I
Tiziano Ferro

About:

21 February 1980

Tiziano was born in Latina, Italy. Hard to imagine nowadays is that as a child Tiziano had an difficult adolescence suffering from bulimia with consequent overweight (come to weigh one hundred and eleven kilos). In 1996, at the age of sixteen, he joined the Gospel Choir of Latina, where you passionate atmospheres and rhythms of black American music. He also began working as a presenter at several local radio stations. At the age of 17 he participated in the San Remo Music Festival but didn't make it past the first week of selections. In 1998 he enters again with ‘Quando ritornerai’ and makes it to the finals. Still Tiziano is uncertain of his future as a singer and enlists the faculty of Engineering at the University "La Sapienza" of Rome. After several refusals by the record labels producers Alberto Salerno and Mara Maionchi, known during his second participation in Sanremo, succeed in persuading EMI to give him the chance to record the first album

His 2002 debut album, Rosso Relativo was characterized by mixing Italian music with a more urban modern style. The single of the album, ‘Perdono’, became a huge European hit. In 2002 duet with Elisa during Christmas at the Vatican by performing the song Happy Xmas (war is over) by John Lennon. In late 2003, Ferro released his second album, 111 Centoundici (111 kilo). The title is a reference to the singer's weight reached during his adolescence. The album would sell over a million copies. In 2004, he released an English-language single, ‘Universal Prayer’ to promote the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. The song is a duet with British R&B star Jamelia. In that same year at the 2004 MTV Europe Music Awards held in Rome he won Best Italian Act and performed his hit song ‘Sere nere’.

In 2006 his third studio album ‘Nessuno è solo’ (No one is alone) was released. In the same year he also returns to San Remo as a guest dueting with Michele Zarrillo on the song ‘L'alfabeto degli amanti’. Meanwhile in 2007 the track ‘E Rafaella è mia’ from the album becomes a great hit. The ode to TV-star Rafaella Carra is supported live during his Rome show by the diva herself. More duets are recorded with Laura Pausini, Mina, Iva Zanicchi  and Luca Carboni.

In 2007 he also performs at the anniversary gig for MTV Italia, for an audience of 100.000 people. His short set features four own compositions and a cover of Franco Battiatio’s ‘Centro di gravità permanente’. Late 2008 ‘Alla Mia Età’ in Italy (with a European release in 2009). The album contains 13 songs including the collaborations with Laura Pausini, Ivano Fossati, Franco Battiato and Kelly Rowland (the last to please the American market).

On 11 January 2009, during the television show commemorating ten years since the death of Fabrizio De André, he interprets the song ‘Le passanti’. In 2010 Tiziano announced in La Repubblica that he is gay. In 2011 he returns with the highly radiofriendly but very good selling 'L'amore è una cosa semplice'.

On the web:

- Tiziano's website: http://www.tizianoferro.com

What do we think:

DB: Tiziano is one of those artists that could develop himself from a hit-machine to a more 'serious artist'. His first, and biggest, European hit 'Perdono' was great but they album was soso (hence the two notes only). On top of that his record company tried to market him at the the time as a sort of Italian Ricky Martin. In fact they still do. After letting his second album slip I was surprised by the progression he made on his third album that is a much more coherent album. In Italy they already know this and Tiziano's star is still rising. Trying to link him to other European artists turned out to be hard so I linked him to Polish Kayah...just cause they both have a funky side.

PR: Very sympathetic guy who developed himself into a serious recording artist, distancing himself from the teener idol he became after his first hit. Tiziano writes most of his own songs and with his latest two albums proved to be able to build a lasting career in the music business. He creates perfect pop albums with that typical Italian sound, very melodic, sometimes highly dramatic (the balads) and sometimes very humorous. Working with the likes of Battiato and Fossati on his latest record his will have increased his credibility also with the more critical music lovers.

If you like this, you probably like.. / european counterparts:

- Clueso (Germany)

Albums:

♪♪ - Rosso Relativo - 2001

♪♪♪ - 111 - 2003

♪♪♪♪ - Nessuno è solo - 2006

♪♪♪ - Alla mia età - 2009

♪♪½ - L'amore è una cosa semplice - 2011

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♪♪♪♪♪ = outstanding album, an absolute must-have
♪♪♪♪ = great album, highly recomended
♪♪♪ = nice album
♪♪ = be careful, requires listening before buying
♪ = best to be avoided