The prophet of beat and voice of "Donna Felicità" and "Singapore" leaves us at the age of 78.

He passed away on Sunday, March 15, at the age of 78, Pasquale “Paki” Canzi, a singer and musician from Milan, the voice behind hits like “Donna felicitá”, “Ragazzina, ragazzina”, “Anna da dimenticare”, and “Singapore”.

Frontman of the beat group I Nuovi Angeli, he was one of the main figures in the Italian pop scene from the late Sixties to the early Seventies.

Born in Milano on September 8, 1947, his band sold around eight million records, marking an era that accompanied several generations.

Passionate about music since childhood, he started with the piano and attended the conservatory.

In the early Sixties, he formed the duo Paki & Paki with Pasquale Andriola, recording their first 45s and participating in the Festivalbar of 1964.

The turning point came in 1966 with the birth of the Nuovi Angeli, a group shared with Alberto Pasetti, Renato Sabbioni, and Ricky Rebaioli.

After the first recordings and some showcases, the big success came in 1969 with “Ragazzina, ragazzina”, the Italian version of “Mendocino” by the Sir Douglas Quintet. Two years later, he achieved fame with “Donna felicitá” (1971), a song also written by Roberto Vecchioni and Andrea Lo Vecchio: over one and a half million copies sold and topping the charts even abroad.

Among the other titles that marked the band's career are “Uakadì Uakadù”, “Singapore”, and “Anna da dimenticare”, which remained among the most listened singles in Italy for a long time.

After the golden age of the Seventies, the group changed its lineup several times, but Canzi remained the constant: the voice, pianist, and most recognizable face of the band.

In the following years, he continued to tour with the repertoire of the Nuovi Angeli, nurturing his relationship with the audience. He lived between Milano and Peschiera Borromeo and had never stopped performing: a concert was scheduled for March 20 at the Auditorium of Bareggio, in the Milan area, together with Aldo Valente and Marco Bonino, an event that can no longer take place.

On social media, there are numerous messages of condolence from fans and colleagues.

The funeral home has been set up from today in Vignate (Milan), at the La Vignatese facility. The funeral, in a secular form, will be held on Wednesday, March 18 at 11 AM.