Romina Arena

Romina Arena born and raised in Sicily, of a Sicilian mother Rita and a Roman father Renato. By the age of four, Arena became a Mouseketeer for Topolino, the Italian version of Disney's Mickey Mouse Club[2] She also performed as a classical ballerina in the major Italian Theatres at the age of seven.[3] Performing with other children from different parts of Europe. Arena developed a knowledge of 10 languages, including Italian, English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Greek, Bulgarian and Hebrew.[4][5][6] Arena calls herself "the voice of women with a broken heart" but is also referred to as "the voice of women who never give up"[7] When Arena was a teenager after leaving Disney behind and starting a solo career, she was attacked at the backstage of a prime time television show in Sicily and her attacker severed her vocal cords with a pocket knife, leaving her comatose. Her physicians told her she would never sing again. However, she completely recovered over a three-year period. She fully regained her vocal abilities; a side effect of the attack was that she developed a five-octave vocal range as a result of the trauma to her pharynx.[8]

After Arena's father Renato died, she left Italy for the US with her mother. There she came under the wing of Sal Pacino and his wife Katherin Pacino, the father and stepmother of the actor Al Pacino. She resides in Los Angeles, California[4]

In 2000, Arena signed a production deal with music producer Bob Johnston to produce a full 12 song studio album.[9] Recordings included the song "Make You Feel My Love" written by Bob Dylan, "I Can't Make You Love Me" written by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin, also "Smile (Charlie Chaplin song)" composed by Charlie Chaplin as well as many others although the album was never released. In 2001, Arena covered the Japanese classic song, "Subaru", originally written and recorded by Shinji Tanimura, Romina recorded the song in Japanese and the song went multi platinum and charted in the top positions for a few weeks.[10] In 2003, Microsoft used her first Rock Opera single "Satellite" (Recorded in English and Italian) as the epic theme song for the video game Project Gotham Racing 2.[11] In 2010, Romina Arena was the first performing artist to debut a live concert in US "Second Life" video game[12] and in 2013 recorded "I Want Love" as featured track on the gaming soundtrack for one of the most successful video game franchises in the history of the business, "The Best of Silent Hill " [13] released October 29 on Perseverance Records.

According to her interviews and press releases, Arena has had several number-one hits in Italy, Germany, Australia and Japan, selling over 4 million records worldwide over the lifetime of her career.[14] Arena developed a style that is a blend of operatic pop, rock and classical crossover.[4] In 2012, she released the album Morricone.Uncovered[15] in which she performs film music by Ennio Morricone to which she had set her own lyrics.[7] According to the Malibu Times, Morricone said "I decided to work with her because of her hard work and incredible successes achieved. But most importantly, I consider her the most dominant voice I have heard in my life. I do not allow just any artist to write lyrics to my movie scores. But for her I make the exception."[8]

In an article written by journalist Robert Pugliese, "Arena uses her exquisite operatic (diaphragm and chest) but is sufficiently flexible to expand in Pop and Classical genre (for these singers, has coined the neologism "popera") “What is striking in the color of Arena’s voice is that even in the high register and sovracuto - rare use of falsetto - still maintains a serious center of gravity, dark, full-bodied that accentuates her dramatic vocal delivery. In addition to phrasing, incredibly sharp, marked and a mastery of the breath which results also in expressive essential resource."[16]

In 2015, Arena signed to Lakeshore Records for a studio album to coincide with her book Where Did They Film That Italy. The album titled Where Did They Film That Italy – The Music Journey was released June 2016 as a companion to the travel guide and features Arena performing award-winning songs from movies filmed exclusively in Italy.[17]

Romina has performed in concert for world figures including President Bill Clinton at The Whitehouse, Pope John Paul II at The Vatican, and Italian greats Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, and performed with Alessandro Safina in Las Vegas.[18] According to her interviews and press releases, she has also worked with and/or performed in concert with Lou Rawls, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Bill Conti, Al Martino, Gladys Knight, The Platters, Eliot Sloan from Blessid Union of Souls, Eric Rigler (pipes player from the famous music soundtracks of the movies Braveheart and Titanic 1997 film)[8] According to one press release, she also headlined on the Celine Dion stage at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.[19] Besides touring the United States, Arena has performed several countries worldwide including Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, England, Portugal, Gibraltar, Casablanca, Netherlands, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand and Fiji.

