Viola Valentino

Virginia Minnetti (born July 1, 1949 in Canzo), best known by her stage name Viola Valentino, is an Italian singer.

Biography

Minnetti started her career as a singer in 1968 under the name Virginia and later began to sing with her then husband in a duet named Renzo & Virginia. Some time later Virginia was noticed by Giancarlo Lucariello, a producer of the Italian rock band ''Pooh''. It was he who created an image of a sexy but delicate woman for her as well as her manner to sing with a subdued voice.

In 1979, Virginia started singing under the name Viola Valentino. Her first song ''Comprami'' ("Buy Me") made her famous and was sold in a great number of copies in Italy and Spain.

In 1980, Viola sang two other songs that also become hits, ''Sei una bomba'' ("You Are a Bomb") and ''Anche noi facciamo pace'' ("We Will Make Peace Too"). In the same year, her first album ''Cinema'' ("Cinema") came out.

In 1982, Viola Valentino took part in Festival di Sanremo for the first time with the song ''Romantici'' ("Romantic") which also became a hit. In the same year, her second album ''In primo piano'' ("In the Foreground") and another hit ''Sola'' ("Alone") came out. At that time, Viola Valentino was in the zenith of her fame and was invited to act in the film ''Delitto sull’autostrada'' ("A Crime on a Highway").

In 1983, she took part in Festival di Sanremo again with the song ''Arriva arriva'' ("Come, Come"). Since then, the public interest in Viola Valentino began to fade. In the 1980s, Viola acted in the films ''Due strani papà'' ("Two Strange Daddies", 1983) and ''Le volpi della notte'' ("Night Foxes", 1986).

In 1986, Viola sang ''Il posto della luna'' ("The Place of the Moon"), which had moderate success.

In 1991, an album ''Un angelo dal cielo'' ("An Angel from Heaven") came out which included the best songs by Viola Valentino.
In 2005 she went to the reality show ''Musicfarm''.

Interesting facts

For some time, Viola Valentino was married to a well-known Italian singer Riccardo Fogli, which contributed to her popularity; later, however, they divorced.

Two times Viola's photos were cover photos of ''Playboy''.

Filmography

Discography

Albums

* 1978 – Uno (with the band Fantasy)
* 1980 – Cinema
* 1982 – In primo piano
* 1991 – Un angelo dal cielo
* 1994 – Esisto
* 1998 – Il viaggio
* 2004 – Made in Virginia
* 2010 – Alleati non-ovvi

EPs

* 1985 – L’angelo
* 2009 – I tacchi di Giada

Singles

* 1968 – Dixie/Pensandoci su (under the name Virginia)
* 1970 – Zan zan/I 10 comandamenti dell’amore (under the name Renzo e Virginia, together with Riccardo Fogli)
* 1978 – Cantando (under the name Fantasy)
* 1979 – Comprami/California
* 1980 – Sei una bomba/Sono così
* 1980 – Anche noi facciamo pace/Sì mi va
* 1981 – Giorno popolare/Prendiamo i pattini
* 1981 – Sera coi fiocchi/Come un cavallo pazzo
* 1982 – Romantici/Rido
* 1982 – Sola/Amiche
* 1983 – Arriva arriva/Balere
* 1984 – Verso sud/Traditi
* 1985 – Addio amor
* 1986 – Il posto della luna/La verità
* 1987 – Devi ritornare/Dentro una notte di festa
* 1991 – Un angelo dal cielo/Quasi mezzanotte
* 1994 – Me marito se n'è ito
* 1994 – Onda tra le onde
* 1995 – Probabilmente niente
* 1996 – Estasi
* 1997 – Anime d’autunno (Libertango)
* 1998 – Come quando fuori piove
* 1999 – Aspettando Elia
* 2000 – Comprami 2000 con Zerodecibel
* 2002 – La surprise de l’amour
* 2004 – Dea
* 2004 – Acqua, fuoco, aria, terra
* 2006 – Barbiturici nel thè

External links

Official website (in Italian)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valentino, Viola
1952 births
Living people
Italian women singers
Italian pop singers