Paola Turci

Paola Turci (born 12 September 1964) is an Italian singer-songwriter and author. She emerged through the Sanremo Music Festival, where she competed for the first time in 1986 and won the newcomers' section in 1989 with the song "Bambini".

Career 1986–1993: Sanremo years and early albums Turci made her recording debut after appearing at the Sanremo Music Festival 1986 with "L'uomo di ieri", written for her by Mario Castelnuovo. Her first album, Ragazza sola ragazza blu, produced by Castelnuovo and Gaio Chiocchio, was released in 1988; "Bambini" appeared on her self-titled second album the following year.

1993–2001: covers and commercial success Later in 1993 Turci recorded "Io e Maria", written by Luca Carboni, and took part in the Lucio Battisti tribute project Innocenti evasioni with a version of "Ancora tu". Tra i fuochi in mezzo al cielo followed in 2005, preceded by the single "Dimentichiamo tutto"; the album included "Rwanda", for which she received an Amnesty International Italy award in 2006.

In 2007 she toured with Max Gazzè and Marina Rei as Di comune accordo, and the three appeared together at the Sanremo Music Festival 2008 with "Il solito sesso". Giorni di rose consists of songs written for Turci by women songwriters, among them Consoli, Nada, Marina Rei and Chiara Civello, and includes a duet with Fiorella Mannoia on Ivano Fossati's "Lunaspina". Critics connected the song's theme of self-acceptance to the 1993 accident and to her autobiography.

She joined the seventeenth series of the talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi as a singing teacher in November 2017, and in 2019 competed at the Sanremo Music Festival with "L'ultimo ostacolo", from the album Viva da morire.

Personal life In the 1990s Turci had a relationship with the tennis player Paolo Canè. In 2010 she married the journalist Andrea Amato; the couple separated in 2012.

In March 2021 Turci discussed her sexuality publicly in an interview with Il Fatto Quotidiano. On 2 July 2022 she entered into a civil union with Francesca Pascale in Montalcino.

Turci has worked with non-governmental organisations including Ucodep in Vietnam and the Francesca Rava Foundation in Haiti, an involvement she describes in Mi amerò lo stesso.

Discography Studio albums 1988 – Ragazza sola ragazza blu 1989 – Paola Turci 1990 – Ritorno al presente 1991 – Candido 1993 – Ragazze 1995 – Una sgommata e via 1997 – Oltre le nuvole 2000 – Mi basta il paradiso 2002 – Questa parte di mondo 2005 – Tra i fuochi in mezzo al cielo 2009 – Attraversami il cuore 2010 – Giorni di rose 2012 – Le storie degli altri 2017 – Il secondo cuore 2019 – Viva da morire

Compilation albums 1996 – Volo così 1986-1996 2015 – Io sono

Live albums 2004 – Stato di calma apparente