Giuni Russo

The recorded working language is Italian. The field of work recorded is songwriting and singing. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are easy listening, jazz, electropop and operatic pop. Residence is recorded at Milan. Distinctions recorded are gold record and Telegatto.

• Name — Giuni Russo • Birth Name — Giuseppa Romeo • Born — 7 September 1951 • Birthplace — Palermo, Italy • Died — 13 September 2004 • Place of death — Milan, Italy • Genre — * Easy listening • experimental • pop • classical • jazz • opera • Occupation — Singer • Years Active — 1968–2004 • Label — * EMI-Columbia • BASF • Durium • Ghibli • WEA • CGD • Ricordi • L'Ottava • NAR • Sony • Radiofandango • Edel • Website — giunirusso.it

Giuseppa Romeo was born in Palermo, Sicily, on 7 September 1951, the eighth of nine siblings. Busy with several family matters, her father Pietro registered her three days later, on 10 September. As a child, singing was more important to Russo than playing or studying. She was often asked to perform at school. Her teacher offered her own desk to Russo to be used as a stage, but she was so shy she preferred to perform while hiding behind the classroom door. Her first public appearance was on a small stage actors from the Politeama Theatre in Palermo. Without her family's knowledge, Russo took singing lessons from Master Ettore Gaiezza, paying him with the money earned from her local shows. • Illustration — Giusy Romeo in 1967 At age 15, she sang at the Castrocaro festival, reaching the semifinal. The following year she won the festival by unanimous vote, singing "Hurt" by Timi Yuro and "A chi" by Fausto Leali. The following year she competed in the Sanremo Festival under the name of Giusy Romeo, singing "No amore". She released two singles during 1968, "No amore" and "L'onda". After her participation at Un Disco per l'Estate, Cantagiro and Festivalbar with the song "L'onda", she recorded the cover version of "Smoke in your eyes" and the cover of "I Say A Little Prayer" of Aretha Franklin in 1969. That year, she moved to Milan to collaborate with musician and songwriter Maria Antonietta Sisini.

In the 1970s, Russo began with several participations as chorist for many artist's publications. In 1972 she sang in the choirs of Balletto di Bronzo's Ys. In 1974 she signed a contract for the German label BASF, which gave her the pseudonym of Junie Russo, later changed to the Italian spelling Giuni. The following year her first LP, Love Is a Woman (sung in English) was released. In this period she also collaborated with Sisini as songwriter for other authors. Meanwhile, many singles were published such as "Everything is gonna be alright", a cover by PP Arnold. The last single recorded as Junie Russo, "Mai", was released in 1976 for the Durium. In the meantime, Russo and Sisini were appreciated as music composers for other artist's songs. In 1978, she was renamed Giuni Russo and recorded a single for WEA (Italian arm of Warner Music Group), "Soli noi" (it), which became a surprise hit in France, leading to the French branch of RCA to offer her a recording contract, an offer she turned down when she decided to remain in Italy.

In 1979 she met the Sicilian singer-songwriter Franco Battiato, who produced her second LP, entitled Energie for the label CGD, released in 1981, containing the work of musicians such as Sisini, Franco Battiato, Giusto Pio, Alberto Radius and others. In 1982 Giuni reached the peak of her popularity with the hit "Un'estate al mare", which went Gold Disc. She participated in the "Festivalbar", "Vota la voce", and many other events and broadcasts singing. In 1983 she released the LP Vox, followed by her last work for that label LP Mediterranea (1984). After divergences with the label's producer, Caterina Caselli, who wanted more commercial works, in 1986 she moved to label Ricordi, for which she released the LPs Giuni (1986), ALBUM (1987) and the more experimental A casa di Ida Rubinstein (1988), which featured influences of classical music. Giuni and her life companion, Maria Antonietta Sisini, began to undergo a religious conversion and became practicing Catholics. Many of her works subsequently developed a religious nature such as "La Sua Figura". Giuni became devoted to St. Ignatius of Loyola and especially St. Teresa of Ávila.

In the 1990s Russo devoted herself to World Music and music-theater. In 1992, she released Amala, an album with sound of world-music, Arabic. In 1994, she released a new album, Se fossi più simpatica sarei meno antipatica. The title is inspired by Ettore Petrolini's monologue Fortunello. This album marked Russo's return to Emi, her first record company. After two very much participations to the 'Premio Tenco' in 1994 with "Ciao amore ciao", a cover by Luigi Tenco, and in 1995 with a minishow. In 1997 Russo published the single "Gabbiano", with the label NAR International; a CD was supposed to follow but that never happened because of different point of view of the label manager. Her first live album, Voce prigioniera, was released in 1998.

In 2002 she released the second live album, Signorina Romeo, by the Sony Music. An emotional way through classic and unpublished songs, in which Giuni's spiritual research and the artistic and human evolution clearly emerge. Russo competed in the Sanremo Music Festival 2003 with the song "Morirò d'amore" ("I Will Die of Love"), which she had written with Maria Antonietta Sisini and Vania Magelli in the 1980s. The song had been rejected by the Sanremo artistic commission twice before, in 1989 and 1997. It placed seventh, and was released as a single on 7 March 2003, with the album Morirò d'amore. On 28 November 2023, she released another new album, Demo de midi. In April 2004, she released her last new album Napoli che canta, a musical suite thought as a soundtrack for the eponymous mute film by Roberto Roberti, with DVD.

