Three unsuccessful attempts: as a very young man, I didn’t care, then I regretted it.” Today, Stefano Zandri is 61 years old, lives in Malaga, and still takes to the stage, performing for nostalgic audiences.
“Four years ago, I wrote a song with my wife, but it was rejected.” He has sold twenty million records.
One of his most well-known hits, “Mad Desire,” is 40 years old. In the 80s, he competed with hordes of fans alongside Simon Le Bon and George Michael.
Now living in Malaga, at 61 years old, he still performs on stage for nostalgic evenings, but not only for that. On the eve of the Italian Song Festival, he talks about that missed opportunity.
I had a song written in Italian by Cristiano Malgioglio, but my record company preferred to avoid it. I was at the height of success.
The songs were in English. That’s how it worked.
Presenting a song in Italian was risky for the image that had been built.” I was a singer by chance, at first it wasn’t my voice, as everyone knows, I was chosen for my looks and not for my singing ability.
I was very young, I was a performer, I did what I was told.” But, once again, the record company didn’t accept it: the invitation had come at the last minute and there was not enough time to participate adequately.”
Four years ago, together with my wife Daisy Scaramella, I wrote a song, “Tell me who I am,” with which I applied for Sanremo. I wasn’t chosen.
In this case, I confess, I regretted it, because it would have been a chance for redemption for me. It was already known that in the first years of my career, from ’85 to ’88, I didn’t sing, but my voice was “borrowed.”
From ’88 onwards, it was me who sang, but always in English. I’m not a singer, but my voice wasn’t bad either.
I would have liked to prove it.” During the final, I will be busy with an event in Tuscany.”
And I sing, even if they’re not songs that require great vocal ability, but it’s me. I have at least ten songs that people remember.
I believe that with Sandy Marton, Tracy Spencer, Spagna, and Righeira, we defined the sound of the 80s. Every now and then we meet for a reunion and it’s always a great party.
I’d say that the 80s always work; we offered catchy but very modern music.” Finally.
Also thanks to the martial arts that I have always practiced. At eleven, I was a chubby kid who was teased, I started practicing judo to get back at those bullies.
And I succeeded.” At the time of my great success, I was very young, I was literally overwhelmed.
Some memories come from the videos I see published, but the evenings always end with long chats with the fans. And this gratifies me.”
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February 5, 2024 (modified on February 5, 2024 | 17:30)
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