Paola e Chiara
Encyclopedia
Paola e Chiara is a pop
duo consisting of two sisters born in Milan
, Italy.
Their national career began when the manager of Max Pezzali
's pop band 883
saw the sisters playing in Milan, and signed them to the band. The sisters' career as "Paola e Chiara" began in 1997 when they parted with 883.
In 1997 the sisters won the New-Artist category for the song "Amici come prima" at the Sanremo Festival. Soon after, they released their first album.
They have since released other five studio albums, incorporating shifting musical influences (such as Spanish Pop and Celtic elements) and performing in several different languages, achieving international success in 2000.
The sisters formed their first music group called Elefunky, which specialized in funky music. They played in various clubs in Milan and were discovered by manager Claudio Cecchetto, who was feverishly looking for a group that would help artist Max Pezzali
.
The sisters left the club scene and joined up with Max Pezzali to play at many festivals in Italy. They became part of Pezzali's band 883, playing the guitar and the trombone. The group released in 1995 the album La donna, il sogno e il grande incubo. After a big tour to promote the album, the sisters decided to become solo artists.
The sisters visited Ireland after seeing the movie Braveheart
, to visit the locations where the movie was shot. The trip was an inspiration to both and gave them a feeling of real freedom. The sisters returned to Ireland again and were inspired to write many songs.
They decided to participate in the Sanremo Festival new-talent search in 1996. The song "In viaggio" ("In Transit") led the sisters to win the contest, gaining fans and admiration.
In 1997, after the victory in the New-Artist section of the Sanremo Festival, they released their first album, Ci chiamano bambine ("They Call Us Children"). The album contained a mixture of rock and pop music. They went on to release other three singles from the album: "Ci chiamano bambine", "Bella" and "Ti vada o no" (included in the Italian original soundtrack of the Walt Disney
animated film Hercules
). With "Per Te", they took part in the 1998 Sanremo Festival, releasing a new edition of the debut album. Ci chiamano bambine went platinum, selling more than 150,000 copies.
After a successful tour in Italy, they released the second album titled Giornata storica ("Historical Day") in November 1998. The album had an Irish flavor and a more rock sound. Notwithstanding this, most of the Italian public didn't seem to connect with the album and sales were disappointing.
Three singles were released from the album, "Non puoi dire di no", "Nina" and "Colpo di fulmine", the first gaining heavy rotation on television.
After a long break, the huge summer hit
song "Vamos a bailar" (Spanish for "Let's Dance", in a Latin pop style and featuring Spanish lyrics) was released in April 2000. The song remained on top of the Italian charts for many weeks. The track was included in the lucky dance-pop album Television. It was seen as a change in style, being a mixture of Spanish Pop tunes and dance beats.
Four singles were released from the album:
In the summer of 2000 Paola a Chiara won the Festivalbar
Best Song Award with "Vamos a bailar" achieving success all over Europe, Japan and Latin America.
The album is also available in English and Spanish, and went on selling about 800,000 copies around the world. In June 2001 Television got a face-lift and was re-released with remixed tracks and multimedia content.
May 2002 saw the release of the fourth album Festival and its first single, also called "Festival". The song reached number six in the Italian single chart. The album showed a slight change in direction, being more melodic and vocally more elaborated and textured even if again based on dance music.
Three singles were released from Festival
In 2004 the album Blu followed the same direction as the previous two albums, but with a slight change of style towards the 1980s electropop. Despite high expectations, the single "Blu" did not make it as a big summer hit of 2004 and further singles were stalled.
Two singles were released from "Blu":
2005 saw the end of the first chapter in the sisters' career with the release of Greatest Hits. This collection featured two new songs that were released as singles in the same year and a DVD (also available separately) that contains all their promo videos and some "making of" of the aforementioned clips. An appetizer from the collection was the Sanremo Festival tune "A modo mio". Later in the summer of 2005 the second new track from the collection, "Fatalità", was released and followed by a tour that ended in September.
Chiara released a solo single CD in January 2007 called "Nothing At All" for Raising Malawi
, based on a song by Madonna
, "You Thrill Me/Erotica". The song peaked at number 2 in Italy.
In June 2007 Paola e Chiara released the first single off their sixth studio album, Win the Game. It was released prior to the album's debut. The single "Second Life" peaked in the Italian chart at #4.
The success of Win The Game on the Italian markets was relatively poor. The album entered the Italian album chart at #40 and disappeared from the chart the following week.
