Giuni Russo
Encyclopedia
Giuni Russo was an Italian singer-songwriter, who specialised in experimental music after a short successful stint as art-pop singer in the early 1980s.
During her career she sang in Italian, English, French, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, Persian and Latin.
, Sicily
, on 7 September 1951. Busy with several family matters (Giuni already has 9 brothers) her father Pietro Romeo registered his new born baby girl Giuseppa 3 days later, on 10 September.
Playing and studying weren't as important as singing to her and she was continuously requested to do that at school.
Her teacher offered her own desk to Giuni to be used as a stage but Giuni was so shy she'd prefer to perform hiding herself behind the classroom's door.
A first try to come out was on the little stage of Music opposite to the "Politeama Theatre" in Palermo
.
Her family didn't know what was going on and no one of them knew she was taking singing lessons from Master Ettore Gaiezza, paying him with the money earned during her first nights shows.
At the age of 15 she sung for the Castrocaro festival of the new voices, reaching the semifinal.
The following year she won the festival, with a plebiscite of votes, singing Hurt by Timi Yuro
and A chi by Fausto Leali
.
The following year she took part in the Sanremo Festival as a "new proposal", under the name of Giusy Romeo with the song No amore, definitely not appropriate for her young age and talent, despite the 'hidden' sign of a young Paolo Conte.
She released two singles during 1968, No amore e L'onda. After her participation at Disco per l'Estate, Cantagiro and Festivalbar with the song L'onda, she recorded the cover version of Smoke in your eyes and the cover of I Say A Little Prayer of Aretha Franklin
in 1969. That year, she moved to Milan
to collaborate with musician and songwriter Maria Antonietta Sisini.
In 1974 she signed a contract for the German label "BASF", which gave her the pseudonym of Junie Russo. The following year her first LP
, Love is a woman (sung in English) was released. In this period she also collaborated with Sisini as songwriter for other authors. Meanwhile, many singles were published such as Everything is gonna be alright a cover by Bob Marley
. The last single recorded as Junie Russo, Mai, was released in 1976 for the Durium.
In the meantime, Giuni and Maria Antonietta were appreciated as music composers for other artist's songs.
In the 1978, she was renamed Giuni Russo and recorded a single with Wea
, Soli Noi, surprisingly hitting the French market, opening Giuni to new interesting prospects.
Unsure about leaving Italy for good, Giuni sadly decided to go back to Italy, a lucky choice,
, who produced her second LP, entitled Energie for the label CGD
, released in 1981, containing the work of musicians such as Sisini, Franco Battiato
, Giusto Pio
, Alberto Radius and others.
In 1982 Giuni reached the peak of her popularity with the hit Un'estate al mare, which went Gold. She participated in the "Festivalbar", "Vota la voce", and many other events and broadcasts singing.
In 1983 she released the LP Vox, followed by her last work for that label LP Mediterranea (1984).
After divergences with the label's producer, Caterina Caselli
, who wanted more commercial works, in 1986 she moved to label Ricordi, for which she released the LPs Giuni (1986), ALBUM (1987) and the more experimental A casa di Ida Rubinstein (1988), featuring contaminations of pop and classic music.
In 1992, she released Amala, an album with sound of world-music, Arabic.
In 1994, she released a new album, Se fossi pi' simpatica sarei meno antipatica, the most kaleidoscopic of Giuni's work.
The title is inspired by Ettore Petrolini's monologue Fortunello, is noticed for what it will be the artistic manifesto of a more mature Giuni, La sua figura. Here we find, for the first time, Santa Teresa d'Avila and San Giovanni della Croce.
Beside some 'easy' songs, there are shining tracks like Strade parallele in which Giuni face her mother tongue, Sicilian, Oceano d'Amore and La sposa. This album signed the return of Giuni to the Emi
which it was her first record company.
After two very much appreciated participation to the 'Premio Tenco' in 1994 with Ciao amore a cover by Luigi Tenco
and in 1995 with a minishow, in 1997 Giuni published the single Gabbiano, with the label Nar
, a cd was supposed to follow but that never happened because of different point of view of the label manager.
