O Sole Mio - Eduardo di Capua

"O Sole Mio" (My Sunshine) was composed in 1898 by Eduardo di Capua with lyrics by Giovanni Capurro. It is a Canzone Napolitano and as such, does not have a typical 32-bar AABA or ABAC form. Rather, it has a 16-bar verse and a 16-bar chorus and both together make up the 32-bar form.

There are many versions on Youtube. There is a classic 1916 performance by Enrico Caruso and the Victor Orchestra and many modern performances by Luciano Pavarotti. Look for a fine (and visually beautiful) performance by the Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins. In addition, Elvis Presley, who had heard the song when in the Army in Europe, commissioned new English lyrics and recorded the song in 1960 as "It's Now Or Never."

I arranged and posted "O Sole Mio" as it retains great popularity in the Italian-American community. Rather than perform it with the tango rhythm that it and other Neapolitan songs were conceived with, I follow Elvis and play it as a rhumba. I use the Latin - Cuba: Bolero style at 110 bpm.

O Sole Mio - Eduardo di Capua