Tina Arena, real name Filippina Arena, is an Italian-Australian singer-songwriter who can boast of being one of the highest-selling Australian female artists to date, at no less than 10 million records. Her stage name ‘Tina’ actually comes from an analogy with the ending of her real first name 'pina' , the nickname given to her by her family when she was little.
She started her artistic career very early, at the age of 10, participating in a well-known tele-hook in Australia Young Talent Time. Very quickly, she became one of the iconic members of the show and was renamed Tiny Tina. Name under which she will release her first album "Tiny Tina and Little John" in 1977, album where she shares the bill with another boy named John Bowles.
She left the show in 1983, when she was 16 years old. And signed his first contract with the Graffiti Records label a year later, label which allowed her to release his first single "Turn up the beat". A single which was released in 1985 and which would have some success in Australia. But not enough for the label to allow her to follow up with an album.
She then converted herself into advertising jingles and also appeared in musicals. And she will have to wait until the very beginning of the 90s to sign with a new label, this time EMI. The single "I need your body" was released in the process, which this time will reach the top of the Australian Charts. A success due in part to the physical metamorphosis of the young woman who now plays thoroughly on her rather advantageous plastic !
His first album "Strong as steel" was released the same year and was also very successful in the land of kangaroos. But she will have to wait another 4 years to finally see his efforts rewarded at the height of his merits thanks to the album "Don’t ask", album which was released in 1994 and which finally offered her the long awaited global recognition.
An album which will sell more than 2 million copies worldwide and which will produce the trifle of 4 top planetary hits, just that. Starting with the biggest, "Chains" which comes out the same. Follow in the wake "Sorrento moon (I remember)", "Heaven help my heart" and "Show me heaven" which came out a year later in 1995. The notoriety of the singer literally exploded.
Three more years passed before the release in 1997 of the album "In deep", an album which confirmed its status as a phenomenon of the moment but without amplifying it. And who will work mainly on the Old Continent and in the southern hemisphere. Album from which will be extracted mainly "Burn" in 1997. Followed in 1998 by "I want to know what love is" and "I want to spend my lifetime loving you", enormous soundtrack of one of the flagship films of the year in know The mask of Zorro.
But which will also produce 2 singles in French language including the enormous "Aller plus haut" in 1999, single which will be one of the biggest hits that year in the hexagon. It will sell around 600,000 copies. The singer is then at the height of fame and success.
An adventure that will continue for the next decade. With ups and downs as well. So to follow ...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
You're the one that I want 1979
The way we were 1983
Xanadu 1983
Turn up the beat 1985
I need your body 1990
The machine’s breaking down 1990
Strong as steel 1990
Woman's work 1991
Chains 1994
Sorrento moon (I Remember) 1995
Heaven help my heart 1995
Wasn’t it good 1995
Show me heaven 1995
That’s the way a woman feels 1996
Burn 1997
If I didn’t love you 1997
Now I can dance 1998
Whistle down the wind 1998
I want to know what love is 1998
I want to spend my lifetime loving you 1998
If I was a river 1998
Aller plus haut 1999
Clips :
1979 ... and yes, unbelievable as it sounds, it's the same one who 15 years later would become one of the biggest stars in the world of song. What is certain is that little Filippina already has everything of a great ...
1983 ... the little girl has grown up. And his talent begins to burst the screen, it is undeniable. Especially when she covers Barbra Streisand !
1983 ... for now she is only in the luxury cover but not for very long. Either way, all of the 'copies' she delivers are pretty much the same as the original. Really amazing ...
1985 ... the incredible Young Talent Time adventure is now closed, young Tina can finally stand on her own feet. And it starts off with a bang with a particularly punchy first solo title which gives her her first notable success. Everything could be fine. Except that the rest will be a little more complicated to manage than expected ...
1990 ... while we could have imagined that she was going to smash everything at the end of the 1980s, the story is not quite going to go as planned. With the result of a huge air gap of 5 years. So here she is again only in this decade of 90 but this time, this decade will be hers !
1990 ... now that the machine is well and truly launched, things will unroll quickly and hard. The rise will be linear, you just need to be a little patient to see her touch the stars. Because to touch them, she will touch them !
1990 ... a year 1990 which saw her return to the race in an obvious way. Admittedly, the success is limited for the moment to Australia but one suspects that she will not stop there ...
1991 ... even if this title is not devoid of quality, far from it, it will not even be classified. We thought she was going to smash everything for good this time around, unfortunately she will disappear from the radar again for a few years. Go figure ...
1994 ... back 3 years later and this time, she's not coming back to do extra work ! The proof with this title which offers her a first planetary recognition. Finally !
1995 ... only one title in 1994 and then goes. So here we are the following year, a year 1995 which will confirm all the good that we could think of, and above all, all the potential, of the singer
1995 ... the focus on events is confirmed with this new global top hit. The notoriety of the singer is constantly increasing and there is really not much missing to make her one of the phenomena of the moment
1995 ... after a succession of Dance titles, here she arrives in Intimist mode. And unfortunately, it is not necessarily in this area that she is the most effective because this title will only be classified in Australia ...
1995 ... she brilliantly demonstrates that the Intimist also suits her perfectly. You just have to bring her the right titles. Obviously, when she takes over Maria McKee's biggest hit, a title dating from 1990, we see the result. The copy will not be worth the original but it comes close !
1996 ... the problem with her is that the level of titles fluctuates significantly from one year to another and that the result in the Charts necessarily suffers. This year will be a year 'without' as they say ...
1997 ... 1997 will be a better vintage, we can see it immediately with this title with obvious inspiration. Like what, when she wants ...
1997 ... she really has a problem with the Intimist because she does not demerit in this area, far from it, but as soon as she produces an original title, the public does not follow. Go figure ...
1998 ... well, on the other hand, she doesn't do better in Dance. She still does not manage to release the title which will make the difference and dedicate her to the planetary level at the height of her talent ...
1998 ... new luxury cover this time of Andrew Lloyd Weber's title dating from 1961. A nice cover once again but which still does not allow her to reach the heights ...
1998 ... since she excels in the luxury covers of Intimist titles, she might as well cover one of the most beautiful of the last 20 years, especially when they are compatriots. Her resumption of the Foreigner title dating from 1984 is a real success and allows her to come back to the race once again. Phew ...
1998 ... then comes this HUGE title ! Here she is simply signing one of the most emblematic titles of the decade thanks to this soundtrack of the film 'The mask of Zorro'. A consecration largely deserved but a consecration only on the Old Continent, the Anglo-Saxon sphere not having followed in sight of the results in the Charts. Decidedly, she might have tried everything, when it doesn't want, it doesn't ...
1998 ... results in the Charts completely random, and above all, completely contradictory. This title will only be classified in England. The permanent lottery ...
1999 ... the title which will literally explode its notoriety in France. Written by a certain J Kapler, who is none other than Robert Goldman, younger brother of Jean-Jacques. In any case, a title which will remain as one of the biggest hits of the end of the decade in France and which will make her one of the most popular foreign singers of the moment. HU-GE !
Bonus : a decade 2000 which saw her continue her little path, mainly in France. A country which succeeds to the highest point, the proof once again with this title. MAS-TER-FUL !
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :