Laura Pausini

Laura Pausini was born in Faenza, Ravenna, on May 16, 1974 (she was raised in Solarolo, Ravenna). Laura was exposed to music even before birth as her father put earphones to her mother’s belly when she was pregnant with Laura. Even though she was considered a shy girl, music changed her as she started to sing in local piano bars with her father when she was 8. In 1993, Laura entered the prestigious Italian San Remo Music Festival. Her career was launched that night in the Ariston Theater as her performance of one of her best known songs, La Solitudine, won the first place in the festival. The song also has an English version with lyrics written by Broadway composer Tim Rice.

In 1994, Pausini released her first album in Spanish. The album was a compilation of her first two Italian albums, Laura Pausini (double platinum in Italy) and Laura. The album proved to be a great success in Spain and Latin America. That same year she dropped her producer Angelo Valsiglio because he wanted her to sing only sad songs. In 1996, she released her third album, Le Cose Che Vivi, along with a Spanish version and, for the first time, with a special edition in Portuguese.

In 1998, she released La Mia Risposta, which featured a little change in musical style adding some electronic pop but still featuring her well known ballads. Phil Collins wrote the song “Looking for an Angel” especially for her. The following year she recorded the song “One More Time” written by Richard Marx as part of the soundtrack for the movie “Message in a Bottle”. In 2000, she participated in the soundtrack of the movie “Pokemon 2000: The Power of One” with the song “The Extra Mile”. Pausini’s first full album in English was released in 2002. The record titled From the Inside was produced by Patrick Leonard and features the hit single “Surrender”.