The classical Neapolitan song is a musical repertoire that developed in Naples from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the immediate post-war period. Defined as the golden era of Neapolitan song, its authors and composers include important poets and lyricists, mostly Neapolitan, as well as illustrious opera personalities who have handed down the songs of the repertoire over time. This trend is very distinct within the broader production of Neapolitan folklore, which dates back to previous centuries and has been the subject of rediscovery (and inspiration of new genres) since the 1970s. The season of "classical" Neapolitan song, as more fully explained in the entry Neapolitan song, is considered substantially exhausted with the closure of the Naples Festival in 1970, in favor of new genres (including neomelodic and ethnic music), bearers of influences different and with innovative stylistic elements.
Umberto Napolitano was one of the singers of this season, perhaps less known than others but with a repertoire and a variety of themes that this full-bodied ensemble brilliantly demonstrates.