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Giada Valenti Brings Romance of Italy to the Piano Room

 

Written by Rich Monetti
Monday, 11 March 2013
 

Born in Venice, Giada Valenti never sat down and made a conscious decision to become a singer. The Valenti family was inherently musical and her grandmother was a professional singer - well known in the local community. Taking the stage by four years old, and knowing how to write musical notes before she could pen the alphabet, Giada believes performance and music are simply part of her DNA. She studied music theory at the Santa Cecilia Music School in Venice and got her degree at the G. Tartini in Trieste. On the other hand, her father felt she needed an outlet to a "serious career" to go along with the passion brought to music so she studied psychology at the University of Padova. In between, Giada was much influenced by pop and rock music and was very much among the Italian music vibe that looked to cover all sounds American and British. But she would come to realize that the world's greatest music derived of love and the yearnings of the heart. In turn, she signed with BMG Ariola and had several of her recordings reach the European charts. Riding and romancing that success, Giada received serious interest from a major record label in New York. As such, she decided to adopt the greatest city in the world as her home and is not be shy about showing us through her music what Italy has always done better.

Times Square(TS): How did Italians figure out this whole romance thing better than everyone else?

Giada Valenti(GS): We invented romance. Around the world they say Italian men are very romantic but you cannot generalize. Still everybody loves romance. and the world seems to think that the Italians and the Spanish are more romantic. I guess it's the accent.

TS: Accent or not, I'm Italian so what the hell is wrong with me?

GV: Oh, you're Italian. So you should know what I'm talking about

TS: Yeah, not really. I go out with a girl, and they want to know why it takes four or five dates just to kiss them.

GV: I made my husband also work for a month before anything happened.

TS: Actually, it's me making them work - well not intentionally. Is your husband Italian?

GV: No, he's Dutch

TS: How does the family feel about that?

GV: They loved him right away, and now they love him more than me. You know how that goes.

TS: Yes, I do. Everyone in my family feels sorry for Sal - my brother-in-law. So were you OK with your Italian dad sending you off to study Psychology?

GV: Sure. I've always been eager to learn, and he was right in a way because everything you learn enriches you. I use my psychological knowledge to analyze my audience. I can see who's enjoying the show - who's shy and who's thinking, please come to me.

TS: Can you tell me about your first times on stage?

GV: I don't really recall but I've been told, and to this day, I'm maybe nervous the first 20 seconds, and then it just becomes a natural place for me to be. Even if I have a cold or headache - it just makes me feel like, wow. A big fan of Edith Piaf, I know she felt the same way. I think it's something that all singers in the world have.

TS: I guess you're lucky then that Edith Piaf is alive and living in New York City.

GV: Excuse me.

TS: There's a French cabaret singer named Floanne Ankah who does a tribute to Edith Piaf.

GV: I know Flo. I get her emails and have seen her videos. So even though I'm Italian, in my heart, I love French music, but maybe I love Edith Piaf so much because she's half Italian.

TS: Why did you leave rock 'n roll for romance?

GV: I started to explore other kinds of music. I came across jazz and began learning about song writing. I eventually realized the most famous songs that people write are all related to love, and I really connect to that. But if you come to my concerts, there are aspects of jazz, rock and pop. I even do Light my Fire - of course, in my own style. At the same time, I share a lot of funny stories about my life and family. I just love to entertain, but it obviously comes back to the romance. I see people holding hands and getting closer. I even know people that came to my show having just met, and a few months later, they are engaged.

TS: Do you have kids?

GV: No. I can't. I'm always traveling - never knowing which country I want to live in. But if I did have kids, I would want them to be strongly connected to music, because I always say music has kept me away from troubles like drugs and bad company. It's just very important to encourage them to pursue their passion. So whether it's sports or art, if you have an interest in life, you're not going to look for those bad things around you.

TS: You must have a lot of male admirers. Does your husband ever get jealous?

GV: Being a woman, I do have a lot of men in my audience, but the main reason they are there is because they have a girlfriend or wife taking them.

TS: Should I feel bad for the men?

GV: Recently, I did a show, and they interviewed some fans after. It was funny to hear this one woman say, I loved it, but I'm never bringing my boyfriend again because all he keeps saying is how beautiful Giada is. So many of my fans are women, and I'm proud of that.

TS: What are some of your signature songs?

GV: I would say La Vie a Rose, Volare and The First Time Ever I Saw your Face, and what's great is my fans seem to adore those songs as much as me.

TS: What about originals?

GV: I'l be doing a few at the Piano Room. I have one called, A Piece of my Heart. My fans see the connection so it's really nice.

TS: You did a Italian Reality TV Show?

GV: Well, it was a program where they followed me around for a few days so people back home could see my life here in America. But I didn't show myself talking a shower, eating breakfast or having a fight. They wanted to show Italians like me are building different types of careers in America so they featured several professions in the show for Italians dreaming of coming here.

TS: Do you miss Italy?

GV: Italians are very proud of where they are from, but I've lived in London, Amsterdam and Astoria - I love everywhere I am because I'm happy with myself.

TS: That sounds good. It was very nice talking to you.

GV: Thank you. Have a good day.

Source : lmwmoxe.timessquare.com/music/interviews/9066-giada-valenti-brings-romance-of-italy-to-the-piano-room