Her first live album, Voce prigioniera, was released in 1998.
An emotional way through classic and unpublished songs, in which Giuni's spiritual research and the artistic and human evolution clearly emerge.
In 2003, after another and last participation to the Sanremo festival, with Morirò d'amore. Giuni released her last album, Morirò d'amore ("I Will Die of Love").
In this year she released, in 28 November, another new album Demo de midi.
In April 2004, she released a last new album Napoli che canta with DVD (a suite musical or soundtrack for the films "Napoli che canta").
She died from cancer, in her home in Milan
, the night of September13th, 2004. She was only 53 years old.
The following year, her immense artistic repertory began to be published, starting with Nar, in 2005, of Mediterranea Tour, a 1984 concert, and the remixed and remastered A casa di Ida Rubinstein, which, in the meantime, became unobtainable on the market.
The DVD/CD is, like all the previous and following works, produced by Maria Antonietta Sisini and is the best selling product of all the charts, staying on the top for many weeks.
In 2005, after 25 years Energie is back to the charts, the only case of the kind, reprinted by Wea and including three bonus tracks: Un'estate al mare, Bing bang being and Adeste fideles.
In 2006 Giuni virtually duets with various national and international artists in Unusual, in which Giuni's voice sings with Caparezza
, Lene Lovich
, Franco Battiato
, Toni Child and others, alternating original musical arrangement with brand new others.
In 2007 is the year of three publications: the whole remastered reprint Se fossi pi' simpatica sarei meno antipatica (1994), The complete Giuni, triple anthological CD, the only official one, and the DVD Docufilm La sua figura of Franco Battiato
. Both works, immediately hit the charts.
In 2008 the album Cercati in me is released. It contains five previously unpublished and a fascinating ethnic-sounding mini-suites.
In 2009, he sees the light, the official biography, published by Bompiani Giuni Russo, da Un'estate al mare al Carmelo, written by Bianca Pitzorno, with the collaboration of Maria Antonietta Sisini, and a note by Franco Battiato
. In addition to the book, the box contains the DVD/Docufilm "La sua figura" (2007) by Franco Battiato and a CD of six tracks unreleased demos.
Albums
Albums
DVDs
Compilations
During her career she sang in Italian, English, French, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, Persian and Latin.
Biography
Giuni Russo was born in PalermoPalermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, on 7 September 1951. Busy with several family matters (Giuni already has 9 brothers) her father Pietro Romeo registered his new born baby girl Giuseppa 3 days later, on 10 September.
Playing and studying weren't as important as singing to her and she was continuously requested to do that at school.
Her teacher offered her own desk to Giuni to be used as a stage but Giuni was so shy she'd prefer to perform hiding herself behind the classroom's door.
A first try to come out was on the little stage of Music opposite to the "Politeama Theatre" in Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
.
Her family didn't know what was going on and no one of them knew she was taking singing lessons from Master Ettore Gaiezza, paying him with the money earned during her first nights shows.
At the age of 15 she sung for the Castrocaro festival of the new voices, reaching the semifinal.
The following year she won the festival, with a plebiscite of votes, singing Hurt by Timi Yuro
Timi Yuro
Timi Yuro was an American soul and R&B singer. She is considered to be one of the first blue-eyed soul stylists of the rock era.-Early years:...
and A chi by Fausto Leali
Fausto Leali
Fausto Leali is an Italian singer, famous for his rough and aggressive voice, in sharp contrast with Italian melody conventions. Due to his voice, he is nicknamed "The black white" .-Beginnings:...
.
The following year she took part in the Sanremo Festival as a "new proposal", under the name of Giusy Romeo with the song No amore, definitely not appropriate for her young age and talent, despite the 'hidden' sign of a young Paolo Conte.
