Gianna Nannini
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gianna Nannini | |
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 Gianna Nannini at a concert in August 2005
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gianna Nannini |
| Born | June 14, 1956 |
| Origin | Siena, Tuscany, Italy |
| Genre(s) | Rock |
| Instrument(s) | vocals, piano, guitar, violin |
| Years active | 1976—present |
| Website | GiannaNannini.com |
Gianna Nannini (born June 14, 1956) is an Italian female singer-songwriter and rock musician.
Born in Siena as former Formula 1 driver Alessandro Nannini's older sister, she studied piano in Lucca and then composition in Milan.
Her first hit was in 1979 with the single America and the album California, which became a success in several European countries. The rise to fame in Italy started in 1984 with the release of her sixth album, Puzzle. This album peaked in the top 10 at the Italian, German, Austrian and Swiss hit-parades. She sang for the videoclip Fotoromanza (directed by Michelangelo Antonioni), won several musical awards and started a European tour, including a participation at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In 1986 her hit Bello e impossibile was a huge success and brought her more awards in Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Her 1987 compilation Maschi e altri sold over a million copies.
In 1990 she sang Un'estate italiana, the official song of the Football World Cup 1990, together with Edoardo Bennato.
She graduated in philosophy from the University of Siena in 1994. The following year she took part in a protest organized by Greenpeace at the French embassy in Rome against the decision of the French government to pursue nuclear experiments at Mururoa.
In 2004 she released a kind of Greatest Hits compilation, but the songs were all rerecorded for the occasion. The cd Perle contains a number of her former hits in new arrangements. As backup-musicians there is Christian Lohr on piano (who also is co-producer), and a stringquartet: Vincenzo di Donna (first violin), Luigi de Maio (second violin), Gerardo Morrone (viola), Antonio di Franca (violoncello). This brings a new dimension to the familiar Gianna melodies. With this orchestra Gianna went on a "Perle-tour" in central Europe during 2004-2005.
An album Grazie was released in February 2006, and has peaked at number one of the Italian hit-parade with the single Sei nell'anima. During summer of 2006 she toured Grazie all over Italy. "IO" another track from the cd became a big hit.
In September 2006 she recorded a duet with Andrea Bocelli. Ama Credi E Vai is released as cd-single.
She was also featured on Einstürzende Neubauten member Alexander Hacke's solo album Sanctuary, on the track Per Sempre Butterfly.
In April 2007 she released Pia come la canto io, a collection of songs written for a pop opera that will be performed in 2008. This work has been eleven years in the making, and is based on the mediaeval Tuscan character Pia de' Tolomei (mentioned briefly in Dante's Inferno). The album was produced by Wil Malone, who also produced Grazie.
An acoustic version of her song Meravigliosa Creatura (from Perle) has been used in a 2008 advertisement spot for the Fiat Bravo directed by Matthias Zentner. The song and the spot have achieved such a succest to take Perle to the Italian top 50 in sales, and FIat would later include a Gianna Nannini song in another Fiat Bravo ad.
[edit] Discography
- Gianna Nannini (1976)
- Una radura (1977)
- California (1979)
- G.N. (1981)
- Sconcerto Rock (1981, soundtrack)
- Latin Lover (1982)
- Puzzle (1984)
- Tutto Live (1985, live)
- Profumo (1986)
- Maschi e altri (1987, compilation)
- Malafemmina (1988)
- Scandalo (1990)
- Giannissima (1991, live)
- Maschi e altri (1992, Spanish language version)
- X Forza e X Amore (1993)
- Dispetto (1995)
- Bomboloni (1996, compilation)
- Cuore (1998)
- Momo (2002, soundtrack)
- Aria (2002) #7 (ITA), #29 (SUI)
- Perle (2004) #6 (ITA), #22 (SUI)
- Grazie (2006) #1 (ITA), #12 (SUI), #32 (GER)
- Pia come la canto io (2007) #5 (ITA)
- Giannabest (2007, compilation) #1 (ITA), #15 (POR), #23 (SUI)
