Most anglophones still don't know this legendary singer. Yet she has sold over 70 million records worldwide, which is insane considering that she has never broken into the Anglo-American English language market. She has over one billion streams on Spotify. Obviously, lots of people around the world love her music.
Laura Pausini is already the undisputed “Prima Donna” of Italian popular music (and arguably - at least for the pop melódica style - the “Primera Mujer” of Hispanic music, with her quarter century of Spanish language songs deeply influencing a whole generation of Latina and Latino singers).
Laura has a superb, powerful, versatile voice that enables her to sing a broad range of styles, and appeals to audiences of all ages. She is a magnificent artist with palpable charisma, but also a woman who hasn’t let global superstardom go too much to her head: she manages to be both classy and down-to-earth; she is openhearted, funny, accessible, and lovable to people from a variety of cultures: not only from her native Italy, but also Spain, Mexico, Brazil, and many other places that all feel that she is "one of their own."
It's a remarkable natural talent she has: to have a genuine "international appeal" while still keeping connected to her roots, with her family and friends in the small village of Solarolo near Ravenna in Italy.
Laura's latest song, “Io Si” - featured in the movie The Life Ahead starring the remarkable 86 year old Sofia Loren - has been nominated for an Academy Award. I hope she can add the Oscar to her American Grammy (first Italian woman ever to win one, ironically for an album in Spanish from 2004) as well as her six Latin Grammys and countless international prizes.
Here is Laura from a recent event, singing “Io Si” in Italian but speaking in English (which is her fifth language). You don't need to understand Italian to appreciate this beautiful song: (mobile site click link HERE)