Born in Sant’Angelo di Gatteo a few kilometers from the Riviera Romagnola, he lived his early years during the dramatic period of World War II, in the middle of the Gothic line. These difficult years forged the character of Raoul and laid the foundations for his courage and creativity. At the age of 16, his uncle Secondo Casadei, the iconic founder of the Orchestra Casadei, gave him a guitar and Raoul began to develop his passion for music, to crush and compose his first songs, making treasures of every note.

"I was born in Ferragosto,
in full summer,
with the sun in your pocket"

"My true passion is to write popular songs, for people, they are songs where I believe"

The MMaestro of
elementary school

In 1960, after graduation at the magisterial institute, Raoul moved to Cagnano Varano, in Puglia, to work as a master. With his pupils he established a deep bond, thanks to innovative teaching methods that combined the Montessori approach with open air lessons, accompanied by guitar sound and even with notions of sexual education, breaking the traditional canons of the time.

"On the other hand, our music has a secret, which is then that of our people. He's got his feet on the ground. And when the strong wind blows it can slam and tilt. But it always remains firm. And above all he can laugh about the wind. "

From the book 'Based a cricket (to make us dream)Raoul Casadei with Paolo Gambi Piemme Editions 2013

Love, the Pine

During his years of teaching in Puglia, Raoul met Pina, Maria Giuseppina Sirgiovanni, a young Neapolitan, shy and reserved teacher. Their love story began in a trattoria, when Raoul's dog approached Pina, scaring her to such a point to get her on the table. From there their relationship flourished and it was the beginning of a life together. By time, they built a family strong and united, creating a large garden called The Fence, where they lived with children and grandchildren in four independent houses but closely tied.

"I tried to follow the family and stay as close as possible with my children. During the tour if I could always go back. I was practicing with them, and then I was sharing. "

During the smooth boom in the 1970s, the Raoul Casadei orchestra reached peaks of 370 concerts a year, with double Sunday performances, afternoon and evening.

Second & Raoul Casadei

In 1971, the death of Second Casadei marked a turning point in Raoul's life. Until then he had followed only occasionally the Orchestra, but he had already composed and engraved the same ‘Canzoni Cartolina’, dedicated to the cities of the Riviera and in full industrial boom, had promoted together with the uncle the concept of Right to free time for the working classes and peasants. At 33 years old, already married and father, he left teaching after 17 years, only one year after retirement, to collect the musical heritage ofOrchestra Casadei. The morning after the death of his uncle, leaving the house, he found many people waiting for him, who came to tell him that he had to carry out the history of the Orchestra.

"I had a great passion for cycling when I grew up: I had a beautiful fly, I was a speeder"

From the book 'Based a cricket (to make us dream)Raoul Casadei with Paolo Gambi Piemme Editions 2013

A success

by popular force

From an ABACUS survey of the 1990s, Raoul was more known than the then President of the Republic. His popularity was undisputed: over 90% of Italians knew him, with impressive percentages in different age groups: 93.5% between 35 and 54 years, 83% between 14 and 24 years, 90.4% between 25 and 34 years, and 91.8% between over 55.

In the 1970s Raoul was the creator of the boom of the smooth. Thanks to his songs from spontaneous music everyone returned to feel free to get off the track and dance. Thanks to his popularity he contributed decisively to the launch of tourism on the Riviera Romagnola. The Ca’ del Liscio, the largest local in Italy, was one of its most iconic achievements. In the 1980s, with his solar and joyful music, he continued to evolve and innovate, always keeping contact with his audience, until he left his son Mirko, who continues the Casadei tradition.