She released two singles during 1968, No amore e L'onda. After her participation at Disco per l'Estate, Cantagiro and Festivalbar with the song L'onda, she recorded the cover version of Smoke in your eyes and the cover of I Say A Little Prayer of Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
in 1969. That year, she moved to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
to collaborate with musician and songwriter Maria Antonietta Sisini.
1970s
In the 1970s, Russo began with several participations as chorist for many artist's publications. In 1972 she sang in the choirs of Balletto di Bronzo's Ys.In 1974 she signed a contract for the German label "BASF", which gave her the pseudonym of Junie Russo. The following year her first LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, Love is a woman (sung in English) was released. In this period she also collaborated with Sisini as songwriter for other authors. Meanwhile, many singles were published such as Everything is gonna be alright a cover by Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
. The last single recorded as Junie Russo, Mai, was released in 1976 for the Durium.
In the meantime, Giuni and Maria Antonietta were appreciated as music composers for other artist's songs.
In the 1978, she was renamed Giuni Russo and recorded a single with Wea
Wea
The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking tribe originally located in western Indiana, closely related to the Miami. The name Wea is used today as the a shortened version of their many recorded names...
, Soli Noi, surprisingly hitting the French market, opening Giuni to new interesting prospects.
Unsure about leaving Italy for good, Giuni sadly decided to go back to Italy, a lucky choice,
1980s
In 1979 she met the Sicilian singer-songwriter Franco BattiatoFranco Battiato
Francesco Battiato is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes...
, who produced her second LP, entitled Energie for the label CGD
CGD
CGD can mean:*Compagnia Generale del Disco, an Italian record label.*Constitutional growth delay*Chronic granulomatous disease*Caixa Geral de Depósitos, the biggest public owned Portuguese bank....
, released in 1981, containing the work of musicians such as Sisini, Franco Battiato
Franco Battiato
Francesco Battiato is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes...
, Giusto Pio
Giusto Pio
Giusto Pio is an Italian musician and songwriter.Born at Castelfranco Veneto , he studied music in Venice...
, Alberto Radius and others.
In 1982 Giuni reached the peak of her popularity with the hit Un'estate al mare, which went Gold. She participated in the "Festivalbar", "Vota la voce", and many other events and broadcasts singing.
In 1983 she released the LP Vox, followed by her last work for that label LP Mediterranea (1984).
After divergences with the label's producer, Caterina Caselli
Caterina Caselli
Caterina Caselli is an Italian record producer and former singer and actress.In 1966 she debuted in the Sanremo Festival with "Nessuno mi può giudicare", a song discarded by Adriano Celentano, scoring a notable success. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc...
, who wanted more commercial works, in 1986 she moved to label Ricordi, for which she released the LPs Giuni (1986), ALBUM (1987) and the more experimental A casa di Ida Rubinstein (1988), featuring contaminations of pop and classic music.
1990s
In the 1990s Russo devoted herself to World Music and music-theater.In 1992, she released Amala, an album with sound of world-music, Arabic.
In 1994, she released a new album, Se fossi pi' simpatica sarei meno antipatica, the most kaleidoscopic of Giuni's work.
The title is inspired by Ettore Petrolini's monologue Fortunello, is noticed for what it will be the artistic manifesto of a more mature Giuni, La sua figura. Here we find, for the first time, Santa Teresa d'Avila and San Giovanni della Croce.
Beside some 'easy' songs, there are shining tracks like Strade parallele in which Giuni face her mother tongue, Sicilian, Oceano d'Amore and La sposa. This album signed the return of Giuni to the Emi
Emi
is a very common feminine Japanese given name and is occasionally used as a surname.-Possible writings:Emi can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:as a given name*恵美, "blessing, beauty"*絵美, "picture, beauty"*映見, "reflect, look"...
which it was her first record company.
