Viola Valentino | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Virginia Minnetti July 1, 1949 |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1968–present |
Spouse | |
| Website | www |
Virginia Minnetti (born July 1, 1949), best known by her stage name Viola Valentino, is an Italian singer.
Virginia Minnetti was born in 1949. In 1968, she began her musical career under the pseudonym Virginia, when her first jazz single "Dixie" was released, produced by Gino Paoli. A little later, she began singing with her husband in a duet called Renzo & Virginia (Renzo and Virginia), which did not gain much success. For a while, Virginia also worked as a fashion model.
Later, Virginia was noticed by Giancarlo Lucariello, the producer of the then-famous Italian rock band Pooh. He created her image of a charismatic, but at the same time elegant and refined girl; the singer's manner of singing her songs in a muffled voice became her most striking distinctive feature later on.
In 1978, the singer recorded her only album as part of the rock band Fantasy. The album, titled "Uno" ("One"), was produced by Giancarlo Lucariello.
In 1979, Virginia begins performing under the stage name Viola Valentino. She signs a contract with major record labels and studios: Paradiso, CGD and Ariola. Her first song "Comprami" ("Buy me"), with which she performed at the "Festivalbar" competition, immediately brought her fame and was sold out in large numbers in Italy and Spain. The single will rise to number three in the Italian charts, and Viola Valentino will be frequently broadcast on Spanish television, where she will perform the song in Spanish. Despite the initial controversies among feminists, this song would become the singer's signature tune, with a print run of half a million copies.
In 1980, two more famous Viola Valentino's songs were released — "Sei una bomba" ("You are a bomb"), with which she also successfully performed at the "Festivalbar", and "Anche noi facciamo pace" ("We will also make peace"), which Viola presented at the international light music exhibition in Venice. The singles hit the charts of many European countries (Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria) and reached the top twenty. At the same time, her first album, "Cinema", was released.
In 1981, her new song "Sera coi fiocchi" ("Great evening") was performed in the finale of the television program "Domenica In". And with the summer song "Giorno popolare" ("A busy day") Viola Valentino will perform at the "Festivalbar" again. The songs also occupy high positions in the charts. In March of the same year, Viola Valentino signed a contract with a modeling agency of USA in California and appeared on the cover of "Playboy" magazine.
In 1982, Viola Valentino participated in the "Sanremo" competition for the first time with the song "Romantici" ("Romantics"), which also sold a large circulation of 400 000 copies. Viola's sales success can be compared to singer Riccardo Fogli and the famous duo Al Bano and Romina Power. Later, the single became famous in the USSR. In the same year, the singer's second album, "In primo piano" ("In the foreground"), was released, and one of her most famous songs, "Sola" ("Alone"), was released. During this time, Viola Valentino was at the peak of her popularity, and she was invited to star in the film "Delitto sull'autostrada" ("Crime on the highway"), alongside Thomas Milian. In April of the same year, Viola Valentino appeared on the cover of "Playboy" magazine for the second time.
In 1983, she participated in the "Sanremo Music Festival" again with the song "Arriva arriva" ("Come, come"), which was written in the style of Brazilian samba. During this time, Viola Valentino also appeared in the film "Due strani papà" ("Two strange dads"), alongside Pippo Franco and Franco Califano.
In 1984, Viola Valentino performed at the summer festival "Un disco per l'estate" with the song "Verso sud" ("Towards the South"), which stood out for its beautiful lyrics and melody. The singer won second place on a grand scale.
In 1985, Viola Valentino once again participated in the "Un disco per l'estate" competition and once again took second place with the song "Addio amor" ("Goodbye, love"). This song, which was included in the rare mini-album "L'angelo" ("Angel"), was also performed at the "Festivalbar". Additionally, Viola performed the song "Vai col tango" ("Dance the tango"), which was also included in her new album, at the "Buon anno musica" festival. In the same year, the singer and Riccardo Fogli visited the USSR with a series of concerts. In honor of this grand event, a film was made about the singer's tour, titled "A story of a few days." Viola Valentino was also featured in this film. The soviet audience warmly welcomed the couple, who performed together at a concert at the V. I. Lenin Sports and Concert Complex in Leningrad, and the artists donated all the money they earned to charity.
In 1986, the singer was forced to abandon a new participation in the "Sanremo Festival" with the song "Amore stella" ("Star of love"), written especially for her, but which was entrusted at the last minute to Donatella Rettore by the order of her then record label due to a crisis related to the CGD label. Viola Valentino was supposed to perform a duet with the famous singer Dalida, but the project was never realized. In return, she got the opportunity to participate in "Festivalbar" again with the song "Il posto della luna" ("The place of the Moon"). In the same year, she starred alongside Fabrizia Carminati and Pamela Prati in the television film "Le volpi della notte" ("The night foxes").
In 1987, the song "Devi ritornare" ("You have to come back") was released, which was presented on television in the program "Pronto, è la Rai?". From this point on, interest in the singer began to wane. After the closure of the CGD label, there was a long period of silence, which was only broken a few years later.
In 1991, the compilation "Un angelo dal cielo" ("An angel from heaven") was released, featuring all of Viola Valentino's best songs, as well as the eponymous single, which was originally written for Donatella Rettore in support of her upcoming album, which was supposed to be released a year earlier but was ultimately canceled.
Thus, after completing her first stage in her career, Viola Valentino began to experiment. She released songs with a new sound, becoming not only a pop singer but also a rock and roll singer.
Currently, Viola Valentino is one of the most successful and influential Italian singers. She continues to perform and give frequent concerts. She has hundreds of songs and dozens of albums to her credit.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Delitto sull'autostrada | Anna Danti | Feature film debut as an actress |
| 1984 | Due strani papà | Alessandra | |
| 1986 | Le volpi della notte | Anna Calvetti | Television film |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
