Spagna, née Ivana Spagna, is an Italian singer-songwriter whose musical career began at the age of 15 when she was noticed by a producer in a singing competition.
Her first title was released in 1971 and is a cover of Nicoletta's "Mamy Blue". Title that will only experience a success of esteem.
This too sudden celebrity frightens the singer who decides not to follow up on a solo career. This did not stop her from creating the group "Opera Madre" with her brother some time later. The group will tour a few years in Italian discos and balls.
In 1982, the Italo-disco wave began to invade Europe and Spagna, this time ready and experienced, decided to take the bandwagon.
Everything suddenly changed for her in 1983 when she decided to collaborate on the writing of the title "Take me to the top" by Betty Miranda. Title that will be a hit. Her notoriety explodes.
So she took the opportunity to release a Single "I don’t believe" in 1983 under the pseudonym "Carol Kane". The success will only be very modest.
She did it again shortly after and this time became "Mirage" for the Single "Woman". No more success.
It was in 1984, under the pseudonym "Yvonne Kay" that she finally achieved consecration with 2 titles, "Rise up" and "I’ve got the music in", which caused a stir in Italy.
Confirmed success with the duo "Fun Fun" where she sang in the company of other female partners and who will give birth to 2 flagship titles namely "Color my love" and "Happy station".
The blessed epic of Italo-disco comes to an end, it is 1986. Spagna finally decides to launch herself under her real name and releases the Single "Easy lady". It's a fail.
But the song crossed the border and caused a stir in France. Then in Germany and finally in England… to finish with his incredible journey in Australia. More than 2,000,000 copies will be sold !
In the wake of this colossal success, the album "Dedicated to the moon" was released in 1987. The first extract is the Single "Call me". And again, it's a huge global success.
Other flagship Single will follow, namely "Dance dance dance", "Dedicated to the moon" and "Sarah".
In 1988 released the second album "You are my energy" with a more pop-rock sound.
Two flagship Singles are taken from it, namely "Every girl and boy" and "I wanna be your wife". Still successful.
We had to wait 3 years and the year 1991 to see the release of the third album "No way out". Spagna has changed her look and moved to the United States.
Despite all these changes, mayonnaise does not take. The album is a failure except in Italy. And this despite the presence of the excellent title "Love at first sight".
In 1992 released the album "Matter of time" very dance oriented. The Single "I always dream about you" has had some success but limited to a few European countries.
The notoriety of the singer is inexorably crumbling. It will be the beginning of the end of the singer's international career.
Its success will only be limited to Italy in the next 10 years ...
Spagna will remain as one of the most remarkable personalities of the 80s, as much for her looks as for her talent, whether she is a singer or a composer.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
70s Decade :
• Mamy blue 1971
• Ari ari 1972
80s Decade :
• Easy lady 1986
• Dance dance dance 1987
• Call me 1987
• Dedicated to the moon 1987
• Sarah 1987
• Every girl and boy 1988
• I wanna be your wife 1988
• This generation 1989
90s Decade :
• Only words 1991
• Love at first sight 1991
• No way out 1992
• I always dream about you 1993
• Why me 1993
• Il cherchio della vita 1994
• Gente come noi 1995
• Come il cielo 1995
• E io penso a te 1996
• Ci saro 1996
• Indivisibili 1997
• E che mai sara 1998
• Il bello della vita 1998
• So volare 1998
2000s Decade :
• Con il tuo nome 2000
• Mi amor 2000
• Quella carezza della serra 2001
• Never say you love me 2002
• Do it with style 2003
• Dopotutto ti amo 2004
• Dove nasce il sole 2004
• Ti amo 2004
• Noi non possiamo cambiare 2006
• Gli occhi verdi dell'amore 2007
• Prova d'amore 2008
• A chi dice no 2008
• Day by day 2008
• Musica e parole 2008
• Dancing on the beach 2008
• La bella e la bestia 2009
• Il mondo è mio 2009
2010s Decade :
• Last Christmas 2010
• Se crederai (When you believe) 2010
• I know why 2012
• My lover 2012
• Even more 2012
• The magic of love 2014
• Baby don't go 2015
• Straight to hell 2015
• Nessuno è come te 2019
• Prigioniera nel tuo nido 2019
• Nonostante tutto 2019
Tracks :
1971 ... the surreal beginnings. We are very far from the one who will sing Easy Lady 15 years later. But there has to be a start to everything as they say !
