Goodbye to Celso Valli, the architect of Italian pop

Celso Vallihistoric producer, arranger and Italian composer, He died today, July 28, in Bologna. He was 75 years old. Born in the Emilian capital on 14 May 1950, Valli was one of the most influential protagonists of Italian light music from the 70s onwards. Graduated from the Bologna Conservatory, he began his career as a keyboard player and arranger, initially collaborating with artists such as Drupi and Gianni Bella, and then became a point of reference for great names of the Italian music scene. Among his best known collaborations include those with Vasco Rossi, Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazzotti, Claudio Baglioni, Fiorella Mannoia and many others. He contributed to making Hit pieces like “in the air” by Marcella Bella, “what women do not say” of Fiorella Mannoia, “I feel you” of the Matia Bazar, Raf’s “Self Control”. And above all he arranged the best -selling Italian album of all time, “Life is now” by Baglioni.

His work was characterized by great attention to the construction of sound and orchestral arrangements. Valli has directed the orchestra in numerous editions of the Sanremo Festival, as well as having signed international successes as producer and musician. During his career he has been able to combine technical competence and musical taste, contributing in a decisive way to the definition of Italian sound between the 80s and 2000. Among his personal projects we mention “Seven songs on the floor”, an album released in 2022 which collected songs he composed and played in an instrumental form. Three years ago, on the occasion of that release, we interviewed him retracing all his career: Here you can read our interview: Read here.