After two very much appreciated participation to the 'Premio Tenco' in 1994 with Ciao amore a cover by Luigi Tenco
Luigi Tenco
Luigi Tenco was an Italian singer, songwriter and actor.-Biography:Tenco was born in Cassine in 1938, the son of Teresa Zoccola and Giuseppe Tenco. He never knew his father, who died in unclear circumstances...
and in 1995 with a minishow, in 1997 Giuni published the single Gabbiano, with the label Nar
NAR
-Places:* Nar Jaffar Khan, a town and union council in Bannu District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan* Nar, Nepal, a village development committee in Manang District in the Gandaki Zone of northern Nepal...
, a cd was supposed to follow but that never happened because of different point of view of the label manager.
Her first live album, Voce prigioniera, was released in 1998.
2000s
In 2002 she released the second live album, Signorina Romeo, by the Sony Music.An emotional way through classic and unpublished songs, in which Giuni's spiritual research and the artistic and human evolution clearly emerge.
In 2003, after another and last participation to the Sanremo festival, with Morirò d'amore. Giuni released her last album, Morirò d'amore ("I Will Die of Love").
In this year she released, in 28 November, another new album Demo de midi.
In April 2004, she released a last new album Napoli che canta with DVD (a suite musical or soundtrack for the films "Napoli che canta").
She died from cancer, in her home in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, the night of September13th, 2004. She was only 53 years old.
The following year, her immense artistic repertory began to be published, starting with Nar, in 2005, of Mediterranea Tour, a 1984 concert, and the remixed and remastered A casa di Ida Rubinstein, which, in the meantime, became unobtainable on the market.
The DVD/CD is, like all the previous and following works, produced by Maria Antonietta Sisini and is the best selling product of all the charts, staying on the top for many weeks.
In 2005, after 25 years Energie is back to the charts, the only case of the kind, reprinted by Wea and including three bonus tracks: Un'estate al mare, Bing bang being and Adeste fideles.
In 2006 Giuni virtually duets with various national and international artists in Unusual, in which Giuni's voice sings with Caparezza
Caparezza
Caparezza , pseudonym of Michele Salvemini, born 9 October 1973) is an Italian rapper. Born in Molfetta, Apulia, Caparezza debuted in 1997 at the Sanremo Festival under the name "MikiMix".-Biography and music:...
, Lene Lovich
Lene Lovich
Lene Lovich is an American singer based in England, who first gained attention as part of the New Wave music scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her most popular hit single was "Lucky Number", first released in 1979.-Early years:...
, Franco Battiato
Franco Battiato
Francesco Battiato is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes...
, Toni Child and others, alternating original musical arrangement with brand new others.
In 2007 is the year of three publications: the whole remastered reprint Se fossi pi' simpatica sarei meno antipatica (1994), The complete Giuni, triple anthological CD, the only official one, and the DVD Docufilm La sua figura of Franco Battiato
Franco Battiato
Francesco Battiato is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes...
. Both works, immediately hit the charts.
In 2008 the album Cercati in me is released. It contains five previously unpublished and a fascinating ethnic-sounding mini-suites.
In 2009, he sees the light, the official biography, published by Bompiani Giuni Russo, da Un'estate al mare al Carmelo, written by Bianca Pitzorno, with the collaboration of Maria Antonietta Sisini, and a note by Franco Battiato
Franco Battiato
Francesco Battiato is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes...
. In addition to the book, the box contains the DVD/Docufilm "La sua figura" (2007) by Franco Battiato and a CD of six tracks unreleased demos.
