Diana Winter

Diana Winter (Florence, 1985) is an Italian female singer and songwriter.

Biography

Diana Winter was born in Florence in 1985 to an Italian father and Austrian mother.

Since early childhood she has experienced different languages and cultures and developed an early love of music. Growing up in a very MusicAL family – her mother is an accomplished classical pianist - as a child she listened to everything from Bach to Satchmo. She started early classical guitar studies at 10, focussing after some years on more modern guitar players such as De Moraes, Pernambuco, Brower, Brindle.

A curiosity for anything concerning self-expression soon turned towards songwriting: she gave up the idea of the conservatory and wrote her first song at fourteen. Her vocal training started in a Gospel Choir, soon her models became Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Sananda Maitreya, Sarah Vaughan and many others.

The experience in Gospel contributed to Diana Winter’s belief that in music, as in any religion, evocative power is the strongest alchemy that can take place between people.

She tried to express this intuition in her first album Escapizm. As a teenager, while performing in various local clubs, she started making her own way in the music business. Those years didn’t seem to lead her anywhere, because she found it impossible to compromise in certain situations.

Diana Winter was discovered in 2004 by the arranger, guitarist and producer Fabio Balestrieri, and the result was her first album Escapizm.

Source

Discography

Albums

  • Escapizm (2007)

Singles

  • "Just a little"
  • "Never ending tale"

Debut album Escapizm

The album was produced by Fabio Balestrieri for Kouyatè and recorded over two years in Italy, Belgium and the United Kingdom. The reason being the collaboration with Phil Gould, who co-produced Rain and Dream Alone, and much of the work took place in his cottage-studio in Dorset. The production was in line with the main idea of creating an album “made of notes”-which reflects Fabio Balestrieri and Diana’s wish for “real” music- played in every single part with real instruments. This idea was developed at Hours by the Window studio, recording most of the instruments -including the frogs recorded at the stream.

Various talented musicians were involved in this debut album, to mention just a few: harmonica player Toots Thielemans, percussion player Miles Bould, double bass player Pino Pecorelli, keyboard player and singer Mike Lindup, bass player Yolanda Charles and Mirco de Grandis, string player Neil Black. The mastering of the album took place care of Martin Giles, at Alchemy Soho in London.

“...in Escapizm, I wanted to tell stories about whatever I could imagine...”

Collaborations & other projects

Diana Winter has worked with various artists.

Toots Thielemans
The worldwide known harmonica player Toots Thielemans, was involved by producer Fabio Balestrieri in Diana Winter's first album Escapizm. Toots Thielemans has joined in the songs "Cruel" and "September Song" with his precious contribution. Diana feels honoured for having been involved in such a great team of talented musicians for her first album.

Giorgia
Diana Winter was featured in a song on the most recent album Stonata of popular Italian singer Giorgia. The song "Vieni Fuori" is a balanced mix of a pop melody together with a reggae style rhythm, and was produced by Fabio Balestrieri and Damiano Ruggeri.

Soundtrack Essayette
Diana Winter is recording the song for the soundtrack of the English movie Essayette, a film by Beatriz Martinez-Gatell.

Artist of the month on KGRL fm (L.A. ,CA)
Diana Winter has been the Artist of the Month on Radio KGRL (Los Angeles, California).

Press Reviews

"Diana Winter: a debut with a promise of new developments (…). It's a sincere CD that is striking for the maturity of its songs: not only the lyrics, but also the way she sings them (the girl is only 22 years old) there's an astounding self-assuredness in her, as if all she had ever done was make CDs".

"There are CDs that you tire of quickly. Others enrapture you and open windows onto new worlds. Diana seems weaned on soul and jazz and she sings with an intensity that blows you away. Great background music for a special evening".

"Winter approaches her debut album with the artistic maturity of a great singer-songwriter. Her voice is easy and rich, her guest performers are first class (…) an organic, inspired and well-thought out project, put together with sensitivity and competence."

"The fact that it is well played is not saying enough about this CD (…). The world in which Diana moves is midway between folk pop and soul (…). Never ending tale has the freshness of springtime (…) Rain envelops like a cup of tea and a warm blanket."

"First of all, she's a singer-songwriter; she writes her songs and then gives them colour with sophisticated arrangements and the warmth of her phrasing"

"She blends soul and pop with her class and top international musicians."

"Escapizm" is a work of international depth (…), which doesn't mean that it's merely a seasonal pop product, but rather a CD that slowly takes hold of you because beyond the singles there's more.A real revelation for sophisticated soul pop lovers."

"She plays soul and jazz, but with the extraordinary freshness of her 22 years."

"Diana Winter is a singer-songwriter who thinks of music in terms of freshness. Fresh is her way of conceiving soul and jazz (…) as her debut album clearly proclaims."

"And now Diana Winter makes her recording debut (…). The music of this florentine artist is sophisticated, but pleasant to the year."

"The talent is there and the handful of songs she bestows on us are without a doubt enjoyable."

"A fresh combination of soul and jazz for a debut album with an international flavour."

"Kindred to the jazz spirit with a dash of soul is "Escapizm", a remarkable debut."

Notes

de:Diana Winter fr:Diana Winter