Romina Arena

Last updated
Romina Arena
Born (1975-05-12) May 12, 1975 (age 49)
Origin Palermo, Sicily
Genres Pop, classical crossover, operatic pop
Occupation(s)Singer, composer, writer
Years active2005–present
LabelsDesign House/Toshiba-EMI, CP Productions/BMG, PC Music, Outback Records, NMG Records, Perseverance Records, Lakeshore Records
Website www.rominaarena.com

Romina Arena is an Italian singer-songwriter who performs, pop classical crossover, rock opera and new-age music. [1]

Contents

Early life

Romina Arena was born and raised in Palermo, Sicily, to a Sicilian mother, Rita and a Roman father, Renato. By the age of four, Arena became a Mouseketeer for Topolino, the Italian version of Disney's Mickey Mouse Club. [2] Performing with other children from different parts of Europe, [3] [4] Arena calls herself "the voice of women with a broken heart" but is also referred to as "the voice of women who never give up". [5]

Career

In 2001, Arena covered the classic Japanese song, "Subaru", originally written and recorded by Shinji Tanimura. In 2003, Microsoft used her first rock opera single "Satellite (Italian version)", recorded in both English and Italian and composed by Romina Arena and David Polish, in the video game Project Gotham Racing 2. [6] In 2013 she covered "I Want Love" (originally from Silent Hill 3, composed by Akira Yamaoka) in the cover album "The Best Of Silent Hill (Music From The Video Game Series)" by Edgar Rothermich [7] released in 2013 on Perseverance Records.

In 2012, she released the album Morricone.Uncovered [8] in which she covers film music by Ennio Morricone to which she had set her own lyrics.

In an article written by journalist Roberto Pugliese, "Arena uses her exquisite operatic (diaphragm and chest) but is sufficiently flexible to expand in Pop and Classical genre (for these singers, the neologism "popera" was coined). “What is striking in the color of Arena’s voice is that even in the high register and sovracuto - a rare use of falsetto - still maintains a serious center of gravity, dark, full-bodied that accentuates her dramatic vocal delivery. In addition to phrasing, incredibly sharp, marked and a mastery of the breath which results also in the expressive essential resource." [9]

In 2015, Arena signed to Lakeshore Records for a studio album to coincide with her book Where Did They Film That Italy. The album, titled Where Did They Film That Italy – The Music Journey, [10] was released in June 2016 as a companion to the travel guide.

Her song "Every Day Is Christmas Day" appeared in the movie A Christmas To Remember. [11]

She was one of the special guests in Jim Wilson and Friends: A Place in my Heart [12] live at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts in Amarillo, Texas.

Romina Arena has starred and produced ABC Holiday Movie Skating Spectacular, [13] hosted by Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, and World Champion Kimmie Meissner alongside a cast of various Olympic figure skating stars performing on ice to holiday music performed live by Romina and special guests, The Four Phantoms.

Discography

Books

Awards

In 2010, Arena received several awards. She was one of the seven recipients of the Tricolor Globe Award from the organization Italian Women in the World, [14] one of the five recipients of the CSNA Award (Confederation of the Sicilians in North America) for promoting Sicilian culture worldwide, [15]

In 2012, Arena was one of the 20 recipients of the Premio Sicilla for being an "Ambassador of bel canto in the world". [16]

In 2020, Romina Arena received the prestigious “Filming Italy Los Angeles" Spotlight Award presented by Variety Magazine and Filming Italy LA for achievement in the music industry and cinema soundtrack, in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Culture and the Italian Embassy of Los Angeles. [17]

In 2021, Romina Arena was named the "Official Ambassador of Italian Excellence In The World" by the President of M.I.R.E. (Movement of Italians Residents Abroad) representing Italy and major Italian cultural events, awards, consumer experiences around the world. [18]

In 2022, the Italian President and Onorevoli at the Camera Dei Deputati awarded Romina the "Patrimonio Italiano" as Italian Ambassador of Italian culture at the Italian Parliament in Rome. [19]

Articles and Interviews

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References

  1. ↑ "Romina Arena, regina del Popera: Con la mia musica parlo di sogni e coraggio". Lavocedi New York. June 29, 2018.
  2. ↑ Martone, Eric (2017). Italian Americans: The History and Culture of a People (1st ed.). Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 338. ISBN   978-1610699952.
  3. ↑ D'Alessandro, F. Anthony (1 August 2012). A Chat with Romina Arena", Times of Sicily Blog.
  4. ↑ Giornale Di Sicilia (29 January 2012). "Romina Arena, la siciliana che ha conquistato l'America".
  5. ↑ Pugliese, Roberto (12 February 2013). "Recensione: Morricone Uncovered. ColonneSonore.net
  6. ↑ Project Gotham Racing 2 - Credits, 31 March 2020, retrieved 2024-06-17
  7. ↑ Edgar Rothermich – The Best Of Silent Hill (Music From The Video Game Series) , retrieved 2024-06-17
  8. ↑ "Romina Arena And Perseverance Records To Release "Morricone.Uncovered" In September". Top40-Charts.com. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  9. ↑ "Morricone Uncovered". www.colonnesonore.net. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  10. ↑ "Romina-Arena-Where-Did-They-Film-That-Italy-The-Music-Journey". www.discogs.com.
  11. ↑ A Christmas to Remember (2015) - IMDb , retrieved 2020-06-11
  12. ↑ "Jim Wilson and Friends: A Place in my Heart". IMDb .
  13. ↑ "ABC Holiday Movie Skating Spectacular". IMDb .
  14. ↑ Il Resto del Carlino (5 July 2010). "Sette 'Oscar' in rosa A Bologna premio alle eccellenze al femminile"
  15. ↑ Corriere del Mezzogiorno (11 November 2010). "La storia della Targa Florio a Miami Premiati cinque siculo-americani". Retrieved 3 July 2016 (in Italian).
  16. ↑ Ragusa Oggi (1 February 2012). Premio Sicilia 2012 - XIX Edizione
  17. ↑ "Filming Italy Los Angeles - Press Release". www.filmingitalylosangeles.it. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  18. ↑ "From Cinematica to being an Ambassador of Italian Excellence in the World: the success continues for a great Italian singer. An exclusive interview with Romina Arena". L'Idea Magazine. 2021-02-13. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  19. ↑ "Camera Dei Deputati, Patrimonio Italiano Award, conferenze stampa di Fuscia Fitzgerald Nissoli". Communicazione Inform. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
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