Gianna Nannini (born 14 June 1956, Siena, Italy) is a female singer-songwriter and rock musician. The older sister to former Formula 1 driver Alessandro Nannini, she studied piano in Turin and then composition in Milan. Her first album was released in 1976 but her hit was in 1979 with the single America and the album California, which became a success in several European countries. The rise to fame in Italy started in 1984 with the release of her sixth album, Puzzle. This album peaked in the top 10 at the Italian, German, Austrian and Swiss hit-parades. She sang for the videoclip Fotoromanza (directed by Michelangelo Antonioni), won several musical awards and started a European tour, including a participation at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In 1986 her hit Bello e impossibile was a huge success and brought her more awards in Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Her 1987 compilation Maschi e altri sold over a million copies. In 1990 she sang Un'estate italiana, the official song of the Football World Cup 1990, together with Edoardo Bennato. She graduated in philosophy from the University of Siena in 1994. The following year she took part in a protest organized by Greenpeace at the French embassy in Rome against the decision of the French government to pursue nuclear experiments at Mururoa. Her album Grazie was released in February 2006, and has peaked at number one of the Italian hit-parade with the single Sei nell'anima. After this two more released and another one is planned for 2011titled: "Io e te".
