ella ▁rh ythm ▁with ▁an ▁off - be at ▁tempo ▁acc ent u ated ▁by ▁the ▁piano ▁on ▁the ▁second ▁and ▁fourth ▁beat . ▁ ▁He ▁performed ▁in ▁several ▁styles ▁and ▁gen res , ▁re inter pre ting ▁American ▁standards ▁or ▁current ▁pop ▁songs ▁ ▁( e . g . ▁" Just ▁Young ") ▁and ▁using ▁dance ▁rh yth ms ▁such ▁as ▁cha - cha - cha , ▁the ▁tw ist , ▁the ▁let k iss ▁and ▁the ▁s amba . ▁ ▁He ▁often ▁combined ▁gen res ▁( e . g . ▁Ne ap ol itan ▁song ▁and ▁s amba ▁in ▁" C ic cio ▁' o ▁pis cat ore "). ▁ ▁He ▁made ▁innov ative ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁echo ▁chamber ▁( using ▁one ▁made ▁to ▁his ▁own ▁design ) ▁and ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁first ▁European ▁perform er ▁to ▁use ▁sound ▁mixing ▁on ▁stage , ▁anticip ating ▁the ▁techniques ▁used ▁by ▁rock ▁mus icians ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁ ▁Among ▁the ▁perform ers ▁he ▁influenced ▁were ▁the ▁French ▁singer ▁Dal ida ▁and ▁the ▁French - Ital ian ▁C ater ina ▁Val ente . ▁ ▁He ▁retired ▁from ▁performing ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁but ▁continued ▁to ▁compose . ▁ ▁He ▁died ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : 1 9 2 4 ▁birth s ▁Category : 1 9 9 7 ▁death s ▁Category : Pe ople ▁from ▁the ▁Province ▁of ▁Gros set o ▁Category : Ital ian ▁pop