Romina Arena

Romina Ciulla Arena
Arena in 2006
Background information
Birth name	Romina Ciulla
Origin	Palermo, Sicily
Genres	Pop, classical crossover, operatic pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, composer, writer
Years active	1984–present
Labels	Design House/Toshiba-EMI, CP Productions/BMG, PC Music, Outback Records, NMG Records, Perseverance Records, Lakeshore Records

Website	www.rominaarena.com

Romina Ciulla Arena is an Italian born American singer-songwriter who performs operatic pop (popera), pop classical crossover, rock opera and new-age music.^[1]

Early life

Romina Ciulla was born and raised in Palermo, Sicily, to a Sicilian mother, Rita and a Roman father, Renato. By the age of four, Arena became a Mouseketeer for Topolino, the Italian version of Disney's Mickey Mouse Club.^[2] Performing with other children from different parts of Europe,^[3]^[4] Arena calls herself "the voice of women with a broken heart" but is also referred to as "the voice of women who never give up".^[5]

Career

In 2001, Arena covered the classic Japanese song, "Subaru", originally written and recorded by Shinji Tanimura. In 2003, Microsoft used her first rock opera single "Satellite (Italian version)", recorded in both English and Italian and composed by Romina Arena and David Polish, in the video game Project Gotham Racing 2.^[6] In 2013 she covered "I Want Love" (originally from Silent Hill 3, composed by Akira Yamaoka) in the cover album "The Best Of Silent Hill (Music From The Video Game Series)" by Edgar Rothermich^[7] released in 2013 on Perseverance Records.

In 2012, she released the album Morricone.Uncovered^[8] in which she covers film music by Ennio Morricone to which she had set her own lyrics.

In an article written by journalist Roberto Pugliese, "Arena uses her exquisite operatic (diaphragm and chest) but is sufficiently flexible to expand in Pop and Classical genre (for these singers, the neologism "popera" was coined). “What is striking in the color of Arena’s voice is that even in the high register and sovracuto - a rare use of falsetto - still maintains a serious center of gravity, dark, full-bodied that accentuates her dramatic vocal delivery. In addition to phrasing, incredibly sharp, marked and a mastery of the breath which results also in the expressive essential resource."^[9]

In 2015, Arena signed to Lakeshore Records for a studio album to coincide with her book Where Did They Film That Italy. The album, titled Where Did They Film That Italy – The Music Journey,^[10] was released in June 2016 as a companion to the travel guide.

Her song "Every Day Is Christmas Day" appeared in the movie A Christmas To Remember.^[11]

She was one of the special guests in Jim Wilson and Friends: A Place in my Heart^[12] live at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts in Amarillo, Texas.

Romina Arena has starred and produced ABC Holiday Movie Skating Spectacular,^[13] hosted by Kristi Yamaguchi, Brian Boitano, and World Champion Kimmie Meissner alongside a cast of various Olympic figure skating stars performing on ice to holiday music performed live by Romina and special guests, The Four Phantoms.

Discography

1984 to 1993 – From the age of 4 to 13 years old Arena was signed to Disney Italy's Mickey Mouse Club and the companies "Prima Ribalta", "Shasa Digital Sound" and released three compilations and singles – Italy
1994 "Una Vita Senza Vita" from San Remo Nuovi Talenti (New Talent) Festival Compilation – Italy (appeared as Romina Notarbartolo)
1994 "You're The Only One" Peter Ciani Music – Australia (Single)
1994: "Smile" released by Danilo Sulis Recordings – Sicily, Italy (Single)
1994 "As Beautiful as You" CP Productions/BMG – Germany
1995 "As Beautiful as You" CP Productions/BMG – Australia
1998: "Fateci Santi" for The Vatican & Pope John Paul the second, produced & released by Beppe CAntarelli – compilation album
2000 "Unreleased Album Project" produced by Bob Johnston – US
2001 "Subaru" Design House/Toshiba-EMI – Japan
2003 "Romina Arena" for Miller's Gin – Miller Spirits – US & UK (Premium)
2003 "Satellite" Soundtrack from Xbox Video Game Project Gotham Racing 2, Microsoft Game Studios – US/Italy/International
2004 "Romina Arena" American Entertainment Records– US
2006 You're Gonna Hear from Me Outback Records – US
2006 "Cuerpo Sin Alma" (Spanish) Outback Records – US
2008 "Believe" NMG Records (Single)
2009 "A Joyful Christmas" NMG Records
2010 "Romanza" (The Love Collection, Limited Edition) – NMG Records
2010 "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" NMG/Macs Records – Italy/US
2011 "A Mother's Prayer" NMG Records (Single)
2011 "Arthur's Theme" (The Best That You Can Do) NMG Records (Single)
2011 "Life" released September 6, 2011 – NMG Records
2012 "Morricone.Uncovered" released September 18, 2012 Perseverance Records
2012 "Un Sogno Che Sognai" "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables released December 4, 2012 Perseverance Records (Single)
2013 "Romanza" (The Love Collection, Limited Edition) Re-release with new bonus tracks January 8, 2013 – NMG Records
2013 "Subaru" "スバル" " Romina Sings Japanese" released January 8, 2013 – NMG Records
2013 "I Want Love" from the album "The Best of Silent Hill" released October 29 – Perseverance Records
2014 "Corazon Italiano" released June, NMG Records (Single)
2014 "Annie's Song" released November 4, PoperaStar Records (Single)
2015 "A Mother's Heart" April 28, PoperaStar Records
2016 "Where Did They Film That Italy – The Music Journey" based on the book from the same title – Lakeshore Records released June 24
2019 "Baby Mine" performed in tribute to Disney's Dumbo – Poperastar Records (Single)
2019 "A Beautiful Surprise" released November 9, 2019 – Poperastar Records (Album)
2020 "Holding You" English version, released February 6, 2020 – Poperastar Records (Single)
2020 "Verte Amor" Spanish version, released February 6, 2020 – Poperastar Records (Single)
2021 "Cinematica: Vol. 1" English-Italian-Spanish tribute to the greatest movie soundtracks of all time – Poperastar Records (Album)

Books

Where Did They Film That Italy (travel guide). Fresno: Linden/ Quill Driver Books, 2016. ISBN 9781610351829, OCLC 931295588

Awards

In 2010, Arena received several awards. She was one of the seven recipients of the Tricolor Globe Award from the organization Italian Women in the World,^[14] one of the five recipients of the CSNA Award (Confederation of the Sicilians in North America) for promoting Sicilian culture worldwide,^[15]

In 2012, Arena was one of the 20 recipients of the Premio Sicilla for being an "Ambassador of bel canto in the world".^[16]

In 2020, Romina Arena received the prestigious “Filming Italy Los Angeles" Spotlight Award presented by Variety Magazine and Filming Italy LA for achievement in the music industry and cinema soundtrack, in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Culture and the Italian Embassy of Los Angeles ^[17]

In 2021, Romina Arena was named the "Official Ambassador of Italian Excellence In The World" by the President of M.I.R.E. (Movement of Italians Residents Abroad) representing Italy and major Italian cultural events, awards, consumer experiences around the world ^[18]

In 2022, the Italian President and Onorevoli at the Camera Dei Deputati awarded Romina the "Patrimonio Italiano" as Italian Ambassador of Italian culture at the Italian Parliament in Rome.^[19]