Spotonli.com : 07/06/2012

June 7, 2012

Giada Valenti is a beautiful Italian- American singer with the voice of an angel…She was noticed by Clive Davis, the same man who found Whitney Houston and has moved to America to follow her dreams.

You are from Venice. When did you come to America?

GV: I moved toNew York City 7 years ago; I was already living in London at the time. I left Italy11 years ago and I moved to Amsterdam where I was signed with BMG, I had a record deal over there. Through my music I moved to London when I was looking to write music with an English flavor, I was looking for new collaborations and in London they offered me a deal. I was only in London a year when I wrote some original music and I was invited to visit New York City by the right hand of Clive Davis. They loved the voice and they thought it was different and it could work in America but you’d have to move to the United States to learn to improve your English and to collaborate with some American artists. So I moved to New York Cityand I am here for 7 years now and I love it.

What was it like meeting Clive Davis?

GV: For a singer its like bigger than God himself. For an Italian singer I couldn’t even believe it. I kept the email where they said I had a “mesmerizing and enchanting voice” because that doesn’t happen every day. It was good for my ego because I’ve been a singer my whole life. It’s the only job I’ve ever done. He’s an incredible man. He has made history.

Now you play the piano, do you play any other instrument?

GV: No, I did try to play the guitar but I never really sit down and try. I would love to one day to learn to play the guitar. They are good because you can write songs with it but actually on stage I never play piano or any other instrument because I think if you sit behind an instrument you put something between you and your audience and I love to communicate with my music so I just stay in front of the microphone.

In 2008 you were named the Woman of the Year by the Organization of Italian Charities In America. Can you please tell us about that?

GV: I’ve been in this country only 7 years and this is something typical of the United States they give you awards and I always say, I’ll take them with a great honor. Some days when I do not have my best days I look at those awards and say those people believe in me and I take them as an encouragement to work even harder to doing what I love so much.

When you sing your songs from the 60’s, 70’s and the 80’s- the ones that are someone else’s songs- how did you choose them? Was it suggested by someone else?

GV: There are different reasons I choose a song. Some of them are songs that I have known already forever. If you have seen any of my shows I tell stories and even though they are songs that are not Italian but somehow I have a connection to those songs because they are something that happened to my parents, my grandparents and they love that song. Sometimes I research because the most important things when you perform a show is communication and in America I noticed if I only perform songs that are familiar to me and popular in Italy I cannot communicate with them. Some songs have been suggested by fans.

Your own penned songs… did you write those songs or did you collaborate with someone else to create your original creations?

GV: For some songs I wrote myself but I always like to collaborate with other musicians and in the show I do some songs that are collaborations and that I wrote while living in England. There is one particular one that my fans started to love in America called “A Piece of My Heart” I wrote it in a very rough period of my life. Its nice to see that even though that song is unknown to them somehow the first time they hear it they have a connection because the lyrics are so personal to many of them. To write songs… its kind of like going to a shrink, you put all your emotions in a song and then you feel better. The trouble is when you have to sing it again you go through it all again but then you get the applause.

Where is your next big performance on Long Island?

GV: I’ll be back on Long Island September 29 at 8pm at the Madison Theatre at Molloy College in Rockville Center. You can purchase tickets on my website or madisontheatreny.org or call 866.811.4111

What was your biggest career challenge?

GV: Following my heart and leaving my family.

Do you have any new CD’s coming out in the near future?

GV: We have a PBS special that films in November that’s going to be a big step forward for my music. I have already started to talk to them and it will be broadcasted in March next year so I will have my first official U.S. tour with the support of PBS which is going to be a great step forward. I will be also recording a CD in collaboration with some Canadian artists and some artists from Nashville. 2013 will be the year for my next CD.

You can find Giada, her performance schedule and a whole lot more by clicking on here link:

http://www.giadavalenti.com/bio.htm

Source : spotonli.com/2012/06/italian-singer-giada-valenti/