Eros came from a working class background - his father was a house painter - and he has retained this humble nature throughout his career. For example, after Eros won an award in the "Overall" category at the 1986 San Remo Music Festival, a reporter asked him if he considered himself to be a genius or merely an artist. Eros replied: "I'm just a boy who has always wanted to sing. My culture is from the street, not from a school or a university."
And his singing dream has indeed come true. He has now sang with the very best in the industry, recording duets with such stars as Cher, Celine Dion, Tina Turner, and Andrea Bocelli. Eros's voice is a natural tenor, polished and somewhat aggressive, but very expressive and melodic. He has a slightly nasal sound that is very popular in Italy. Most of Eros's albums feature him performing a mixture of rock-influenced pop songs and passionate autobiographical ballads. The choruses in his music are always catchy and he has a unique vulnerability in his voice that is highly appealing. Ramazzotti also records his albums in both Italian and Spanish, which makes him extremely popular in South and Central America. But people who speak only English don't have to worry about not understanding his lyrics. Many single-language speakers still enjoy his music because of the great rhythms and strong melodies that adequately convey the emotion behind his words.
When Eros was in his youth, he was more interested in football and singing than in his school studies. He said he tried to study accounting, but did not have an affinity for the numbers. He eventually quit school to pursue his musical career. And he also had some brief acting experience, working in films made by the great director, Fellini. He did this for extra money before embarking on his musical career.
He received his first guitar from his father at the age of eight. His father had been a singer with a moderate reputation, and even recorded a few albums. Eros then moved to Milan as a teenager to fully pursue his singing career. He signed his first contract in 1981 after meeting executives of Drogueria di Drugolo (DDD) Records when they saw him perfom at the Castrocaro Music Festival. Later at the San Remo Festival, Eros won the New Voice award for his album Terra promessa in 1984. Then in 1987 his album In Ciertos Momentos sold two million copies throughout Europe, and he followed it with a lengthy tour. As many as one million people showed up for each concert. His next album Musica es sold even more copies. Since that time, Eros has recorded many albums, releasing one after another showing his impressive prolificness. Soon Eros had a gigantic European following, with a large amount of his fans being centered in Germany.
In 1990 Eros went to the US and put on a sold out show at Radio City Music Hall in NY. Then in 1994 he had a very big year. He was invited to perform at the Berlin MTV music awards; and he also formed his own production company to release his own albums as well as those of upcoming new talent. Around the same time the famous director Spike Lee made a video clip for one of his songs from the album Tutte storie, which greatly impacted its overall success.
Around 1995 Ramazzotti signed a world contract with BMG Ricordi and played in seven European cities as a part of various summer festivals. The concerts included these famous participants: Sheryl Crow, Elton John, Jimmy Page, Joe Cocker, Rod Stewart, and Robert Plant.
Eros was formerly married to Michelle Hunziker, a television host and model from Switzerland, and they have one daughter together by the name of Aurora Sophie.
Usually, during each of Eros's albums, there is one shining moment where the mixture of vocals, melody, and rhythm all combine to surpass everything else he has ever done. Listen to all of his albums. Search for that moment. Surely you will find it and transcend with him.
By Christine Lee
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