Gianna Nannini (; born 14 June 1954Who Is Who
''Bello e possibile'', by Francesco Burroni, published on ''Left'' n° 34 of 3 September 2010, page 7; Burroni, Nannini's schoolmate, declare she was born the same year as himself, in 1954.
HITALY certificate of incorporation
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) is an Italian singer and songwriter. Her most notable songs include "America" (1979), "

Fotoromanza "Fotoromanza" is a song composed by Gianna Nannini, Conny Plank and Raffaella Riva (a member of the pop group Gruppo Italiano) and performed by Gianna Nannini. The single peaked at first place for four consecutive weeks in September 1984 on the ...

" (1984), I Maschi (1987) and "

Bello e impossibile "Bello e Impossibile" ('Handsome and impossible') is a song composed by Gianna Nannini and Fabio Pianigiani and performed by Gianna Nannini. The single peaked at second place on the Italian hit parade, being awarded double platinum. It was also a ...

" (1986), the latter a European hit with success in Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

Early life

Nannini was born in

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...

on 14 June 1954. She is the elder sister of former

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

racing driver Alessandro Nannini. She studied piano and composition in Milan in the late 1970s and obtained a degree in Philosophy from the

University of Siena The University of Siena ( it, Università degli Studi di Siena, abbreviation: UNISI) in Siena, Tuscany, is one of the oldest and first publicly funded universities in Italy. Originally called ''Studium Senese'', the institution was founded in 1240 ...

in 1994. The following year she took part in a protest organized by

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...

at the French embassy in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

against the decision of the French government to pursue nuclear experiments at

Mururoa Moruroa (Mururoa, Mururura), also historically known as Aopuni, is an atoll which forms part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is located about southeast of Tahiti. Administratively Moruroa Atoll i ...

Career

Nannini scored her first domestic hit in 1979 with the single "America" and the album ''

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

'', 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 A puzzle is a game, Problem solving, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together (Disentanglement puzzle, or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to arrive at th ...

'', which peaked in the top 10 in the Italian, German, Austrian and Swiss charts. The first single from the album, "

", was supported by a music video directed by

Michelangelo Antonioni Michelangelo Antonioni (, ; 29 September 1912 – 30 July 2007) was an Italian filmmaker. He is best known for directing his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents"—''L'Avventura'' (1960), ''La Notte'' (1961), and ''L'Eclisse'' (1962 ...

, 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 The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

. In 1986, her song "

" was a European hit in Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Her 1987 compilation album ''

Maschi e Altri ''Maschi e Altri'' is the ninth album by Gianna Nannini. It is her first compilation album, and it was released in 1987 in South America, South Korea, Israel, South Africa and Australia. It includes some of her most successful singles, including ...

'' sold over a million copies. In 2004, she released the greatest hits album '' Perle'', where a number of her most renowned songs were rearrangemed 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 ''Grazie'' is the nineteenth album by Italian pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featurin ...

'' 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 Pia de' Tolomei was an Italian noblewoman from Siena identified as "la Pia," a minor character in Dante's ''Divine Comedy'' who was murdered by her husband. Her brief presence in the poem has inspired many works in art, music, literature, and cin ...

(briefly mentioned in Dante's Purgatorio) that would eventually be performed in 2008 after eleven years of gestation. An acoustic version of her song '' Meravigliosa Creatura'' (from ''Perle'') has been used in a 2008 advertisement commercial for the

Fiat Bravo The Fiat Bravo and Fiat Brava (Type 182) are small family cars produced by the Italian automaker Fiat from 1995 to 2003 (2001 in Europe). They were effectively two versions of the same car: the Bravo, a three-door hatchback, and the Brava, a fi ...

directed by Matthias Zentner.

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...

would later include another Gianna Nannini song, "Aria", in a subsequent Fiat Bravo ad.

Duets

In 1987 she performed with

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

and Jack Bruce the "Three Penny Opera" by

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

and

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...

at the Schauspielhaus in Hamburg. In 1990, she and

Edoardo Bennato Edoardo Bennato (born 23 July 1946, Naples, Campania, Italy) is an Italian singer-songwriter. He is the brother of the singer-songwriter Eugenio Bennato. He is considered one of the greatest Italian rockers, a genre that he has often combined wi ...

sang " Un'estate italiana", the official song of the

Football World Cup 1990 The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event for a second time (the first being Me ...

composed by

Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer, songwriter, and record producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering euro disco and electronic dance mu ...

. In September 2006, she recorded the single "

Ama Credi E Vai "Because We Believe", ("Ama Credi E Vai" in Italian), is a song by Italian pop tenor Andrea Bocelli. It was co-written by Bocelli, multiple Grammy Award winner David Foster and his daughter Amy Foster, for the closing ceremony of the 2006 Wi ...

" with

Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting fro ...

. Nannini was also featured on

Einstürzende Neubauten (, 'Collapsing New Buildings') is a German experimental music group, formed in West Berlin in 1980. The group is currently composed of founding members Blixa Bargeld (lead vocals; guitar; keyboard) and N.U. Unruh (custom-made instruments; perc ...

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 videoclip version of the song "In Italia". She also sang the song "Aria" with the

Macedonian Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia. Macedonian(s) may specifically refer to: People Modern * Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North M ...

vocalist Toše Proeski.

Band current lineup

* 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

In August 2010, at the age of 56, Nannini announced that she was pregnant (the name of the father was not revealed). 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. 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 her (Nannini's) death.

Works

Discography

* '' Gianna Nannini'' (1976) * ''

Una radura ''Una radura'' is the second album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recor ...

'' (1977) * ''

'' (1979) * '' G. N.'' (1981) * ''Sconcerto Rock'' (1981, soundtrack) * ''

Latin Lover Latin lover is a stereotypical stock character, part of the Hollywood star system. It appeared for the first time in Hollywood in the 1920s and, for the most part, lost popularity during World War II. In time, the type evolved, developing var ...

'' (1982) * ''

'' (1984) * ''Tutto Live'' (1985, live) * '' Profumo'' (1986) * ''

'' (1987, compilation) * ''

Malafemmina ''Malafemmina'' is Gianna Nannini's eighth studio album, and tenth album overall. It was released in 1988. Track listing #"Hey Bionda" (Nannini-I. Campaner/Nannini) – 4:38 #"Voglio Fare L'Amore" (Nannini-F. Pianigiani/Nannini) - 4:17 #"Time ...

'' (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 A bombolone (, pl. bomboloni) is an Italian filled doughnut (similar to the Berliner, krafne, pączek etc.) and is eaten as a snack food and dessert. The pastry's name is etymologically related to ''bomba'' (bomb), and the same type of past ...

) * ''

Cuore The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE , also ) is a particle physics facility located underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Assergi, Italy. CUORE was designed primarily as a search for neutrinoless dou ...

'' (1998) No. 2 Italy (Platinum) * '' Momo'' (2002, soundtrack) * ''

Aria In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

'' (2002) No. 7 Italy, No. 29 Switzerland * '' Perle'' (2004) No. 6 Italy, No. 22 Switzerland * ''

'' (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), No. 14 Switzerland * ''La differenza'' (2019) No. 4 Italy

Selected bibliography

References

External links

*
Review of Giannadream
(in English) {{DEFAULTSORT:Nannini, Gianna 1954 births Living people People from Siena Italian women singer-songwriters Italian pop singers Italian rock singers 20th-century Italian women singers University of Siena alumni LGBT singers from Italy LGBT songwriters Bisexual women Bisexual musicians 21st-century Italian women singers