Mario Biondi

Mario Biondi is a soul and jazz singer born in Catania in 1971, who broke through in 2006 with the album Handful of Soul on Schema Records.

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He was born Mario Ranno on 28 January 1971 to Sicilian parents and took his stage name from the pseudonym of his father, the popular singer Giuseppe Ranno, who performed as Stefano Biondi. He sang in small choirs as a youth and learned largely by listening to Lou Rawls, Al Jarreau and Isaac Hayes. He has named his friendship with the Catania songwriter Gianni Bella as important to his growth, and he accompanied Franco Califano, Peppino Di Capri, Fred Bongusto and Rosario Fiorello on concert tours.

Handful of Soul (2006) was released by Schema, followed on the label by the Rio De Janeiro Blues / This Is What You Are EP the same year and a remix release of This Is What You Are in 2008. His other albums include If (2010), Due (2011), Sun and Mario Christmas (both 2013), Beyond (2015), Brasil (2018), Dare (2021), Romantic (2022) and Crooning Undercover (2023). I Love You More (2007) and Yes You (2010) are live albums.

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