Mango funeral draws thousands of mourners to hometown

(ANSA) - Lagonegro, December 10 - Hundreds of mourning fans gathered in silence outside the main church in the small town of Lagonegro on Wednesday for the funeral of Italian singer-songwriter Mango, who died during a benefit concert performance in nearby Policoro on Sunday evening. Just prior to the funeral in the singer's hometown of less than 6,000 residents, the crowd erupted in a round of applause as the casket carrying 60-year-old Giuseppe 'Pino' Mango made its way inside the packed church that was unable to hold all of the thousands of people who turned out for the ceremony. The town of Lagonegro declared Wednesday an official day of mourning in recognition of the funeral, with yet another, for Mango's brother, to take place later in the afternoon. The singer's 75-year-old brother, Giovanni, died just two days after 60-year-old Mango's death of a heart attack on stage - an apparent cardiac arrest that some have speculated was a true case of "broken heart syndrome". "'Broken heart syndrome' usually affects women, and is similar to a heart attack although the symptoms aren't as severe," said Antonio Rebuzzi, a professor of cardiology at Rome's Catholic University. "It's not unusual for a shock like a death to provoke a cardiological illness like a heart attack or malignant arrhythmia". Two of the singer's other brothers, Armando and Michele, were also treated in hospital after taking ill on Tuesday when they discovered that Giovanni had died as well. They have since left hospital. Mango reached the peak of his fame in Italy in the 1980s, with a unique blend of pop, folk, and world music. When he collapsed on stage, Mango was performing one of his most famous songs, "Oro", first released in 1986 on his album 'Odissea' and covered in 1994 by iconic Italian singer Mina on her album 'Canarino mannaro'. "Mango was a generous artist with a kind soul and an exceptional sensitivity, which all of Italy could see when he took ill on stage," said Italian lyricist Mogol, who collaborated with Mango in the 1980s and 90s. "He was a really talented colleague, perhaps even a bit too reserved.
He's a person that I'll always remember with joy," said Italian folk singer-songwriter Francesco De Gregori. Fans have created a Facebook page inviting the singer's colleagues to unite in a benefit concert to build schools in Africa, similar to the concert in which Mango was performing when he died. The hashtag #Mango hit Twitter's list of top trending hashtags on Tuesday, second only to the hashtag #MafiaCapitale relating to the major mafia scandal that broke in Rome last week.