Gianfranco Novarino a.k.a. GF plays guitar, sings, composes and writes songs whose unifying themes are the elemental ones of our very existence - nature, life, love, loss, joy, sorrow, friendship and compassion to name but a few. His ultimate aspiration is to create introspective pieces with a timeless quality and soulful lyrics of universal appeal.
He also sets old poems to music and interprets other songwriter's songs chosen from a variety of genres and eras. In doing so he attempts to convey these works in the way he perceives them in his mind's eye and understands them in his musical ear, whilst at the same time paying the utmost respect to their original aesthetic and artistic contents.
Musically self-taught, he draws inspiration from the great American singer-songwriters of the 1960's-70's, the 1950's-60's Bossa Nova current from Brazil, traditional folk music from the British Isles and elsewhere, and many others.
Sounds Like: James Taylor, Michael Franks
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Full bio
He was given his first guitar at age 7 and fell in love with it despite the fact that it was just a toy. Many more (proper!) ones have followed in his self-taught journey of discovery of this humble, wonderful instrument.
In 1974, at age 15, he gave his first public performance in a guitar trio which he founded in Rome with a friend who went on to become one of the most respected jazz double bass players worldwide.
More performances followed, but eventually he gave in to his other passion, science, and spent the next 30 years as a professional biologist and microscopist. But his love for music never having disappeared he carried on doing it on the side and in the 1990's he made a very brief return to the recording studio.
Recently, following a critical health event, his life had another change of heart and, once again, music is his main pursuit.
Musically he drawa inspiration from many sources, especially the great American singer-songwriters of the 1960's-70's, the 1950's-60's Bossa Nova current from Brazil, traditional folk music from the British Isles and elsewhere, and many others too, but there are others. But he doesn't like talking about his songs too much, he find it a bit self-defeating and he always hope that a song will be its own explanation.
He is also passionate about setting old poems to his own music. Technically he likes to think of his guitar playing as "eclectic" and drawing on many styles, sometimes all at the same time, sometimes not.