1972 ... and what about that title. The young Ivana is looking for herself and it is literally impossible to imagine for a single second what will happen almost 15 years later ...
1986 ... 14 years will separate this title from the previous title. The singer who returns in this year 1986 has absolutely nothing to do with what she was 14 years earlier, both physically and style. An incredible metamorphosis that will allow her to sign one of the biggest Dance hits of this 80s if not the end of the 20th century. With a key reputation that literally explodes internationally. MAS-TER-FUL !
1987 ... a continuation in the same vein. Before the arrival of a new huge title. Now that the dynamics of success are in place, she does not intend to stop there !
1987 ... and there it is, the new gem ! A second HUGE planetary hit which sees a Spagna at the height of its possibilities and becoming, purely and simply, one of the biggest phenomena of the moment !
1987 ... she excels in Dance, her favorite field. But she is far from being ridiculous in the Intimist area, especially when you see the quality of this title. Versatility found only with the best !
1987 ... a HUGE year 1987 with a plethora of titles and above all quality on all floors. The singer succeeds everything with obvious ease and unquestionably positions herself as one of the sure values of the moment
1988 ... the tube factory is now running at full speed and nothing and no one can stop it. She leaves only crumbs to the competition which wonders how long it will last ...
1988 ... the years go by without the melodic quality suffering from an Iota. Already 3 years at the top and it looks set to last a few more years. It's called talent, quite simply !
1989 ... and one more hit on the counter. One would have thought that Spagna would pass like a shooting star ... Oh no, she lasts, she lasts !
1991 ... no more dance, make way for sweetness. She also knows how to do it, and the result is far from being ridiculous once again. The transition to the 90s is very smooth and fine. Ideal transition !
1991 ... back to pure and hard Dance. Even if she does not trust the first places of the Charts for some time, what she continues to offer largely holds the road. And that's the main thing !
1992 ... new sweet quarter of an hour. A more peaceful second part of her career ... And why not especially when you see what she is still capable of !
1993 ... and no, here she is again in boosted mode. She systematically returns to her fundamentals and who would hold it against her. We won't remake her again, that's clear !
1993 ... in Euro Dance mode. An obligatory passage taking into account the time. And my faith, she is not ridiculous. Once again, she knows how to adapt perfectly to new trends. The Class, quite simply !
1994 ... when Ivana made it into the film soundtrack. Who would have imagined that after such a career, exclusively Dance-oriented, she would be able to take back from us here the flagship title of the Lion King in Italian version. Not many people, that's for sure ...
1995 ... the WONDER ! Surely her most inspired and successful Intimist title. Between the Spagna of the 80s, feline and unbridled and the Spagna of the 90s, clearly more elegant and posed, rarely an artist has metamorphosed to this point ...
1995 ... back in Dance mode but in a quiet, fluid and limpid mode. A year 1995 particularly inspired which saw her shine brightly. The return to the Italian language has not taken anything away from her talent, that's clear !
1996 ... another proof of her enormous talent for the songs called 'With emotions'. A 90's decidedly placed under the register of sweetness and tenderness. We take, we take !
1996 ... we continue in the same register. There are really two eras about Spagna, the 80s Ultra Dance. And the 90s clearly more peaceful and clearly more Intimist. A full career as they say !
1997 ... nothing extraordinary for once but quality, as always. And it's already not bad. She can't always be on top !
1998 ... come on, a little last for the road, at least for the 90s. High quality as always. Quality, the key word in the career of this oh so talented artist !
