Deborah Blando

Deborah Salvatrice Blando (born 3 March 1969) is a popular Italian-Brazilian singer who became known in Europe, in 1992, with the pop ballad "Innocence".

Biography

Blando was born in Italy, but she was raised in Brazil.

Since her early childhood she demonstrated her talent for music, winning one of the first prizes of the Zecchino d'Oro Festival, a version for children of the famous Sanremo Festival, when she was only 2 years old. In her childhood, she moved to Southern Brazil with her parents and kept in touch with music, singing in local choruses and covering famous Italian singers from the 1970s. At just eleven, she recorded her first album, Giovanna – Alegria da Gente, with Italian songs. In her teens, Deborah joined the Brazilian theater company Os Menestréis, which has revealed many promising singers in Brazil, and started touring the country acting and singing in their musicals.

In 1989 she met producer David Wolff who, impressed by her musical talent, invited her to record an album in English. In 1991, A Different Story was released. Its first single, "Boy (Why do you wanna make me blue?)" hit American dance charts and was featured in a worldwide TV ad for Diet Coke. The English version of the ballad "Innocence", written by Deborah herself when she was 18, conquered hearts throughout the world, especially in Brazil, where it received a Special Edition in 1993, and in Europe.

In 1995, Deborah Blando was featured in B-Tribe's album Suave Suave, singing the B-Tribe hits "Nanita" and "Que mala vida", among others. Her second solo album, Unicamente, was released by Virgin Records in 1996 and went gold. In addition to David Wolff and Deborah herself, it was produced by Patrick Leonard and David Foster. The track title "Unicamente" was a major hit in Brazil, as well as "Gata". According to various critics, it's Deborah's best album to date.

Her next album, Deborah Blando, was released in 1998, prompted by the success of "Somente o Sol", a Portuguese version of "I'm not in Love" which was sung by Blando for the opening credits and the soundtrack of Brazilian soap opera Corpo Dourado. Throughout her career, most of her hits were featured in Brazilian soap operas.

In early 2001, she released Salvatrice, covering contemporary Italian hits, as though revisiting the beginning of her career. In that same year she recorded the Brazilian version of “Where the dreams take you” ("Junto com teu Sonho") for Disney’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire soundtrack.

In 2002, Blando released A Luz que Acende o Olhar, her greatest hits album. The title track received important critical and popular awards and the album sold around 100,000 copies. She also sang a “Portuglish” version of When you say nothing at all (O Amor fala por nós) in duet with Ronan Keating.

Trivia

This section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (October 2007)

• Deborah Blando changed her first name to just Debora without the final h.
• She speaks fluent Portuguese, English, and Italian.
• Blando dated Marc Moreau for 5 years.
• In 2004 she had a fast love affair with Derrick Green, vocalist of the thrash metal band Sepultura.
• "Sweet Misery" is a demo song that was new for the fans but never was released. It is a Trip hop song produced by Debora and Marc Moreau.
• Two Trip hop songs, Everything I Am and Sexual Dejavu made at the same time of Sweet Misery were re-produced by Tadeu Patola in 2002 for the album A Luz Que Acende O Olhar, now with a total rock pop accent and giving Portuguese lyrics. Titles were "Me Leva" and "Nunca é Tarde".
• In 1999 she did a duet with the Brazilian soul band Fat Family singing "Eu Nasci Há 10 Mil Anos Atrás" for the opening TV show Criança Esperança from Globo TV.

Current projects

• Debora Blando is said to be releasing a new album in April 2009. The CD , named Polares, will be a mix of Trip hop and House Music, produced with Alexandre Green and the DJs Sandrinho and Cláudio Ferreira. It will include songs in Portuguese ("Polares", "Juízo Final", "Ausência", "Pérolas", "Tanto Faz", "Cartas Marcadas", "A Só", "Contrato Assinado (House Mix)") and in English ("Illusions", "Going Up", "Every Minute" and "Stains").

Currently her official website is under construction in anticipation of her new project.

The new song "Contrato Assinado" is featured in the Brazilian soap opera Sete Pecados a Tv Globo production. The song will be in her new album but in a remixed edit.

"Every Minute", another song from Polares, is in the soap opera "Sete Pecados" soundtrack too.

Deborah is set to do a Live DVD for 2009.

Discography

Albums

Greatest hits albums

Singles

Soundtrack

Tours

• A Different Story (1992)
• M200 Summer Concerts (1994)
• Unicamente Tour (1997)
• Self-titled Album "Deborah Blando" Tour (1998)
• A Luz Que Acende O Olhar (2002)
• Polares Tour (2007-2008)

External links

• (Portuguese) Official website
• Deborah Blando at the Internet Movie Database