Born in Naples, composer Cesare Bixio became one of Italy’s most popular songwriters during the 1930s, 40s and 50s. He composed his first song, “Suonno e Fantasia,” at the age of 13. Some of his best-known compositions are “Mamma,” “Vivere,” “Parlami d'amore,” “Mariù,” and “La mia canzone al vento.” In 1920 he founded the first Italian music publishing house in Milan, Bixio Publishing Group. The company specialized particularly in soundtracks for films at a time when talking films were replacing silent ones. Bixio composed the music for the first Italian sound film, “La Canzone dell’Amore,” in 1930. He became one of Italy’s most respected soundtrack composers.