Mario Biondi

BIO

Singer and songwriter Mario Biondi is one of the most unique voices to emerge from the Italian music scene in the 21st century. The Sicilian-born baritone possesses a voice which is often compared to Barry White and Isaac Hayes. Biondi uses this as his base to approach international genres, such as jazz and soul, plying his own distinctive sound. Able to move effortlessly between English and Italian languages, the artist creates original music that is recognizably global, filtered through an Italian lens. He performs regularly all over Europe.

Mario Biondi’s unmistakable deep voice is warm and sensual, yet clear and confident. Born Mario Ranno, he cultivated his passion for music from a young age, listening alongside his father, the singer Stefano Biondi, later making his stage name a tribute to him. A vast range of experience has made Mario the great artist he is today. He has sung in church choirs, been a session singer for niche labels, without neglecting his studies and speaking perfect English although he is a born and bred Sicilian from Catania. A lover of soul music, in 1988 he began supporting artists of international standing, including some of the calibre of the legendary Ray Charles.

But the turning point came with the Japanese release of his single This Is What You Are, heard by top BBC1 DJ Norman Jay, who fell in love with the song and launched it across Europe radiostations. The British Consulate honoured him with an award during the ceremony for the Best Artist representing the UK-Italy Business Association.In 2006 Mario released his debut album “Handful of Soul”, recorded with the High Five Quintet. In less than three months itwent platinum. In November 2007 Mario released a double album with the Duke Orchestracalled “I Love You More”, recorded entirely live at the Smeraldo Theatre in Milan.

In 2008 Mario accepted an invitation from The Walt Disney Companyto record the Italian versions of Everybody wants to be a catand Thomas O’Malleyfrom the classic animated film “The Aristocats”. In the same year Mario was involved in some great collaborations with artists such as Burt Bacharach, Chaka Kahn, Michael Bolton, Incognitoand The Crusaders.In November 2009 Mario Biondi released “If”. Dragged by the success of the leading single Be Lonely, the album shot up the charts and went triple-platinum. In 2010 Mario clocked-in thousands of miles for a sold-out winter and summer tour that saw him performing with his 15 piece orchestra to thrilled audiances of all ages.In November 2011 he releasedthe duets-album“Due (With the Unexpected Glimpses)”, a hit releaseworldwide. Biondi spent all of 2011 and 2012 touring both in Italy and abroad, taking part in numerous and prestigious jazz festivals all over Europe.After two years of work in Milan, Los Angeles, New York, and London, the new album “Sun”was in record stores on 29thJanuary 2013. The outstanding music had an international mood and was produced by Biondi himself, with Jean Paul Maunick, aka Bluey, leader of the legendary British jazz band Incognito. The promo single for the album was Shine On, followed by What Have You Done To Meand Deep Space. On 10thMay, Mario Biondiwas backin the UK capitaland, withIncognito, played his first Royal Albert Hallgig, in a bigevent concert.Sunalso wonover international markets, released on 13thMay across Europe,on 22ndMayin Japan, andon 4thJune in the United States.From 14thJune Mario Biondibegan a series of tour datesat prestigiousvenues, partof the most importantItalianandEuropean jazz festivals.After thisintensetour, Mario Biondiwas backon 25thNovember2013with the album“Mario Christmas”, embracing thefull magic of Christmas in 11songs, including eightlovely seasonal classics, two excitingnew songs –My Christmas Baby(The Sweetest Gift)and Dreaming Land–and the brilliantAfter The Love HasGoneduetwithEarth, Wind andFire.On22ndMay 2014,Mario Biondiwas the onlyItalianartistto take part–as a guest star, no less–in the 2013 EchoJazz Awards, Germany’sofficial music industryawardsconferredby the DeutschePhono-Akademie to top German andinternational artists.

Love Is A Temple, the new single released on 10 April 2015 was taken from his brand-new studio album “Beyond”, which came out on5thMay and was the day Mario Biondi kicked off the first leg of his Italian tour, with over 50 shows across the country, plus several concerts in European capitals. On 18 November 2016 the pre-release single Do You Feel Like I Feelannounced the release of “Best of Soul”, celebrating Mario’s ten years in the business. The intention wasto pay homage to the genre of music of which the Catania crooner is Italy’s only performer worldwide. Best of Soulcontains seven new songs and fifteen major hits from the artist’s career.In February 2018, Mario Biondi made his first ever appearance at the Sanremo Festivalwith the song Rivederti. This intense, moving ballad is a sophisticated piece that honoursthe link between Italian singer-songwriters of the 1960s and the creators of the Brazilian bossanova (Antonio Carlos “Tom” Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, João Gilberto).

The album “Brasil”, released on 9thMarch 2018, is a project of new and revisited tracks paying homage to a cultural and musical world that has always contaminated Biondi’s art. Mario Biondi toured Italy, Europe and Russia with almost 60 show during the all 2018.OnJune2019 Marioreleasedthe single Sunny Daywith the jazz american artist Cleveland Jones and graced stages all over Europe and overseas. Many showswentsold out. On May 21st2019 Mario made his Kennedy Centerdebut in Washington DC, showcasing his unmistakable deep, sensual voice. In November 2019 the artist will fly to La Habana for a special concert at Teatro Marti and a jam session with incredible local jazz artists the day after.2020 has been a particular year, as for every music artist around the globe, with. Anyway Mario had the chance to perform live in such beautiful venues in Italy and abroad. He also revealed a new project, the digital ep “Paradise Alternative Productions”,consisting of three different versions of “Paradise” by Piparo, DJ Meme and Joe T Vannelli, anticipating Mario’s new album which was scheduledfor the upcoming year.In fact2021marksMario’s discographicreturnwith his brand new album “Dare”, which has been released on January 29th, the day after his fiftieth birthday, and is therefore a record that tells the story of his career to date but also of how Mario will be in the future.

The first single which anticipated the album is the remake of the classic Herbie Hancock’s anthem “Cantaloupe Island”, remixed by Mario’s friend and great brazilian producer DJ Meme.“Dare” was elected as “Album of the week” by the iconic UK radio station “Jazz FM”.Not only discographic, even live return! Finally Mario came back around Italy and Europe playing over 25 gigs in summer, before COVID restrictions hit again.Last Valentine’s Day, 14thFebruary 2022, Mario announced his new studio project, the album “Romantic” scheduled to be released on March 18th, which will be followed by a huge list of European and Italian concerts between March and May.