PAOLO ZAVALLONE

Paolo Zavallone (born Paolo Zavalloni, 29 August 1932, Riccione – 20 June 2023, Bologna), aka El Pasador, was a brilliant Italian composer, arranger, conductor, and singer.  Beginning his career in the 1950s, he spanned genres from jazz to pop, with a special focus on music for television. 

After playing keyboards in the band of Italian jazz clarinettist Henghel Gualdi, he formed his own band in 1957 and wrote for renowned Italian artists like Adriano Celentano. 

He achieved success in the 1970s as El Pasador, a moniker reflecting his distinctive baritone voice, thick chevron moustache, and playful fusion of Italian tradition and Latin exoticism. Under this name, he released catchy disco hits such as “Amada Mia, Amore Mio” and “Mucho Mucho”. Alongside his El Pasador persona, Zavallone also conducted the orchestra at Italy’s popular Sanremo Music Festival and composed theme songs for Italian TV shows like  Non Stop  and  La sberla. 

From 1980 onwards, after writing the soundtrack for his comedian friend Ezio Greggio’s big screen debut (a surreal and wacky film titled Sbamm! where Zavallone was cast in a small role as a record producer), he focused primarily on music for radio and television. He continued collaborating with RAI as both a composer and conductor. In 1982, alongside his nine-year-old daughter Cristina, he recorded “Papà ha la bua”, the theme song for the children’s TV show Tip Tap. Like fellow composer Augusto Martelli, he also served as an arranger for Zecchino d’Oro, the popular children’s singing competition, a role he held for over a decade starting in the late 1980s. 

In the mid-1970s, Zavallone’s library music was released by small Italian independent labels like Caramba and Abramo Allione. Some of these compositions, including “Yellow Fever”, “Big John”, and “Papillon Rouge”, found renewed appreciation in the 1990s and early 2000s when original and remixed versions appeared on UK compilations and Italian reissues, becoming cult tracks within the European acid-jazz, funk, and disco scene. 

In 1983, Zavallone’s growing output of library music led him to found Paloma Records, a family-run label through which he released five albums in rapid succession over a couple of years, all intended for use in RAI television and radio programmes. Performed by top session musicians from the Bolognese scene (including Rudy Trevisi, Davide Romani, Lele Melotti, and Paolo Gianolio, along with Zavallone’s friend, co-producer and co-arranger Mauro Malavasi), these albums have become increasingly sought after for their unique blend of genres and forward-thinking production, anticipating later tends in dance music. Seamlessly transitioning between jazz, funk, disco, and synth-driven electronic soundscapes, these recordings showcase Zavallone’s modern   arrangements and innovative expressive solutions, a testament to his rich and multifaceted musical legacy.