; - LP Qua si campa d'aria (1974) sold over a million copies awardeding GOLDEN DISK, only italian folk LP reaching such record; - Premio internazionale di studi demoetnoantropologici PITRÉ-SALOMONE MARINO - CITY OF PALERMO - Edition 1999; - PREMIO LUIGI TENCO - Edition 2016. Otello Profazio died on 24 July 2023, at the age of 88.
