Neomelodica: the Italian pop loved by the mob and hated by the law

Streaming has allowed the genre, sometimes sung by people with ties to the mafia, to become a national craze. Is a crackdown necessary, or merely kneejerk censorship?

Tony Colombo is one of the biggest names in neomelodica, an Italian music style combining elements of traditional Neapolitan song (think O Sole Mio) with modern pop influences. He has released more than 20 albums, held concerts across Italy, Germany, Canada and the US, and has hordes of fans.

It is also alleged that part of his fortune comes from laundering money for the Camorra, the Neapolitan mafia , made famous through its depiction in Roberto Saviano's book Gomorrah and its TV adaptation. On 21 December, the Italian police confiscated goods from Colombo including an apartment, two cars and 80,000 (66,000). In 2019, Colombo married the widow of a Camorra boss and he has reportedly been seen at parties thrown by the Camorra; prosecutors believe he has received dirty money from his wife's clan and attempted to pass them as proceeds from his music career. He has always denied any involvement with organised crime.