1998 ... ah, but there are still some left. It would have been a shame to obscure this title which holds my faith very well the road. Her second part of her career could not have matched the first, but is getting close to it, it's clear !
1998 ... definitely, there are plenty of them in the corners. A BIG year 1998 which sees her release title of large caliber on title of large caliber. And it's not over, because she will return the following decade ...
2000...and yes, here she is again. And she is far from over because she will not be content to move on to the new decade to only do some figuration...
2000...well, we're not going to lie to each other, the best years are now behind her. But what she continues to offer largely holds up and we are therefore takers anyway !
2001...it is clear that success will henceforth be limited exclusively to Italy but she continues to believe in it and she is quite right. As long as she takes pleasure in what she does, isn't that the main thing...?
2002...the production of titles no longer has anything to do in terms of quantity with the previous decades, but quality is better than quantity, as they say. Principle that she now applies perfectly...
2003...at the rate of one title per year, it is clear that it will be difficult for her to get more people talking about her. Afterwards, the little produced is of quality so it is enough to arouse curiosity...
2004...an adventure that lasts, that lasts, that lasts. And which is far from over because she has absolutely no intention of hanging up the gloves at this stage...
2004...here she is in shock and charm duo mode on a title that works very well in my opinion. It is clear that she is no longer really the flamboyant singer in the 80s version, but the 2000 version of Spagna is far from being uninteresting...
2004...she can at least boast of still being there when most of her 80s 'colleagues' have long since thrown in the towel. A longevity that commands respect as they say !
2006...while her first years of career will have been very dance-oriented, the rest of her career will take place in a somewhat different register. With much more finesse to the key...
2007...the great adventure on the Charts side is coming to an end and this title will be her last title to be classified. But that doesn't mean the end of the adventure, far from it...
2008...it is clear that we are no longer dealing with the same Spagna as before. A linear career development that will at least have allowed her to last...
2008...each new album contains at least 2 to 3 titles of non-negligible quality. She therefore manages to preserve the essentials and make talking about her regularly...
2008...a year 2008 rich in titles, it is clear. And who would complain when you see what she continues to offer...
2008...a colorful 100 % female duo that stands out, to say the least. It must be said that given the pedigree of the 2 singers, the opposite would have been surprising...
2008...a year especially rich in the most diverse duos. This time here she is in the company of the younger generation and the least we can say is that she does not have to be ashamed of what she manages to achieve in this context...
2009...where the art of going from one extreme to another. Here she is revisiting Disney classics in softness and finesse and it is clear that this duo has not much to do with the previous one...
2009...after 'Beauty and the Beast', she is now covering 'Alladin'. And as before, this revisited version is not devoid of interest even if it will not remain as the best known...
2010...decidedly, revisiting the titles of others inspires her to the highest degree. It must be said that by covering this title of Wham! dating from 1984, she did not take a big risk...
2010...here she is again in softness and finesse, a musical orientation which will have become preponderant as her career progresses...
2012...that doesn't prevent her from regularly returning to Dance so as not to lose her touch too much. And even today, she is far from being ridiculous in this area...
2012...a return to Dance which is confirmed with this new title. Decades may pass but she remains particularly effective in this area...
2012...in the same style, this one won't be bad either. She will no longer produce mega hits in this area but she is far from undeserving, that's clear...
2014...the years pass, so do the decades, and she is still faithful to the job. A desire to believe in it always and again which undeniably commands respect...
2015...she is already at 5 decades of career, it is still necessary to underline the prowess. Who would have imagined in 1971 that she would still be there 44 years later, not many people that's for sure...
2015...not to mention that she tries to stick as much as possible to the latest musical trends of the moment. The younger generation better watch out because Spagna still does not intend to give way...
2019...and here she is again ! Even if she can disappear for a few years, she always reappears at some point or another. The proof once again !
2019...an end to the 2010 decade which still sees her in very good shape. A truly exceptional longevity for a singer who will have marked her era in an indisputable way...
2019 ... so we imagine that this title will surely not be the last. Because you have to know, with her, nothing is ever over !
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :