MARIO BIONDI | MYLES SANKO

Mario Biondi's unmistakable deep voice is warm and sensual, but at the same time clear and confident.

Born Mario Ranno, he developed his passion for music at a young age by listening to music with his father, the singer Stefano Biondi. He later chose his stage name as a tribute to him.

Through a wide range of experiences, Mario became the great artist he is today. He sang in church choirs, worked as a studio singer for niche labels and never neglected his studies or his language skills - he speaks perfect English despite being a native Sicilian from Catania.

A lover of soul music, he began supporting international artists in 1988, including greats such as the legendary Ray Charles. But the turning point in his career came with the release of his single This Is What You Are in Japan. The well-known BBC1 DJ Norman Jay heard the song, fell in love with it and brought it to the radio stations of Europe.

The British Consulate honored him with the UK-Italy Business Association's Best Artist Award.

In 2006, Mario released his debut album Handful of Soul, which he recorded with the High Five Quintet. It reached platinum status in less than three months. In November 2007, Mario released a double album with the Duke Orchestra: I Love You More, which was recorded entirely live at the Smeraldo Theater in Milan.

In 2008, Mario accepted an invitation from the Walt Disney Company to record the Italian versions of Everybody Wants to Be a Cat and Thomas O'Malley from the classic animated film Aristocats. In the same year he worked with major artists such as Burt Bacharach, Chaka Khan, Michael Bolton, Incognito and The Crusaders.

Myles Sanko