Artist Profile: Roberto Bignoli
He has a passion for music since he was a child. His artistic career has a
start when he was sixteen. He takes part in several music entertainments and
various pop music festivals; he has been the backer of some "big". He has
performed in the streets of Italian and foreign cities getting consent and
audience.
Here are some of his productions in the '80s: "Se la luna" (If the moon):
30,000 copies sold; "Canzone per Laura" (Song for Laura) presented in all
private TV stations, particularly in the popular broadcasts "Pop Corn" of
Canale 5, "Lorelai" and Ninnanà ninnaṇ". Over the years '83-'84 he settled
down in Paris for some very successful months.
In 1984, the crucial year for his conversion, he decided for a radical
change of trend. Since then he has been entirely devoting his artistic gift
to affirm his change and profess his faith in Christ.
In '86 here is his first record, "Regina della Pace" (Queen of Peace),
published in two issues as a result of his deep friendship with the mystic
Maria Siccardi. It sells 150.000 copies in the catholic markets.
In 1987 he releases the first album of his new production called "Canzone
per Maria" (Song for Mary) entirely dedicated to the experience of his new
devotion for Mary. "Ho visto la Croce" (I saw the cross) in 1988 bears
witness to the discovery of the centrality of Christ and the Cross as
keynote of his personal history.
In '90 he records a testimonial-concert, "Una storia da raccontare" (A
Story to Tell) as a proof of his new feeling. "Porta Cristo" (Bring Christ)
of 1991 comes out of the ardour and the freshness of his profession and
includes some of Roberto's most significant songs: "Ballata per Maria"
(Ballad for Mary), that has later become the live motive of Radio Maria
station, "Porta Cristo" (Bring Christ), a funky song that communicates the
impulse of announcing Christ where social relegation and human decay seem to
have no hope left, "Diglielo tu" (You Tell him That) a rock piece inspired
by a real event.
In '91 he publishes a book, "In concerto sotto la Croce" (In Concert Under
the Cross) as testimonial of a live concert given in Rom in the presence of
a crowd of young people. His new biography is now in progress.In 1996 he
publishes with Edizioni Paoline "Tempo di Pace" (Time of Peace) a work full
of musicality and strong topics, with the famous "Concerto a Sarajevo"
(Concert in Sarajevo) written during the war in Bosnia and broadcast
everywhere, particularly by underground stations of the former Balkan
republic, "Un uomo" (A Man) and the new edition of "Oltre la collina"
(Beyond the Hill) written in '83 before his conversion, a sort of
precognition of what was going to happen to him. A range of songs full of
commitment originated by real life and far from easy tall talk.
In 1998 the collection "Roberto Bignoli Vol.1" is issued, followed in 1999
by the single "Blues cielo blu" (Blues the Sky is Blue) that includes also
the fantastic and driving piece of blues with the same title.
2001 is the year of the new multimedia CD "Ho bisogno di te" (I need you)
that is the title of the new "ethnic" song dedicated to God as a Father
along with "Parole e amore" (Words and love) that is the result of the
astonishment at the huge evidence of charity of our century.In December 2001
in Washington he is given the prestigious international prize UCMVA Unity
Award (as best artist and for the best song of the year) and in 2003 the
first acknowledgement of Golden Graal, the Italian Award dedicated to
evangelization.
He's also taken part, as Special Guest, in a large number of international
festivals of Christian Music and he's been one of the voices of about twenty
compilations of Christian artists, eight of which international.He's given
concerts all over Italy as well as in France, Germany, Switzerland, Poland,
Bulgaria, former Yugoslavia, Spain, Malta, Canada, U.S.A., Central and Latin
America, Argentina. Two tours in Australia and in Brazil are now in
preparation.
Many media such as radio and TV stations as well as newspapers, both
catholic and laic, have talked about him.Roberto has been the promoter of
international festivals of Christian music and art director of international
compilations. He's taken part in GMG of Paris in 1996, in the one of Rom
(Tor Vergata, August 2000), of Toronto along with Don Mimmo Iervolino, and
again of Colony in 2002 and in 2005.
On October 16, 2005 he's been officially invited by Polish TVP (Polish
national Television) to take part in the Gran Galà and Concert dedicated to
Giovanni Paolo II, given in the square of the Warsaw Castle with a presence
of 30,000 people. His latest record in 2005 is the brand new single for
radio "Là c'è un posto" (There is a place) with four new pieces. One is the
exciting singer-songwriter style "Dimmi, mio Signore" (Tell me my Lord), a
dramatic question to God arisen by the astonishment for the present
world-wide situation of disorders and epochal disasters. Another song is the
powerful rock ballad "Là c'è un posto" (There is a place), a support and an
invitation to find one's way for those who are involved in deceptive and
humbling choices. The former song came out in Australia within an
international compilation whose income is destined to help people victim of
the recent tsunami, and the latter, in Poland, is a collection of Christian
Polish artists, enclosed with in the prestigious musical magazine "Ruah".The
song "Là c'è un posto" (There is a place) on November 12, 2005 is awarded in
Minnesota U.S.A. the prestigious international prize UCMVA Unity Award for
the best song of the year.