“I feel like we have transformed people’s views and opinions about people with learning disabilities. We’ve shown them
that there is more to us than they think. They really believe what they see on stage and enjoy it. We want to break
down barriers.”

South Londoner Pino Frumiento MBE co-founded Heart n Soul in 1986. He has had a long and successful songwriting career and has travelled the world performing from Denmark to South Korea. He has written over fifty songs and continues to perform today. He has also appeared in films and TV, including Channel 4’s Road Trip (2003).

Pino met fellow Heart n Soul co-founder Mark Williams in 1984 at the Mulberry Centre in Deptford where Mark was running music workshops for people with learning disabilities. It was soon clear that Pino was not only an excellent singer, but could also write songs. When the group moved to the Albany they renamed themselves Heart n Soul after one of Pino’s first songs.

Pino says his songwriting is heavily inspired by romance. His musical heroes include Cliff Richard, The Beatles and Dusty Springfield.

Listen to some of Pino’s songs here.