Vince Tempera

Biography
Vince Tempera (full name: Vincenzo Tempera Grima) began his career in music as a drummer in progressive pop bands in the 1960s, such as La Nuova Era and The Pleasure Machine. From 1970 onwards, he has worked as a studio arranger for many artists: Mina, Loredana Berté, Mario Lavezzi, and Lucio Battisti, to name just a few. He has been Lucio Battisti’s musical director in the recording studio and on stage since 1970. Tempera wrote the music to many TV cartoon series, including ‘Nils Holgersson’ and ‘Atlas Ufo Robot’; he also composed the music to feature films such as ‘Fantozzi’ (1975) and ‘L’amore non basta’ (2005). He has regularly been the musical director of TV shows and has appeared in the Sanremo Festival as a conductor on more than fifteen occasions.

Vince Tempera arranged and conducted Malta’s Eurovision entry in 1975, Renato’s ‘Singing this song’, which finished twelfth in Stockholm. In the 1990s, when Malta returned to the contest after a long absence, Tempera helped the island state in the contest on three occasions by writing the orchestration to their entries ‘Could it be’ (1991), ‘This time’ (1993), and ‘Keep me in mind’ (1995). These songs were conducted by Maltese musicians, Paul Abela, Joseph Sammut, and Ray Agius respectively, and all finished in the top ten. In 2008, Tempera presided over the jury which chose the first (and to date only) San Marino entry to the contest, Miodio’s ‘Complice’. Tempera has often pleaded for Italy’s return in the Eurovision Song Contest, but – so far – to no avail.

In due course, a more extensive biography of Vince Tempera will be published on this website