Francesco Messina (I)

Born in 1951, Sicilian by origin but Milanese by adoption, Messina is a photographer, graphic designer and cover designer, keyboard player, author of lyrics and music. His record releases are, however, reduced to just three albums. His debut came in 1979 with the album Prati bagnati del monte Analogo, recorded in duo with Raul Lovisoni. The album, pressed for Cramps and produced by Franco Battiato, was based on the unfinished novel ‘Le Mont Analogue’ by René Daumal. The music was in the electronic-experimental genre. The two carved out one side each: the first was occupied by a long piece by Messina, the other by two tracks by Lovisoni. The second record release was in 1982 and once again it was an achievement with another author: Henri Thomasson. The record, ‘The True Story of Kas-Kas the Little Squirrel’, again produced by Franco Battiato for CGD and made in support of the WWF, was a children’s fairy tale with lyrics translated into Italian and music written by Messina. In 1983, Francesco Messina’s solo debut finally arrived. He recorded ‘Medio Occidente’ (Middle West), consisting of eight tracks written by him, five of which were instrumental, and produced it for Casablanca Records (a Polygram label). In the same period, Messina also wrote and collaborated with Alberto Radius, Giusto Pio, Alice and Franco Battiato, and with the whole environment that gravitated around him. Currently, he occasionally works on productions and soundtracks. He lives in the province of Udine with singer Alice (Carla Bissi), whose partner he has been since the early 1980s and whose records he produces and co-writes.