An international superstar whose appeal spans not only Western Europe but also Latin America, Eros Ramazzotti is an Italian singer/songwriter with a distinctive voice and a wide-ranging pop/rock style that encompasses everything from adult contemporary to classical crossover. He initially established himself as a chart-topping twentysomething pop star in the mid-'80s before growing ever more sophisticated as a singer/songwriter over time, remaining remarkably successful from both a critical and commercial standpoint in the process.
Born on October 28, 1963, in Rome, Italy, Ramazzotti began his recording career in the early '80s in association with the DDD label. While he made his commercial debut in 1982 with the one-off single "Ad un Amico," his big break came in 1984 when he won Newcomer of the Year at the Sanremo Music Festival with his song "Terra Promessa." Released as a single that same year, "Terra Promessa" became a breakout hit for Ramazzotti and led to the release of his full-length album debut, Cuori Agitati (1985), which spawned another significant early hit single, "Una Storia Importante." The first of Ramazzotti's international hits, "Una Storia Importante" was not only a chart-topping smash hit in Italy, where it was showcased by Ramazzotti at the 1985 Sanremo Music Festival; it was also a smash hit in neighboring France, where it spent three weeks at number two on the singles chart, and in Switzerland, where it reached the Top Ten. "Adesso Tu," performed at the 1986 Sanremo Music Festival, was another significant hit with international appeal.
In addition to these early hit singles, Ramazzotti proved popular as an album artist, with Nuovi Eroi (1986), In Certi Momenti (1987), and In Ogni Senso (1990) all reaching number one on the Italian albums chart and the Top Ten elsewhere in Europe. Ramazzotti took his career to the next level in 1993 with Tutte Storie, the first of his albums to be released in Spanish (as Todo Historias) as well as Italian. The album was a hit throughout Western Europe, as was the single "Cose della Vita" (his first bilingual hit), and Ramazzotti took his supporting tour to Latin America for the first time, performing in over a dozen countries there. Moreover, Ramazzotti negotiated a worldwide distribution deal with BMG, another pivotal step in building his international fan base. His next album, Dove C'è Musica (1996), capitalized on the enormity of his fast-growing fan base, topping the charts throughout much of Western Europe and spawning the international smash hit "Più Bella Cosa."
At the height of his success, Ramazzotti took a four-year break from album-making, releasing only the greatest-hits compilation Eros (1997), for which he re-recorded early hits such as "Terra Promessa" and "Una Storia Importante." After the turn of the century Ramazzotti returned with Stilelibero (2000), 9 (2003), and Calma Apparente (2005), a trilogy of chart-topping albums with a more sophisticated, adult-oriented style. Then came E2 (2007), another greatest-hits compilation for which he recorded new versions of past hits, this time collaboratively, and included a few new songs, most notably "Non Siamo Soli," a chart-topping smash hit collaboration with Ricky Martin. Ramazzotti's next album, Ali e Radici (2009), was another commercial blockbuster, topping the Italian charts for six weeks straight and spawning the international hit "Parla con Me."
2010 saw the release of the live album 21.00: Eros Live World Tour 2009/2010, recorded on Ramazzotti’s world tour in support of Ali e Radici, the album featured two discs of greatest hits from Ramazzotti’s back catalogue. Two years later, Mis Mejores Canciones de Amor (2012) was released, collecting together fourteen of Ramazzotti’s most popular Spanish language love songs.
Urodził się w dzielnicy Cinecittà, w Rzymie, “gdzie łatwiej jest marzyć niż spojrzeć realiom w oczy”. Eros spędził dzieciństwo i młodość biorąc udział w różnych produkcjach filmowych. celebrated career as a singer, encouraged by his Dad Rodolfo, a construction painter who has also recorded several songs. At the end of Middle School, Ramazzotti applies to the Conservatory but he is not accepted, therefore signing up for Accounting studies. Nevertheless, his school career is short-lived; all he thinks about is music and he drops out in his second year of High School.
In 1981 he participates in the “Voci Nuove di Castrocaro” competition: reaching the finals with “Rock 80”, a piece written by himself that allows him to obtain his first music contract with the young label DDD. Eros moves to Milan and lives in the actual record company building; even his brother Marco and mother Raffaella move to Milan. In 1982 he releases his first single, “Ad un amico”, but his talent is not yet ripe, and he begins to work with an export musician: Renato Brioschi.
