RAPHAEL GUALAZZI

Biography

Born in 1981, Raphael Gualazzi is a singer-songwriter, composer, arranger, musician and producer whose distinctive style blends jazz, blues, soul, pop and contemporary influences.
In September 2009, his encounter with Caterina Caselli led to a recording contract with Sugar Music, marking the beginning of a major chapter in his career.
In 2011, Gualazzi rose to national prominence at the Sanremo Music Festival with the song Follia d’amore. The result was a remarkable success: first place in the Newcomers category, the Critics’ Prize “Mia Martini,” the Radio and TV Press Room Award and the Assomusica Award for Best Live Performance. Later that same year, he represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest with Madness of Love, achieving an impressive second-place finish.
His second album, Reality and Fantasy, brought him international recognition and established his reputation beyond Italy’s borders, culminating in a performance at the first International Jazz Day held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
In 2013, he released his third album, Happy Mistake, in both Italy and France. The record showcased the full breadth of his musical versatility, moving effortlessly across genres. Following another successful appearance at the Sanremo Festival, he embarked on a triumphant European tour accompanied by an original nine-piece international ensemble.
In 2014, he returned to Sanremo alongside The Bloody Beetroots in an innovative project where jazz, electronic music, blues and gospel merged into a unique musical language. Their song Liberi o no earned second place in the competition.
That same period marked his debut in film scoring through his collaboration with acclaimed director Pupi Avati on the film Un ragazzo d’oro, for which he composed the entire soundtrack.
In 2020, Gualazzi returned to the Sanremo stage with Carioca and released the album Ho un piano. Two years later, he published Bar del sole, a collection revisiting ten masterpieces of the Italian singer-songwriter tradition.
His most recent album, released by Cam Sugar in October 2023, is Dreams, a work that further confirms his talent for combining refined musicianship with a constantly evolving artistic vision.