Alessandro

Alessandro is a 21st Century artist, the embodiment of many cultures and truly a citizen of the world.

Born in Iran to an Italian father and a Persian mother, Alessandro Giua was raised from infancy in Rome. He developed a love of music early on, thanks to his parents.

Alessandro's mother was a classical pianist who also loved to sing American jazz and gospel as well as Persian folk songs, while his father was a passionate opera buff. Young Alessandro's first public performance came at age five, when he sang "When the Saints Go Marching In" at a conference in front of hundreds of onlookers.

At 10, Alessandro discovered the Beatles, and so began his passion for English-language pop music - from '70s classic-rock icons such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Pink Floyd to '80s legends like the Police, Michael Jackson, and U2. As a teenager, Alessandro taught himself to play guitar, keyboard and drums. He also continued to season his soothing, ever-deepening baritone voice. At 18, he formed a group, "The Light in the Darkness" with two colleagues. Their goal - to spread an inspiring, inclusive message: "the whole world is one."

In his first U.S. CD release, Everlasting Fire, Alessandro promotes the new-millennial ideal of unity in diversity. The term "multicultural" is no mere marketing tag for the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and humanitarian, who is fluent in four languages.

Everlasting Fire is all about hope, love, beauty and cultural diversity. It is a soul-stirring, life-affirming synthesis of Western melodicism, Afro-Latino rhythms, and Eastern spirituality. Of the title, Everlasting Fire, "Fire can have a negative connotation," acknowledges Alessandro, "but historically it has always been a source of warmth, light, and strength."

This is also an apt description of Alessandro's songs on Everlasting Fire, ten vividly-told tales of love and heroism. They are rooted in the sacred writings of the Baha'i faith, but they embody universal themes of questing, self-sacrifice, devotion, and redemption - themes that resonate with human beings regardless of their beliefs. Alessandro's impact is historically sweeping, yet deeply personal.

Alessandro notes that Everlasting Fire, while a fully realized project, "doesn't completely encompass the range of what I do."

For instance, Alessandro says, he would like to compose songs for singers whose artistry he admires, such as opera tenor Andrea Bocelli and operatic pop diva Celine Dion. He also wants to continue exploring the intersection of Latin music with other musical styles, as he's done on his current CD.

And, says Alessandro, "One of my passions is the preservation and circulation of ethnic music. I want to help keep alive the voices and songs often born of suffering, so that new generations can continue to learn of them".

Alessandro's Websites: Facebook