Laura Pausini, born 16 May 1974, is an Italian pop singer-songwriter and record producer. She gained fame in 1993 after winning the newcomer artists' section of the 43rd Sanremo Music Festival with her debut single "La solitudine," which topped the charts in Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Her debut album was released in Italy on 23 April 1993 and sold two million copies worldwide. Her follow-up album, Laura (1994), sold three million copies worldwide, and her first Spanish-language album, also titled Laura Pausini, was certified diamond in Spain, making her the first non-Spanish artist to sell over one million copies there.
As of 2014, Pausini has released ten studio albums, two international greatest hits albums, and two compilation albums for the Hispanic and Anglophone markets. She primarily performs in Italian and Spanish but has also recorded songs in English, French, Portuguese, and Catalan. Her only English-language album, From the Inside (2002), did not meet commercial expectations. Her 2006 album Io canto was the best-selling album of the year in Italy. She has sold over 70 million records, receiving a Fimi Icon Award. Pausini has won numerous awards, including first and third place at the Sanremo Music Festival, multiple Italian and international music awards, and the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album in 2006 for Escucha. She was honored as a Commander Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and named World Ambassador of Emilia Romagna.
Italy
