Italian singer and songwriter
Gianna Nannini
|
---|
Nannini performing in 2017
|
|
Born
| (
1954-06-14
)
14 June 1954
(age 70)
Siena
,
Tuscany
, Italy
|
---|
Genres
| |
---|
Occupation(s)
| |
---|
Years active
| 1976?present
|
---|
|
Website
| giannanannini
.com
|
---|
Musical artist
Gianna Nannini
(
Italian pronunciation:
[?d?anna
nan?niːni]
; born 14 June 1954
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
) is an Italian singer and songwriter. Her most notable songs include "America" (1979), "
Fotoromanza
" (1984), "
I Maschi
" (1987), "Meravigliosa creatura" and "
Bello e impossibile
" (1986). The latter became a hit across Europe, especially in Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
Early life
[
edit
]
Nannini was born in
Siena
on 14 June 1954.
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
She is the elder sister of former
Formula One
racing driver
Alessandro Nannini
. She studied piano and composition in Milan in the late 1970s.
Career
[
edit
]
Nannini scored her first domestic hit in 1979 with the single "America" and the album
California
, which became a success in several European countries. Her international breakthrough happened in 1984 with the release of her sixth album, the
Conny Plank
-produced
Puzzle
, which peaked in the top 10 in the Italian, German, Austrian and Swiss charts. The first single from the album, "
Fotoromanza
", was supported by a music video directed by
Michelangelo Antonioni
, and went on to win many musical awards. Nannini embarked on a long European tour to support the album, culminating in a headlining gig at the
Montreux Jazz Festival
.
In 1986, her song "
Bello e impossibile
" was a European hit in Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Her 1987 compilation album
Maschi e Altri
sold over a million copies.
In 2004, she released the greatest hits album
Perle
, where a number of her most renowned songs were rearranged with the support of musicians such as Christian Lohr on piano (who also had a co-producer credit), and a string quartet composed of Vincenzo di Donna (first violin), Luigi de Maio (second violin), Gerardo Morrone (viola) and Antonio di Franca (violoncello). With this orchestra Nannini went on a European tour from 2004 to 2005.
The album
Grazie
was released in February 2006, and peaked at number one of the Italian hit-parade with the single "Sei nell'anima".
In April 2007, Nannini released
Pia come la canto io
, a collection of songs produced by Wil Malone and originally intended for a rock opera based on the medieval Tuscan character
Pia de' Tolomei
(briefly mentioned in
Dante's Purgatorio
) that would eventually be performed in 2008 after eleven months of gestation.
An acoustic version of her song
Meravigliosa Creatura
(from
Perle
) has been used in a 2008 advertisement commercial for the
Fiat Bravo
directed by Matthias Zentner.
Fiat
would later include another Gianna Nannini song, "Aria", in a subsequent Fiat Bravo ad.
Duets and Collaborations
[
edit
]
In 1987, she performed with
Sting
,
Jack Bruce
and
Eberhard Schoener
the "Three Penny Opera" by
Bertolt Brecht
and
Kurt Weill
at the Schauspielhaus in Hamburg. In 1990, she and
Edoardo Bennato
sang "
Un'estate italiana
", the official song of the
Football World Cup 1990
composed by
Giorgio Moroder
. In September 2006, she recorded the single "
Ama Credi E Vai
" with
Andrea Bocelli
. Nannini was also featured on
Einsturzende Neubauten
member
Alexander Hacke
's solo album
Sanctuary
, on the track "Per Sempre Butterfly". In 2008, she duetted with the Italian rapper
Fabri Fibra
in his song "In Italia". She also sang the song "Aria" with the
Macedonian
vocalist
To?e Proeski
.
Band current lineup
[
edit
]
- Gianna Nannini ? vocals, guitar, violin, piano
- Milton Mcdonald ? guitar, backing vocals
- Davide Ferrario ? keyboards, backing vocals
- Davide Tagliapietra ? guitar, backing vocals
- Mylious Johnson ? drums
- Alex Kilier ? bass
- Will Malone ? producer, musical director
Personal life
[
edit
]
The biopic
Beautiful Rebel
(
Sei nell’anima
) was released in 2024 on Netflix, starring Letizia Toni. It documents her rise as a singer, punctuated by rebellions against her family, record companies and producers, and social conventions in Italy.
[7]
Nannini obtained a degree in philosophy from the
University of Siena
in 1994, when in her late 40s. In 1995 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
. The test occurred on 27 December 1995.
In August 2010, at the age of 56, Nannini announced that she was pregnant (the name of the father was not revealed).
[8]
Nannini's pregnancy was prominently featured on the cover of
Vanity Fair
, where she was portrayed wearing a T-shirt with the inscription "God is a Woman". On 26 November 2010 Nannini's daughter Penelope Jane Charlotte was born in Milan.
[9]
In 2017, Nannini decided to move to London with her partner, Carla. In her 2017 autobiography, entitled
Cazzi miei
, she revealed she was ready for a civil union with Carla, explaining she felt Italian laws could not give her any guarantee about Penelope's future in the case of Nannini's death.
[10]
[11]
Works
[
edit
]
Discography
[
edit
]
- 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
/
Chicos y otros
(1992)
- X Forza e x amore
(1993)
- Dispetto
(1995) No. 1 Italy
- Bomboloni
(1996, compilation; including a song about
bombolone
)
- Cuore
(1998) No. 2 Italy (Platinum)
- Momo
(2002, soundtrack)
- Aria
(2002) No. 7 Italy, No. 29 Switzerland
- Perle
(2004) No. 6 Italy, No. 22 Switzerland
- Grazie
(2006) No. 1 Italy (7× Platinum), No. 12 Switzerland, No. 32 Germany
- Pia come la canto io
(2007) No. 5 Italy
- Giannabest
(2007, compilation) No. 1 Italy (7× Platinum), No. 15 Portugal, No. 23 Switzerland, No. 32 Germany
- Giannadream ? Solo I Sogni Sono Veri
(2009) No. 2 Italy (4× Platinum)
- Extradream ? Solo I Sogni Sono Veri
(2010)
- Io e te
(2011) No. 1 Italy (4× Platinum)
- Inno
(2013) No. 1 Italy (Platinum)
- Hitalia
(2014) No. 1 Italy (3× Platinum)
- Hitstory
(2015) No. 5 Italy (Gold), No. 51 Switzerland
- Amore gigante
(2017) No. 2 Italy (Gold),
[12]
No. 14 Switzerland
- La differenza
(2019) No. 4 Italy
[13]
- Sei nel l'anima
(2024) No. 6 Italy
[14]
Selected bibliography
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
Performers
|
---|
1960s
| |
---|
1970s
| |
---|
1980s
| |
---|
1990s
| |
---|
2000s
| |
---|
|
|
Songs
|
---|
1960s
| |
---|
1970s
| |
---|
1980s
| |
---|
1990s
|
- "Sotto questo sole"
- "Quattro amici"
- "Mare mare"
- "Il battito animale"
- "Io muoio di te"
- "Tieni il tempo"
- "
Piu bella cosa
"
- "Che male c'e"
- "Io no"
- "Un raggio di sole"
|
---|
2000s
|
- "Qualcosa di grande"
- "Ti prendo e ti porto via"
- "Tutti vogliono viaggiare in prima"
- "
Un'emozione per sempre
"
- "Il grande Baboomba"
- "Lascia che io sia"
- "Happy Hour"
- "Parlami d'amore"
|
---|
|
|
|
|
---|
International
| |
---|
National
| |
---|
Artists
| |
---|
People
| |
---|
Other
| |
---|