Antonino

Born on March 9, 1983, in Foggia, Antonino rose to prominence as an Italian pop sensation. His earliest connection to music developed during childhood through regular singing sessions alongside his father. Regional festivals and competitions during his teenage years equipped him for the pivotal opportunity that arrived when he successfully auditioned for the 2005 edition of Amici, Italy’s counterpart to the American Idol format. The show supplied intensive instruction in vocal technique, dance, and live performance while also pairing him for duets with established figures he had long admired, among them Laura Pausini, Michael Bublé, and Gigi d’Alessio, the last of whom joined him onstage at the 2005 Sanremo Festival. Antonino claimed the season’s top prize, which brought a recording agreement with Sony BMG. Following a nationwide tour that summer, his debut single “Ce la Far,” produced by Mario Lavezzi, entered European charts at number three and later received gold certification. The self-titled first album appeared on April 7, 2006; both the record and its accompanying tour earned him the Battisti Award for Best New Artist. Plans called for a new single in summer 2007 to introduce his second album, scheduled for release that autumn.