Viola Valentino

Virginia Minnetti was born in 1949 . In 1968, she began a musical career under the pseudonym Virginia (Virginia), when her first single, Dixie ("Dixie"), was released. A little later, she began to sing with her husband in a duet called Renzo & Virginia (Renzo and Virginia), which did not gain much success. For some time, Virginia also worked as a model.

Virginia was later spotted by Giancarlo Lucarello, producer of the then-famous Italian rock band Pooh . He created her the image of a sexy, but at the same time elegant and sophisticated girl; the singer’s manner of performing her songs in a muffled voice subsequently became her most striking distinguishing feature.

In 1978, the singer recorded her only album as part of the rock band Fantasy. The producer of this album, dubbed Uno ("One"), was Giancarlo Lucarello.

In 1979, Virginia began performing under the pseudonym Viola Valentino. Her first song Comprami (“Buy Me”) immediately brought her fame and was sold in large numbers in Italy and Spain .

In 1980, two more famous songs by Viola Valentino were released - Sei una bomba (“You are a bomb”) and A nche noi facciamo pace (“We will also make peace”). Then she released her first album Cinema ("Cinema").

In 1982, Viola Valentino for the first time participated in the competition " San Remo " with the song Romantici ("Romantics"), which subsequently also sold a large circulation. In the same year, the second album of the singer In primo piano (“ In the foreground”) and one of her most famous songs, Sola (“One”), were released. At this time, Viola Valentino is at the peak of popularity, and she is invited to star in the movie Delitto sull'autostrada (Crime on the Motorway).

In 1983, she again participated in San Remo with the song Arriva arriva (“Come, Come”). Starting from this time, interest in the singer gradually begins to fade. At this time, Viola Valentino was filming in two more films - Due strani papà (Two Strange Popes, 1983) and Le volpi della notte (Night Foxes, 1986).

In 1986, the song Il posto della luna ("Place of the Moon") was released, which had little success.

In 1991, the collection Un angelo dal cielo ("Angel from the Sky") was released, including all the best songs by Viola Valentino.

For some time Viola Valentino was married to the famous Italian singer Riccardo Fogli , which also contributed to the growth of her fame; then, however, they divorced.

Photo Viola Valentino twice hit the cover of Playboy magazine.

Albums

• 1978 - Uno (under the pseudonym Fantasy, Fantasy)
• 1980 - Cinema
• 1982 - In primo piano
• 1985 - L'angelo
• 1991 - Un angelo dal cielo
• 1994 - Esisto
• 1998 - Il viaggio
• 2004 - Made in Virginia

Singles

• 1968 - Dixie / Pensandoci su (under the pseudonym Virginia, Virginia)
• 1970 - Zan zan / I 10 comandamenti dell'amore (under the pseudonym Renzo and Virginia, Renzo e Virginia, together with Riccardo Fogli )
• 1978 - Cantando (under the pseudonym Fantasy, Fantasy)
• 1979 - Comprami / California
• 1980 - Sei una bomba / Sono così
• 1980 - Anche noi facciamo pace / Sì mi va
• 1981 - Giorno popolare / Prendiamo i pattini
• 1981 - Sera coi fiocchi / Come un cavallo pazzo
• 1982 - Romantici / Rido
• 1982 - Sola / Amiche
• 1983 - Arriva arriva / Balere
• 1984 - Verso sud / Traditi
• 1985 - Addio amor
• 1986 - Il posto della luna / La verità
• 1987 - Devi ritornare / Dentro una notte di festa
• 1991 - Un angelo dal cielo / Quasi mezzanotte
• 1994 - Me marito se n'è ito
• 1994 - Onda tra le onde
• 1995 - Probabilmente niente
• 1996 - Estasi
• 1997 - Anime d'autunno (Libertango)
• 1998 - Come quando fuori piove
• 1999 - Aspettando Elia
• 2000 - Comprami 2000 con Zerodecibel
• 2002 - La surprise de l'amour
• 2004 - Dea
• 2004 - Acqua, Fuoco, Aria, Terra
• 2006 - Barbiturici nel thè

• Official site (Italian)