After just one year, that success arrives: Eros triumphs in the “New act” section of the Sanremo Festival in 1984 with “Terra promessa”, written with Renato Brioschi and Alberto Salerno (co-author of the lyrics). The song is released all over Europe, his record company considers him an international artist from his very first record: all of his albums are simultaneously released in Italian and Spanish. Nothing is left to chance. Even the “signature” Eros Ramazzotti becomes a familiar unchanged logo on all of his records. In the meantime, his working team changes: Piero Cassano (having left the group Matia Bazar) composing music, Adelio Cogliati (to this day his main author) writing lyrics and Celso Valli (who still works with him) doing arrangements.
In 1985 Eros returns to the Sanremo Festival and arrives at sixth place with “Una storia importante”, a song from his debut album “Cuori agitati”. The single “Una storia importante” sells a million copies in France alone and becomes a European hit.
1986: Ramazzotti releases his second album “Nuovi eroi” but most importantly he wins the Sanremo Festival (third consecutive appearance) with the song “Adesso tu”.
Third album in three years: in 1987 the CD “In certi momenti” is released, containing the duet with Patsy Kensit (at the top of her career as a singer with ‘80s sensation band Eight Wonder) “La luce buona delle stelle”. Eros embarks in a nine-month long tour with over one million spectators. The CD “In certi momenti” obtains outstanding results: over three million copies sold worldwide. His number of fans increases even more with the following mini-album “Musica è” (1988), characterized by the title-track: a 10 minutes suite with lyrical tones outstandingly performed by Ramazzotti, who proves having reached his full artistic maturity.
The confirmation of Eros Ramazzotti as an international artist arrives in April 1990 when 200 journalists from all over the world participate in the Venice press conference for the presentation of his fifth album: “In ogni senso”, released in 15 countries. The American record company head Clive Davis, seduced by Eros’ talent, encourages him to hold a concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York: Ramazzotti is the first Italian artist to perform upon this prestigious stage, with a more than satisfying all sold out.
What follows is another long tour that closes the following year with the double live album “Eros In Concert” in 1991: the album is presented on December 4th in Barcelona with a concert before 20 thousand people, broadcasted worldwide and sponsored by both the Italian as well as the Spanish governments. The entire profit is given to charity, equally divided between Barcelona and Milan’s Institute for Tumor Research.
The years 1993/’94 are rich with professional satisfactions: the album “Tutte storie” (1993) sells 6 million copies and conquers the top of the charts all over Europe. New York cult movie director Spike Lee, who had never filmed a clip for a white artist, directs the video of the first single “Cose della vita”. The European tour of “Tutte storie” is among the most important ones of the season: after the shows in the old Continent, Eros sets out for a series of concerts in fifteen Latin American countries.
Returning to Italy, thanks to an idea of Ramazzotti’s, the “trio” with Pino Daniele and Jovanotti becomes a concrete experience: the Italian live event of the year. In November he performs live at the Mtv Awards in Berlin singing “Cose della vita”. Eros Ramazzotti’s golden year, 1994, comes to a close with a new worldwide contract with BMG International.
In the summer of 1995, he participates in the European Music Summer Festival together with Rod Stewart, Elton John and Joe Cocker. The following year, precisely on May 13, 1996, he releases the CD “Dove c’è musica”, the first entirely self-produced. Produced between Italy and California with the participation of internationally renowned artists, it obtains great results: over 7 million copies sold. The professional gratification is soon followed by an even greater personal joy: a few days after the end of his European tour, his wife, Michelle Hunzinker, gives birth to their daughter Aurora (in Sorengo, Switzerland; on December 5, 1996). His sole distraction in those days is “That’s All I Need To Know”, a song written for Joe Cocker.
In October 1997, the greatest hits album “Eros” is released: a record linking the spontaneity of his first songs to the international pop rock of the album “Dove c’è musica”. The record is enriched by two previously unreleased compositions (“Quanto amore sei” and “Ancora un minuto di sole”) and it is rendered even more precious by the duets with Andrea Bocelli in “Musica è” and with Tina Turner in “Cose della vita-Can’t Stop Thinking Of You”.
In February 1998, he begins a successful world tour that brings him to South America, the United States, and Europe. In May, he participates in the “Pavarotti and Friends” event (directed by Spike Lee, who had been director for the video clip “Cose della vita”), singing together with Luciano Pavarotti “Se bastasse una canzone” (from the album “In ogni senso” of 1990). Also in 1998, he releases the live album “Eros Live” with two duets recorded during the world tour: Cose della vita-Can’t Stop Thinking Of You” with Tina Turner (surprise guest star in the over-crowded concert in Milan’s San Siro stadium) and “That’s All I Need To Know-Difenderò” with Joe Cocker (sung during the Monaco performance). In March 1999, he is given the Echo Award in Hamburg (German music Oscar) as “best international music artist”.
