The U.S. release of Biagio Antonacci’s Il Cielo Ha Una Porta Sola (“Heaven Has Only One Door”) introduces American audiences to one of the brightest stars of the Italian European music scene. Featuring stunning re-interpretations of his biggest hits, as well as brand new material, Il Cielo is the perfect primer on Biagio’s powerful appeal as both a vocalist and a songwriter. It is his first work to be released in the U.S. in a long and stellar career.

Biagio Antonacci

In Italy, where his 20-year career includes a long string of multi-platinum albums, chart-topping hits, and sold-out soccer stadiums, Biagio Antonacci is a national treasure. His voice remains one of the most beautiful on the continent, and his emotionally charged songwriting continues to move the hearts of a massive following.

From his first album, 1989’s Sono Cose Che Capitano, to his current thirteenth release, Biagio’s career has been on a consistently upward trajectory. The artist has grown from a humble music student to a multi-million- selling star, from playing small shows to packed arenas; through it all, he has remained true to his Italian heritage.

Here, the Italian heartthrob talks about smelling the perfume of life, his love of Bruce Springsteen, and his connection to his gay fans.

Q: Why did you decide to re-do some of your past hits for this album?

Biagio Antonacci: I wanted to rearrange them without a lot of electronics and use a more organic sound. I didn’t want them to sound so produced. I chose the ones that have had the most success and modernized them. I wanted people to hear these songs in a new way.

Q: How did you end up choosing the songs that would be on the album?

BA: I first followed my heart, like everything I do. I also did a contest on my web site, asking the fans which songs I should re-record. Ultimately, the album is a collaboration between me and my fans.

Q: There are also new songs on this album. How do they differ from your older songs?

BA: The new songs are written by an older, more mature man. They’re written by someone who wants to be a man first, then a singer. The songs are more spiritual, but they are also meant to express emotion. They’re songs for people who like to communicate by expressing their feelings.

Q: Where do you get the inspiration as a songwriter?

BA: I get inspiration by smelling the perfume of life. I get inspiration from simple things—when I’m alone in my bedroom, when I’m on tour. Everyday life inspires me. Ultimately, I believe that music is sacred and has already been written. We can only learn from the past because the music already exists. The next generation will learn from me just as I have learned from those who have come before me.

Q: What’s easier—writing songs when you’re heartbroken or when you’re in love?

BA: When I’m in love, I write about being broken-hearted, and the other way around. I think songwriters write about what they don’t have.

Q: Was it difficult getting the Rolling Stones to agree to let you use a sample of “Start Me Up” for your song “Tra Te I’ll Mare”? Why did you use that particular sample?

BA: No, it wasn’t difficult. I had written that song for Laura Pausini. The Rolling Stones heard it and liked it. It only took a month to get final approval. It’s amazing how professional musicians can be outside of Italy. In Italy, this kind of process would have taken forever. I wanted to use that sample after I heard one of my guitarists playing the riff from “Start Me Up” at the same time I was playing my own song. They seemed to mystically come together.

Q: Have you been influenced by any American artists?

BA: Yes, Bruce Springsteen. I grew up listening to him. I remember seeing Bruce at concert in Milan at San Siro [Stadium]. Later, I played there, and it was such an honor knowing that Springsteen had played there. I was imagining the audience feeling the same way that I had when I saw Bruce.

Q: Have you spent much time visiting or performing in the U.S.?

BA: I’ve been but never performed. We might do a tour by the end of this year or early next year. It will be a great experience when I first play in the States. I have many fans that write to me from the U.S. on my web site. It’s amazing that people from so far away who don’t speak the language are listening to my music.

Q: You are a big star in Italy, one of the best-selling male artists. Do you enjoy the attention?

BA: Apart from the gossip, much of which is not true, I love it all. The Italian people really care for me and spoil me. I feel the love.

Q: You have a look that will be very attractive to gay fans in the U.S. Do you find yourself getting a lot of attention from both women and men in Italy because of the way you look?

BA: I’m not overly concerned with how I look. I get dressed for a show based on how I like to dress. I’ve been wearing Armani for a long time. His clothes represent the way I like to dress. Armani really knows how to dress men, whether they’re showmen or not.

Q: Do you have a lot of gay fans in Italy?

BA: I love all of my fans, so I don’t necessarily separate gay from straight. I love to hear that gay people are fans of mine. I know that gay people are generally very sensitive, and I want all sensitive people to love my music. Gay people have an honest, open, emotional sensibility, which really pleases me. I have many gay friends that live beautifully rich and fulfilling lives, and they tell me that I write music that really connects with the gay community.

Biagio Antonacci Career Highlights

Il Cielo Ha Una Porta Sola was released in Italy in 2008. As of June 2009, it has sold nearly 300,000 copies (over 4X Platinum).

In 2007, Biagio was the main act at MTV Day, where he performed a mini-set in front of 60,000 people in Duomo Square in Milan.

That same year, Biagio performed in front of 60,000 fans at the San Siro Stadium in Milan. The hometown concert event is documented on the San Siro 07 DVD. The show kicked off a sold-out European tour.

In 2006, two years after the amazing success of his album Convivendo, Biagio released his album, Vicky Love. Three songs from the album become radio hits. The album remained high on the charts for over a year.

In 2004, Biagio composed the hit song “Viveme” for Laura Pausini. The track won the Best Pop Ballad award at the 2006 ASCAP Latin Music Awards. The song is included on Pausini’s Escucha, which was a best seller around the world and earned her a Grammy Award in 2006. Biagio had previously composed the hit “Tra Te E Il Mare” for Pausini. That song became an instant success in many territories outside of Italy

In 2004, Biagio released Convivendo (“Living Together”), a double album released in two parts. The two volumes sold in excess of 1 million copies combined and dominated the sales charts for over a year.

The project confirmed Biagio as one of Italy’s top multiplatinum superstars:

He was the Best-Selling Italian Male Artist at the 2005 World Music Awards in Los Angeles.
He had the #1 album of 2005 on Nielsen’s year-end chart of Best Selling Albums.
He received a Telegatto Award in 2006 (Italian Emmy Awards) for Best Album of the year. He is the only artist to receive nominations in all 3 music categories: Best Album, Best Singer, Best Tour.

Biagio is the only Italian musician who has been on the cover of Vanity Fair 3 times in the same year.

Homepage: www.antonacci.it

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