Russo died from cancer in her home in Milan on the night of 13 September 2004, at age 53. She was buried in a section of the Cimitero Maggiore di Milano traditionally reserved for Carmelite nuns.

Single • 1968 – No amore / Amerai Columbia/EMI (SCMQ 7082) • 1968 – L'onda / Lui e Lei Columbia/EMI (SCMQ 7095) • 1968 – I primi minuti / Fumo negli occhi Columbia/EMI (SCMQ 7118)

Single • 1975 – Milk of Paradise / I've Drunk in my Dream BASF (06 13325-Q) • 1975 – Everything Is Gonna Be Alright / Vodka BASF (06 13330-Q) • 1975 – In trappola / Lui nell'anima GHIBLI (CD 4506) • 1976 – Mai / Che mi succede adesso DURIUM (Ld A 7950) Albums • 1975 – Love Is a Woman BASF (21-23326 Q)

Singles • 1978 – Soli noi / La chiave ELEKTRA (T 12290) • 1982 – Un'estate al mare / Bing bang being CGD (CGD 10401) • 1982 – Good Good Bye / Post moderno CGD (CGD 10437) • 1982 – Una Vipera Sarò / Tappeto Volante • 1983 – Good Good Bye / Un'estate al mare • 1984 – Mediterranea / Limonata cha cha cha CGD (CGD 10548) • 1986 – Alghero / Occhiali colorati BUBBLE/RICORDI (BLU 9233) • 1987 – Ragazzi al luna-park / Mango papaia BUBBLE/RICORDI (BLU 9238) • 1987 – Adrenalina / Adrenalina (remix strumental) BUBBLE/RICORDI (BLUX 934) • 1987 – Mango Papaia / Mango papaia (remix strumental) BUBBLE/RICORDI (BLUX?) • 1990 – Un'estate al mare / Una vipera sarò (CGD 3984 23892-9) • 1994 – Se fossi più simpatica sarei meno antipatica • 1995 – Un'estate al mare (love guitar remix) / Un'estate al mare (deep mix) / Un'estate al mare (July 41 st) ITWHY (ITW 05) • 1997 – Gabbiano / Fonti mobili NAR (NAR 40132) • 2000 – Un'estate al mare (space mix) / Un'estate al mare (cub mix) / Un'estate al mare (dub version) HITLAND (EXTRA 05 CDs) • 2003 – Morirò d'amore / Il re del mondo (live) • 2006 – Un'estate al mare (remix feat. Megahertz) – PROMO • 2006 – Adrenalina (remix feat. MAB) – PROMO • 2006 – Una vipera sarò (remix feat. Caparezza) – PROMO Albums • 1981 – Energie CGD (CGD 20269) • 1983 – Vox CGD (CGD 20360) • 1984 – Mediterranea CGD (CGD 20409) • 1986 – Giuni BUBBLE/RICORDI (BLULP 1822) • 1987 – Album BUBBLE/RICORDI (BLULP 1825) • 1988 – A casa di Ida Rubinstein L’OTTAVA/EMI (64 7915301) • 1992 – Amala CGD (4509-90011-2) • 1994 – Se fossi più simpatica sarei meno antipatica EMI (7243 8 29956 2 3) • 1998 – Voce prigioniera NAR (NAR 1349 2) • 2002 – Signorina Romeo Live • 2003 – Morirò d'Amore • 2003 – Demo De Midi • 2004 – Napoli che canta • 2006 – Unusual • 2008 – Cercati in me • 2011 – A casa di Ida Rubinstein 2011 Cd+ Dvd • 2012 – Love Is a Woman • 2016 – Fonte d'amore DVDs • 2004 – Napoli che canta • 2005 – Mediterranea Tour (with CDs) • 2007 – La sua figura Compilations • 1983 – Un'estate al mare • 1987 – Sere d'agosto • 1989 – I successi di Giuni Russo SPINNAKER/RICORDI (SPI13) • 1990 – Le più belle canzoni CGD musicA (9031 72212-2) • 1996 – Onde leggere TRING (TRI 028) • 1997 – La sposa FUEGO (PCD 2100) • 1999 – Alghero REPLAY MUSIC (RSCD 8032) • 2000 – Il meglio (rearranged tracks) MR MUSIC/D.V. MORE RECORD (MRCD 4198) • 2000 – I miei successi (rearranged tracks) D.V. MORE RECORD (CD DV 6411) • 2003 – Irradiazioni (unreleased tracks) • 2004 – Voce che grida • 2007 – The Complete Giuni (with unreleased tracks and rearranged tracks)

Giuni Russo is recorded with the occupation recording artist. Classed in the genre easy listening. Classed in the genre operatic pop. Classed in the genre electropop. Classed in the genre jazz. Recorded as singer, composer and musician. Identity and origins. She also worked under the names Junie Russo, Giuni Russo and Giusy Romeo. The authorities additionally record the headings Giusy Romeo, Junie Russo and Giuseppa Romeo. Her recorded language was Italian.