Ramazzotti also works as producer within the Radiorama structure: at the beginning of 2000, he produces Gianni Morandi’s CD “Come fa bene l’amore”. In October 2000, Eros releases “Stilelibero” (the eighth studio album of unreleased material) that reaffirms his importance as a world artist. The CD includes collaborations with absolutely prestigious producers such as Trevor Horn, Rick Nowels as well as his longtime collaborators Celso Valli and Claudio Guidetti,. Among the songs there is a breathtaking duet with Cher in the song “Più che puoi”.
The year 2001 is dedicated to “Stilelibero”’s international tour, in which Ramazzotti performs even in Eastearn European countries: unforgettable are the three all sold out concerts at the Kremlin Palace of Moscow from the 2nd to the 4th of November. On the last of these concert dates (Novembre 30th at Milan’s Forum), his friends join him on stage to sing three of his duets: Raf for “Anche tu”, Patsy Kensit for “La luce buona delle stelle”, and Antonella Bucci for “Amarti è l’immenso per me”.
Friday, May 30th, 2003 the awaited new album “9” is released; his ninth studio album: it is the first time in over twenty years that the Roman-born and Milanese-adopted artist, uses a number as a title for his CD. And that very number is recurrent in the records set by this record: the first single “Un’emozione per sempre” (released on Friday, May 9th) directly hits the top of the sales charts and stays in the first place of the radio airplays for 9 consecutive weeks. Furthermore, Ramazzotti is the first artist to hold 9 concerts (all sold out) in Milan’s Forum during the course of the same tour. The “9” CD (produced together with Claudio Guidetti and the usual collaboration of Celso Valli) holds the # 1 spot in the sales chart for 14 consecutive weeks and it resists for 95 consecutive weeks in the Top 100 Chart. “9” sells 3 and a half million copies worldwide (of which 1.1 million in Italy alone).
After the Festivalbar triumph, the world tour sets out from Ancona on October 11th: 100 concert dates with over one million spectators. The unusual scenery of the show, that is a badly-trodden torn up road with a collapsed ad board in the background (the screen for the images) is designed by Canadian directors Serge Denancourt and Francis Laporte, from the Cirque du Soleil shows.
On March 31, 2004, the European World Tour (56 dates with 550 thousand spectators) closes with a double live at Milan’s Forum: that evening is the last of the 9 triumphant Milanese concerts (4 in December 2003, 2 in February 2004, and 3 in March), that were all sold out since pre-sales. To celebrate this successful tour Eros gives way to an unprecedented initiative in Italy: a free concert for 12 thousand Elementary and Middle School children in Milan. For such an event Milan’s Mayor, Gabriele Albertini awards him with the Ambrogino d’Oro.
The world tour continues in North and South America, and in Asia, and then returns to Italy for a summer tour in the stadiums. On October 28, the DVD “Eros Roma Live” directed by Hamish Hamilton, one of the best UK directors of musical events in the world (he has worked with Madonna, U2, and Robbie Williams), is released. The DVD contains the entire 7th of July concert in Rome’s Olympic Stadium (all sold out) with the best possible audio quality (5.1 with DTS system), in addition to a long series of extra features, among which is a “backstage” of the Roman show, a synthesis of the entire world tour and the performance before Milan’s school children.
On October 28th, 2005, his tenth album, “Calma apparente”, is released, containing all new songs and produced together with Claudio Guidetti,. It includes the magical duet with Anastacia “I belong to you (Il Ritmo della Passione)”. The album sells over 2 and a half million copies, and the success of “Calma Apparente” continues in 2006 with the relative European tour, which consists in over 70 concerts. In 2006, Eros is also invited by Amaia, not only the singer of La Oreja De Van Gogh, but also a great fan, to write the Italian version of a couple songs from their cd “Guapa”.
The album “e²” (Eros squared) – released October 26th, 2007, two days before his 44th birthday – is a collection of his most famous songs (from “Terra promessa” to “La nostra vita”, and from “Adesso tu” to “L’Aurora” and “Più bella cosa”), but it can also be considered Eros Ramazzotti’s eleventh album of new songs. In addition to the 14 orginal hits remastered, including the duets with Tina Turner, Cher, and Anastacia, the double cd “e²” contains 4 new songs (among which the duet with Ricky Martin “Non siamo soli”) and 17 “new versions”. In other words, songs from his previous albums, that are reborn through a new sound created by Eros together with other artists and producers of International fame: Gian Piero Reverberi, Michele Canova, Dado Moroni, Jon Spencer, John Shanks, Wyclef Jean, Steve Vai, Carlos Santana, Pat Leonard, Rhythm Del Mundo, Take 6, The Chieftains e Amaia dei La Oreja De Van Gogh.
