Giuni Russo

Giuni Russo
Background information
Birth name Giuseppa Romeo
Born (1951-09-10)10 September 1951
Origin Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Died 14 September 2004(2004-09-14) (aged 53)
Milan, Lombardy, Italy
Genres Easy listening, experimental, pop, classical, Jazz, opera
Occupation(s) Musician, Author
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1968–2004
Labels EMI-Columbia
Basf
Durium
Ghibli
WEA
CGD
Ricordi
L'Ottava
EMI
NAR
Sony Music
Radiofandango
Edel
Associated acts Franco Battiato, Alice, Juri Camisasca
Website www.giunirusso.it www.giunirusso.com

Giuni Russo (stage name of Giuseppa Romeo; 10 September 1951 – 14 September 2004) 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, German, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Persian and Latin.

Biography

Giuni Russo was born in Palermo, 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 sang 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" and "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.

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, 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 PP Arnold. 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,

1980s

In 1979 she met the Sicilian singer-songwriter Franco Battiato, 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.

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 più 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 International; 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, on 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 13 September 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.

In 2011 "A casa di Ida Rubinstein 2011", Cd+DVD, a new edition of the 1988's album with some great guests and a "jazz hint": Uri Caine, Brian Auger, Paolo Fresu.

In April 2012 the 1975's album Love is a woman is released on CD for the first time. The album, entirely sung in English, was recorded with the name "Junie Russo". Between the musician, Enrico Rava at the trumpet.

May 27, 2012 The Gallery of the Zancanaro Theatre has been dedicated to Giuni Russo. On GiuniParaSiempre Fan Club's request, the City of Sacile, Friuli Venezia Giulia, was happy to pay tribute to Giuni, whom in 2003 gave her last concert in that Theatre.

Discography

As Giusy Romeo

Single

As Junie Russo

Single

Albums

As Giuni Russo

Singles

Albums

DVDs

Compilations

Bibliography

External links

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