Fred Bongusto

The Profile

Fred Bongusto (born Alfredo Antonio Carlo Buongusto, Campobasso, 6 April 1935 – Rome, 8 November 2019) was an Italian singer and composer. Known for a crooner style that blended easy listening, Latin hues, jazz and swing, he scored hits such as “Una rotonda sul mare” and “Spaghetti, insalatina e una tazzina di caffè (a Detroit)”. He also composed film music, including scores for Il tigre and Malizia.

Italian crooner and composer from Molise; birth name Alfredo Antonio Carlo Buongusto; key songs include “Una rotonda sul mare”, “Spaghetti, insalatina e una tazzina di caffè (a Detroit)”, “Tre settimane da raccontare”, “Balliamo”; collaborated with Franco Califano; recorded covers of Louis Armstrong and Luigi Tenco; wrote film scores (e.g., Il tigre, Malizia); active from the 1960s into the 2000s; died in 2019.

Two reviews paint Fred Bongusto as an Italian crooner blending Latin melodicism with jazz and swing, thriving in the ‘confidential’ nightclub mood. Highlights include “Spaghetti a Detroit,” “Una rotonda sul mare,” “Tre settimane da raccontare,” and “Balliamo.” Another review tours the 1972 album “Alfredo Antonio Carlo Bongusto,” noting covers, Neapolitan detours, and Califano collaborations. Overall tone is appreciative with mild reservations on album consistency.