The greatest hits “e²” is the most sold album of 2007 and goes 10 times Platinum. It reaches the top of the charts in several countries, among which Spain, Germany, France, Austria, and Sweden, where he keeps his number one position for as much as two months. During just the first week of album release, the cd “e²” is the most sold in Europe and the second most sold worldwide. On December 14th, 2007, Eros Ramazzotti performs live in concert in Sibiu, Romania, nominated European cultural capital. The invitation is honored with an extraordinary two-hour concert in the main square. The concert lasts twice the length agreed upon with the organizers, notwithstanding the temperature of 13 degrees below zero. It’s the second year in a row that Ramazzotti participates in celebrations of the European cultural capital, after the live performance in Patrasso, Greece in 2006. In 2007 Eros produces Tazenda’s album “Vida”, containing the duet “Domo mia” in which he sings a few stanzas in Sardinian dialect with great success. That same year he is also protagonist of another important duet: “A ti” with the Guatemalan artist Ricardo Arjona in the album “Quien dijo ayer”.
The artistic bond with Tazenda continues the following year in 2008: Ramazzotti produces the Sardinian band’s cd “Madre Terra”. On April 4th, Eros receives the prestigious NIAF Award in Hollywood for having promoted and valued the image of Italian music abroad. In order to fully comprehend the great importance of this award, we can glance at a few names from the gold book that were awarded in the previous years: Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Andrea Bocelli, and Luciano Pavarotti. Eros Ramazzotti’s talent and fame overcome all boundaries: his few concerts this year bring him to Asia and Australia for the first time live. On October 17th, 2008 he performs in the beautiful theater of Khanty-Mansiysk, a town in the Siberian Steppe that lies 4 thousand kilometers from Moscow and 300 kilometers from the closest residential town. The first Australian tour is triumphant: sold out live in Sydney (October 25) , Melbourne (October 29), and Perth (November 1st), with a request for a future tour with more dates, and larger venues in order to satisfy the enormous demand for tickets. The year 2008 closes with a memorable duet: Eros sings the new song “Solo un volo” with Ornella Vanoni.
Anticipated a few weeks after the single "Parla con Me", came the release on May 23, 2009 the new album of Eros, entitled "Ali e Radici" ("Alas y Raices" the Spanish version) that contained 11 new tracks from the CD, while the 'bonus track' "Linda e il Mare" was initially available only on iTunes. The album immediately topped the charts in Italy and Europe and would remain there for several weeks, until the untimely death of Michael Jackson which brought to the top of the charts all the albums in his repertoire.
In 2009 saw the release of 2 new albums produced by Radiorama ,from the stable of emerging artists of Ramazzotti: Gianluca Massaroni and Andrea Febo.
Following the release of "Ali e Radici" in 2009 and 2010 came the world tour that brought the artist around the world in over 60 concerts including 4 in Rome, 5 in Milan, Europe and South America, Russia and - for the first time in his career - even in Africa (in Carthage, Tunisia).
November 30, 2010 The live CD+DVD came out, taken from concerts in Milan, "21:00 - Eros Live 2009-2010 World Tour" which was to be the last recorded product to be released by Sony.
Due to the successes of the previous year Ramazzotti was invited to the prestigious German Awards ceremony "Die Goldene Kamera": the singer was nominated for an international award-winning live on TV on February 5, 2011.
The year 2011 marks a turning point for the Roman singer who has sold more than 50 million records: July 21 he signed a new recording contract with Universal Music Group that will unite the majors for several albums, a few weeks later, August 2, 2011, the second child of Eros Ramazzotti was born, a daughter: Raffaela Maria, with his partner Marica Pellegrinelli.
In September 2011, the Italian singer Giorgia includes on her new album titled "Dietro le Apparenze" the duet “Inevitabile”, written and sung with Eros Ramazzotti. In 1995 Eros had already collaborated with Giorgia, writing for her the song "Come Saprei", winner of the Sanremo Festival.
The next album of brand new songs by Eros Ramazzotti is expected for 2012: a new chapter in history is being written ...
