Laura Pausini (born 16 May 1974) is an Italian pop singer who rose to fame in 1993 by winning the newcomer section of the 43rd Sanremo Music Festival with "La solitudine". Her debut album sold around two million copies worldwide, and her later work includes recordings in several languages, including Italian and Spanish. She has released fifteen studio albums, received a Grammy Award in 2006, and was nominated for an Academy Award in 2021.
Early life
Pausini was born in Faenza, in the province of Ravenna, and grew up in Solarolo. Her father, a former pianist, encouraged her to sing and gave her lessons, and she performed with him in local piano bars. In 1987 she recorded a first demo album, and in 1991 she took part in the Castrocaro Music Festival and the Sanremo Famosi competition, where she was declared joint winner but was not allowed to compete at Sanremo.
Breakthrough and success
After being noticed by producer Angelo Valsiglio, Pausini obtained a recording contract with Warner Music Italy's Compagnia Generale del Disco. Her debut album, released in 1993, sold 400,000 copies in Italy and became a commercial success in South America and parts of Europe. Her second album, Laura, followed in 1994 and confirmed her international reach.