Matteo Salvatore (Apricena, 16 June 1925 - Foggia, 27 August 2005) was an Italian composer and singer of popular music, as well as an interpreter of traditional Gargano songs, Matteo Salvatore spends his childhood in the poverty that afflicts his native land and the whole of Italy after the First World War, so much so that his childhood and poverty become the main themes applicants in the lyrics of his songs.Since the fifties he has composed and performed ballads typically pervaded by an aura of joy and comedy, and enriched by amusing anecdotes narrated through a language characterised by particular irreverence.It was discovered by Claudio Villa, who had him sign a contract for his own label, Vis Radio: he debuted in 1955 with the first three 78s, published the same day and containing six tracks recorded in a single session.Despite having experienced a youth of misery and illiteracy, thanks to the affirmation of musical talent and the poetic strength of his words, he manages to find his own redemption, arousing the appreciation of the public and the esteem on the part of various intellectuals including Italo Calvino , which states that "We still have to invent the words of Matteo Salvatore."In 1973 his career has a forced stop: he is in fact arrested with the accusation of having killed his partner, the singer Adriana Doriani in San Marino. He served 4 years of prison instead of 7 assigned by the sentence, thanks to a good conduct recognised by the Republic of San Marino.Among his admirers also Vinicio Capossela who during the concert on May 1st 2010 identified him as "the greatest singer on exploitation" and Eugenio Bennato who describes the great Apulian artist in a few verses in the song "Italia minore":"Great poet of poor people different son of southern Italy, your song is an emigrant going to seek his fortune in Germany."