Romina Arena has starred and produced national TV specials with PBS, ABC-Disney, and ESPN and written music for soundtracks in film and television. Her song Every Day Is Christmas Day was written and released for the Hallmark movie, A Christmas To Remember.[20] Her live TV specials include national PBS concert special appearing as the leading female singing and songwriting star along with pianist Jim Wilson and friends in concert at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts in Amarillo Texas.[21] Romina's ABC-Disney's Holiday Movie Skating Spectacular was hosted by Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, and World Champion Kimmie Meissner alongside a cast of Olympic figure skating stars performing on ice to holiday music performed live by Romina and special guests, The Four Phantoms, the show airing twice in North America on ABC reaching over 50 million households worldwide, in additional 77 countries around the world on ESPN.[22]

• 1984 to 1993 – From the age of 4 to 13 years old Arena was signed to Disney Italy's Mickey Mouse club and the companies "Prima Ribalta", "Shasa Digital Sound" and released three compilations and singles – Italy
• 1994 "Una Vita Senza Vita" from San Remo Nuovi Talenti (New Talent) Festival Compilation – Italy (appeared as Romina Notarbartolo)
• 1994 "You're The Only One" Peter Ciani Music – Australia (Single)
• 1994: "Smile" released by Danilo Sulis Recordings – Sicily, Italy (Single)
• 1994 "As Beautiful as You" CP Productions/BMG – Germany
• 1995 "As Beautiful as You" CP Productions/BMG – Australia
• 1998: "Fateci Santi" for The Vatican & Pope John Paul the second, produced & released by Beppe CAntarelli – compilation album
• 2000 "Unreleased Album Project" produced by Bob Johnston – US
• 2001 "Subaru" Design House/Toshiba-EMI – Japan
• 2003 "Romina Arena" for Miller's Gin – Miller Spirits – US & UK (Premium)
• 2003 "Satellite" Soundtrack from Xbox Video Game Project Gotham Racing 2, Microsoft Game Studios – US/Italy/International
• 2004 "Romina Arena" American Entertainment Records– US
• 2006 You're Gonna Hear from Me Outback Records – US
• 2006 "Cuerpo Sin Alma" (Spanish) Outback Records – US
• 2008 "Believe" NMG Records (Single)
• 2009 "A Joyful Christmas" NMG Records
• 2010 "Romanza" (The Love Collection, Limited Edition) – NMG Records
• 2010 "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" NMG/Macs Records – Italy/US
• 2010 Romina Arena first artist to debut live concert in US "Second Life" video game[12]
• 2011 "A Mother's Prayer" NMG Records (Single)
• 2011 "Arthur's Theme" (The Best That You Can Do) NMG Records (Single)
• 2011 "Life" released September 6, 2011 – NMG Records
• 2012 "Morricone.Uncovered" released September 18, 2012 Perseverance Records
• 2012 "Un Sogno Che Sognai" "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables released December 4, 2012 Perseverance Records (Single)
• 2013 "Romanza" (The Love Collection, Limited Edition) Re-release with new bonus tracks January 8, 2013 – NMG Records
• 2013 "Subaru" "スバル" " Romina Sings Japanese" released January 8, 2013 – NMG Records
• 2013 "I Want Love" from the album "The Best of Silent Hill" released October 29 – Perseverance Records
• 2014 "Corazon Italiano" released June, NMG Records (Single)
• 2014 "Annie's Song" released November 4, PoperaStar Records (Single)
• 2015 "A Mother's Heart" April 28, PoperaStar Records
• 2016 "Where Did They Film That Italy – The Music Journey" based on the book from the same title – Lakeshore Records released June 24
• 2019 "Baby Mine" performed in tribute to Disney's Dumbo – Poperastar Records (Single)
• 2019 "A Beautiful Surprise" released November 9, 2019 – Poperastar Records (Album)
• 2020 "Holding You" English version, released February 6, 2020 – Poperastar Records (Single)
• 2020 "Verte Amor" Spanish version, released February 6, 2020 – Poperastar Records (Single)

• Where Did They Film That Italy (travel guide). Fresno: Linden/ Quill Driver Books, 2016. ISBN 9781610351829, OCLC 931295588

In 2010, Arena received several awards. She was one of the seven recipients of the Tricolor Globe Award from the organization Italian Women in the World,[23] one of the five recipients of the CSNA Award (Confederation of the Sicilians in North America) for promoting Sicilian culture worldwide,[24] and one of several recipients of the Golden Orb award[25] for her philanthropic contributions to the Arts Olympus project in Long Beach, California.[26]

In 2010, Romina Arena received the Global Citizen Humanitarian Award for her support to the children of Haiti, presented by Jim Luce of the New York Times/ Orphans International in collaboration with the United Nations and Honorary Member HRH Prince Albert of Monaco.

In 2012, Arena was one of the 20 recipients of the Premio Sicilla for being an "Ambassador of bel canto in the world".[27]

In 2020, Romina Arena received prestigious “Filming Italy Los Angeles" Spotlight Award presented by Variety Magazine and Filming Italy LA for achievement in music industry and cinema soundtrack, in collaboration with Italian Institute of Culture and the Italian Embassy of Los Angeles [28]

Arena has worked with several non-profit organizations by entertaining at fundraising events, including the American Red Cross[29] The Arts Olympus,[26] and Every Woman,[30]

• Romina Arena Official website