Italian music legend Peppino di Capri dies, honored by artists and officials

Peppino di Capri, born Giuseppe Faiella in 1939 on the island of Capri, died after a career that spanned more than seven decades, becoming a symbol of Italian popular music and the Neapolitan song tradition.

Tributes poured in from cultural and political figures. Tourism Minister Gianmarco Mazzi said the nation would work to have the Neapolitan song recognised as intangible heritage, calling Peppino “the maximum expression” of that tradition. Artists Amedeo Minghi, Cristiano Malgioglio, drummer Tullio De Piscopo and Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis expressed personal grief, recalling his Sanremo victories, collaborations with the Beatles and his lasting influence on generations of Italians.