Valeria Rossi

Valeria Rossi first drew breath in Tripoli before her upbringing unfolded in Rome, where a deep passion for music took root early. The combined record shelves belonging to her and her parents held an eclectic array stretching from Santana and Joni Mitchell through Queen and David Bowie. Carrying those sounds forward, she started writing original songs and compositions at age sixteen while still pursuing formal schooling. Once high school ended, her studies continued across multiple music institutions, among them the Popular School of Music of Testaccio, and she collaborated with Walloon Arabella in those same years. Jazz remained her initial devotion, yet she broadened her range by singing wherever opportunities arose, among them the corridors and platforms of Rome’s subway system. A string of short-term and unpromising positions, such as maid and stewardess, filled the same stretch of time. The year 2001 saw the appearance of her first album, Ricordateri Dei Fiori. Tracks taken from it, notably the single “Tre Parole,” registered as national successes and registered on several hit lists, Britain’s Top of the Pops among them. Rossi followed with her sophomore release, Tres Palabras, issued by RCA in 2002.