The second single, released in October 2007, was the song "Cambiare pagina". The third single, "Vanity & Pride", saw a limited release in May 2008. All singles from Win the Game were released in two formats, CD single and vinyl.
Only available digitally, in February 2009 an EP of remixes of "Alone" was published, called "Dancing Alone".
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
duo consisting of two sisters born in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy.
Their national career began when the manager of Max Pezzali
Max Pezzali
Massimo "Max" Pezzali was the singer and main song writer of the pop group "883". He released his first solo album in 2004 , "Il Mondo Insieme A Te". The album was successful in Italy and from then on Pezzali decided to continue his work as a solo artist.- Early life :Max Pezzali was born on...
's pop band 883
883 (band)
-History:The band was formed by singers Max Pezzali and Mauro Repetto after their roles on the TV show 1,2,3, Jovanotti. They recorded some demos and forwarded them to Claudio Cecchetto, a producer who had worked on 1,2,3, Jovanotti. The group released their debut single Non me la menare, which...
saw the sisters playing in Milan, and signed them to the band. The sisters' career as "Paola e Chiara" began in 1997 when they parted with 883.
In 1997 the sisters won the New-Artist category for the song "Amici come prima" at the Sanremo Festival. Soon after, they released their first album.
They have since released other five studio albums, incorporating shifting musical influences (such as Spanish Pop and Celtic elements) and performing in several different languages, achieving international success in 2000.
Background
Chiara Iezzi was born on 27 February 1973, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Paola Iezzi was born on 30 March 1974, with dark hair and a darker complexion.The sisters formed their first music group called Elefunky, which specialized in funky music. They played in various clubs in Milan and were discovered by manager Claudio Cecchetto, who was feverishly looking for a group that would help artist Max Pezzali
Max Pezzali
Massimo "Max" Pezzali was the singer and main song writer of the pop group "883". He released his first solo album in 2004 , "Il Mondo Insieme A Te". The album was successful in Italy and from then on Pezzali decided to continue his work as a solo artist.- Early life :Max Pezzali was born on...
.
The sisters left the club scene and joined up with Max Pezzali to play at many festivals in Italy. They became part of Pezzali's band 883, playing the guitar and the trombone. The group released in 1995 the album La donna, il sogno e il grande incubo. After a big tour to promote the album, the sisters decided to become solo artists.
The sisters visited Ireland after seeing the movie Braveheart
Braveheart
Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
, to visit the locations where the movie was shot. The trip was an inspiration to both and gave them a feeling of real freedom. The sisters returned to Ireland again and were inspired to write many songs.
They decided to participate in the Sanremo Festival new-talent search in 1996. The song "In viaggio" ("In Transit") led the sisters to win the contest, gaining fans and admiration.
Ci chiamano bambine (1997)
- Released: 2 February 1997
- Chart peak: #33 (ITA)
In 1997, after the victory in the New-Artist section of the Sanremo Festival, they released their first album, Ci chiamano bambine ("They Call Us Children"). The album contained a mixture of rock and pop music. They went on to release other three singles from the album: "Ci chiamano bambine", "Bella" and "Ti vada o no" (included in the Italian original soundtrack of the Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
animated film Hercules
Hercules (1997 film)
Hercules is a 1997 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fifth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker...
). With "Per Te", they took part in the 1998 Sanremo Festival, releasing a new edition of the debut album. Ci chiamano bambine went platinum, selling more than 150,000 copies.
Giornata storica (1998)
- Released: 29 October 1998
- Chart peak: -
After a successful tour in Italy, they released the second album titled Giornata storica ("Historical Day") in November 1998. The album had an Irish flavor and a more rock sound. Notwithstanding this, most of the Italian public didn't seem to connect with the album and sales were disappointing.
Three singles were released from the album, "Non puoi dire di no", "Nina" and "Colpo di fulmine", the first gaining heavy rotation on television.
Television (2000)
- Released: 19 June 2001
- Chart peak: #23; (ITA) #32 (SWI)
After a long break, the huge summer hit
Summer hit
A summer hit is a term in entertainment industry which refers to a title released and peaked in its popularity during summer and often later quickly faded away..Rick Lyman, a culture reporter for The New York Times, wrote:...
song "Vamos a bailar" (Spanish for "Let's Dance", in a Latin pop style and featuring Spanish lyrics) was released in April 2000. The song remained on top of the Italian charts for many weeks. The track was included in the lucky dance-pop album Television. It was seen as a change in style, being a mixture of Spanish Pop tunes and dance beats.
