b. Eros Ramazotti, Italy. Ramazotti began his professional career in 1982, when he was spotted at the Castrocaro talent contest. Roberto Gallanti, at that time managing director at Italian independent label DDD Records, immediately signed him. In 1983 Ramazotti confirmed the wisdom of his faith in him by winning the newcomer’s section of the San Remo Song Festival with the ballad, ‘Adesso Tú’. He made his debut with In Ogni Senso, but his real breakthrough in Europe came with the runaway success of Tutte Storie in 1993, which sold more than 4.5 million copies. Afterwards Ramazotti attempted to convert his domestic popularity in to international success with the release of Dove Cé Musica in 1996. An album of pristine melodic rock and balladeering, this saw Ramazotti elect to take more control over his career, co-writing and producing the collection in its entirety. ‘This is very much my own creation, ’ he told Billboard magazine, ‘I feel as if it is my son. Every song on the album has been meticulously constructed step by step, each having its theme and vitality.’ Typical of the contents was ‘Piu Bella Cosa’ (Most Beautiful Thing), a romantic mid-tempo ballad with gospel backing vocals, which was released as the first single from the album. The video was directed by Nigel Dick, best-known for his work with Guns N’Roses. Other tracks featured diverse styles ranging from salsa and merengue to country and pop. He retained his popularity in Italy, while becoming increasingly adopted by the American Hispanic community (the album was also released in a Spanish-language version as well as Italian). The album was promoted with appearances throughout Europe and South America.