As Giusy Romeo
Single- 1968 - No amore / Amerai Columbia/EMI (SCMQ 7082)
- 1968 - L'onda / Lui e Lei Columbia/EMI (SCMQ 7095)
- 1968 - I primi minuti / Fumo negli occhi Columbia/EMI (SCMQ 7118)
As Junie Russo
Single- 1975 - Milk of Paradise / I've Drunk in my Dream BASF (06 13325-Q)
- 1975 - Everything Is Gonna Be Alright / Vodka BASF (06 13330-Q)
- 1975 - In trappola / Lui nell'anima GHIBLI (CD 4506)
- 1976 - Mai / Che mi succede adesso DURIUM (Ld A 7950)
Albums
- 1975 - Love is a woman BASF (21-23326 Q)
As Giuni Russo
Singles- 1978 - Soli noi / La chiave ELEKTRA (T 12290)
- 1982 - Un'estate al mare / Bing bang being CGD (CGD 10401)
- 1982 - Good Good Bye / Post moderno CGD (CGD 10437)
- 1982 - Una Vipera Sarò / Tappeto Volante
- 1983 - Good Good Bye / Un'estate al mare
- 1984 - Mediterranea / Limonata cha cha cha CGD (CGD 10548)
- 1986 - Alghero / Occhiali colorati BUBBLE/RICORDI (BLU 9233)
- 1987 - Ragazzi al luna-park / Mango papaia BUBBLE/RICORDI (BLU 9238)
- 1987 - Adrenalina / Adrenalina (remix strumental) BUBBLE/RICORDI (BLUX 934)
- 1987 - Mango Papaia / Mango papaia (remix strumental) BUBBLE/RICORDI (BLUX ?)
- 1990 - Un'estate al mare / Una vipera sarò (CGD 3984 23892-9)
- 1994 - Se fossi più simpatica sarei meno antipatica
- 1995 - Un'estate al mare (love guitar remix) / Un'estate al mare (deep mix) / Un'estate al mare (July 41 st) ITWHY (ITW 05)
- 1997 - Gabbiano / Fonti mobili NAR (NAR 40132)
- 2000 - Un'estate al mare (space mix) / Un'estate al mare (cub mix) / Un'estate al mare (dub version) HITLAND (EXTRA 05 CDs)
- 2003 - Morirò d'amore / Il re del mondo (live)
- 2006 - Un'estate al mare (remix feat. Megahertz) — PROMO
- 2006 - Adrenalina (remix feat. MAB) - PROMO
- 2006 - Una vipera sarò (remix feat. Caparezza) - PROMO
Albums
- 1981 - Energie CGD (CGD 20269)
- 1983 - Vox CGD (CGD 20360)
- 1984 - Mediterranea CGD (CGD 20409)
- 1986 - Giuni BUBBLE/RICORDI (BLULP 1822)
- 1987 - Album BUBBLE/RICORDI (BLULP 1825)
- 1988 - A casa di Ida Rubinstein L’OTTAVA/EMI (64 7915301)
- 1992 - Amala CGD (4509-90011-2)
- 1994 - Se fossi più simpatica sarei meno antipatica EMI (7243 8 29956 2 3)
- 1998 - Voce prigioniera NAR (NAR 1349 2)
- 2002 - Signorina Romeo Live
- 2003 - Morirò d'Amore
- 2003 - Demo De Midi
- 2004 - Napoli che canta
- 2006 - Unusual
- 2008 - Cercati in me
DVDs
- 2004 - Napoli che canta
- 2005 - Mediterranea Tour (with CDs)
- 2007 - La sua figura
Compilations
- 1983 - Un'estate al mare
- 1987 - Sere d'agosto
- 1989 - I successi di Giuni Russo SPINNAKER/RICORDI (SPI13)
- 1990 - Le più belle canzoni CGD musicA (9031 72212-2)
- 1996 - Onde leggere TRING (TRI 028)
- 1997 - La sposa FUEGO (PCD 2100)
- 1999 - Alghero REPLAY MUSIC (RSCD 8032)
- 2000 - Il meglio (rearranged tracks) MR MUSIC/D.V. MORE RECORD (MRCD 4198)
- 2000 - I miei successi (rearranged tracks) D.V. MORE RECORD (CD DV 6411)
- 2003 - Irradiazioni (unreleased tracks)
- 2004 - Voce che grida
- 2007 - The Complete Giuni (with unreleased tracks and rearranged tracks)
Website
- www.giunirusso.it - Authorized Site
- www.giunirusso.com - Another Authorized Site
- www.giunirussostore.it - Giuni Russo Store
- www.giuniforumufficiale.com - Official Forum