Four singles were released from the album:
- "Vamos a bailar"
- "Amoremidai"
- "Viva el amor! (Rapino Brothers Remix)"
- "Fino alla fine (2001 Vision)"
In the summer of 2000 Paola a Chiara won the Festivalbar
Festivalbar
The Festivalbar was an Italian singing competition that took place in the most important Italian squares during summer, such as the Piazza del Duomo, Milan; the first time it was held was in 1964...
Best Song Award with "Vamos a bailar" achieving success all over Europe, Japan and Latin America.
The album is also available in English and Spanish, and went on selling about 800,000 copies around the world. In June 2001 Television got a face-lift and was re-released with remixed tracks and multimedia content.
Festival (2002)
- Released: 24 June 2002
- Chart peak: #13; (ITA)
May 2002 saw the release of the fourth album Festival and its first single, also called "Festival". The song reached number six in the Italian single chart. The album showed a slight change in direction, being more melodic and vocally more elaborated and textured even if again based on dance music.
Three singles were released from Festival
- "Festival"
- "Hey!"
- "Kamasutra (Dance Rebel Mix)"
Blu (2004)
- Released: 10 May 2004
- Chart peak: #27; (ITA)
In 2004 the album Blu followed the same direction as the previous two albums, but with a slight change of style towards the 1980s electropop. Despite high expectations, the single "Blu" did not make it as a big summer hit of 2004 and further singles were stalled.
Two singles were released from "Blu":
- "Blu"
- "Mare di più" (Radio only)
Greatest Hits (2005)
- Released: 24 February 2005
- Chart peak: #25; (ITA)
2005 saw the end of the first chapter in the sisters' career with the release of Greatest Hits. This collection featured two new songs that were released as singles in the same year and a DVD (also available separately) that contains all their promo videos and some "making of" of the aforementioned clips. An appetizer from the collection was the Sanremo Festival tune "A modo mio". Later in the summer of 2005 the second new track from the collection, "Fatalità", was released and followed by a tour that ended in September.
Nothing At All (2007)
- Released: 26 January 2007
- Chart peak: #2 (ITA)
Chiara released a solo single CD in January 2007 called "Nothing At All" for Raising Malawi
Raising Malawi
Raising Malawi is a charity non-profit organization that was founded by Madonna and Michael Berg in 2006. It is dedicated to helping with the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi's one million orphans.-Mission statement:-Charity fundraiser:...
, based on a song by Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, "You Thrill Me/Erotica". The song peaked at number 2 in Italy.
Win The Game (2007)
- Released: 16 November 2007
- Chart peak: #40; (ITA)
In June 2007 Paola e Chiara released the first single off their sixth studio album, Win the Game. It was released prior to the album's debut. The single "Second Life" peaked in the Italian chart at #4.
The success of Win The Game on the Italian markets was relatively poor. The album entered the Italian album chart at #40 and disappeared from the chart the following week.
The second single, released in October 2007, was the song "Cambiare pagina". The third single, "Vanity & Pride", saw a limited release in May 2008. All singles from Win the Game were released in two formats, CD single and vinyl.
Alone (2009)
In January 2009 Paola published a solo single, an English-language tune called "Alone", which peaked at number 36 in Italy. The song differs a lot from the previous work of the sisters, with a strong soul and R&B flavour.Only available digitally, in February 2009 an EP of remixes of "Alone" was published, called "Dancing Alone".
Other selected singles
| Information |
|---|
Second Life
|
| Cambiare Pagina
|
| Pioggia d'Estate
|
DVDs
| Information |
|---|
Paola e Chiara The Video Collection: 1997-2005
|
Studio albums
- 1997: Ci Chiamano Bambine
- 1998: Giornata Storica
- 2000: Television
- 2002: Festival
- 2004: Blu
- 2007: Win the Game
- 2010: Milleluci
Top ten singles
| | Year | | Single | | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| ITA Ita Ita or ITA may refer to:* Itá, Paraguay* ITA Software, Inc., a travel industry software firm* Italian language, from its ISO 639-2 language code* Italy, from its ISO 3166-1 country code* Aeta, an ethnic group in the Philippine Islands... |
||
| 2000 | Vamos a bailar (esta vida nueva) | 1 |
| Viva el amor! | 8 | |
| 2002 | Festival | 6 |
| 2005 | A modo mio | 10 |
| 2007 | Second Life | 4 |
| Cambiare pagina | 7 | |