Loredana Bertè

Mia Martini and Loredana Bertè (right)

Bertè was born in Bagnara Calabra, Province of Reggio Calabria, in Southern Italy.[1]

Bertè started as a nude model, and was noticed as a singer in 1974, when she released her album Streaking. She became successful the following year through her Normale o Super album, as well as "Sei bellissima", a ballad that eventually became one of her biggest hits.[1]

In 1977 the album T.I.R. updated her sound, and two years later the LP BandaBertè spawned the hits "Dedicato", "E la luna bussò", "Folle città", and "Robin Hood".

Bertè next released two albums with a strong funky vibe. The first was LoredanaBertè (1980) which included the huge hit "In alto mare". In 1981 Bertè released Made in Italy, recorded with the American funk group Platinum Hook. The Album included the single "Movie", for which a video was directed by Andy Warhol, who Bertè met in New York during the making of the album. The cover photo, signed by Christopher Makos, is a collaborative effort of Bertè with Warhol's Factory; two years later, another shot from that session would be used for the Jazz album cover.[2]

The following year she left her long-time producer Mario Lavezzi to record with a new producer, Ivano Fossati. With him she recorded what many consider to be her masterpiece album, Traslocando (1982), containing Bertè's signature song "Non sono una signora".[1]

The following years the albums Jazz (1983) and Savoir faire (1984) spawned two hits: "Il mare d'inverno", penned by Enrico Ruggeri, and "Ragazzo mio", a cover of a Luigi Tenco classic.

Bertè released an innovative album in 1985 called Carioca, a tribute to Brazilian singer Djavan which included "Acqua" and other hits. Many songs from the album were subsequently covered by The Manhattan Transfer.

Bertè became engaged to tennis champion Björn Borg in 1988, and they were married in September 1989.[1]

Bertè has had numerous notable performances at the Sanremo Music Festival, also known as the Festival della canzone italiana. Her first appearance was in 1986 with a rock song called "Re", for which she wore Versace and dressed like a pregnant woman. In later years the Critics' Award at Sanremo was called the Mia Martini after Bertè's sister, who won the first Award offered in 1982. To date, Bertè has not won a top award at the festival.

In 1988, along with her second appearance at the Sanremo festival, she released the Io album with producer Corrado Rustici, who has also worked with Black Lace.

In the spring of 1992 Bertè and husband Björn Borg officially split. Their divorce was finalized in 1993. That year, she released a new album, Ufficialmente dispersi. That same year, Mia Martini joined Bertè at Sanremo for a duet. Their song, titled "Stiamo come stiamo", was the first single of Bertè's new album. Later that summer, Bertè released a second song from the album. The single, titled "Mi manchi", was an Italian radio hit.

Bertè again appeared at Sanremo in 1994 when she performed an emotional song called "Amici non ne ho". The song was a hit and was included in her first live compilation titled Bertex Ingresso Libero.

Her 1995 performance was the funky song "Angeli & Angeli", a single from Bertè's Ufficialmente ritrovati, a greatest hits compilation.

On Friday, 12 May 1995, her sister Mia Martini committed suicide by overdosing on drugs. The death of her sister caused Bertè to become clinically depressed.[1]

In mid-1996 she began work on her following album, Un pettirosso da combattimento. Released in 1997, the album is one of Bertè's most personal to date, featuring a new hard rock sound and lyrics based on the tragic loss of her sister. Bertè's seventh appearance at the Sanremo Festival featured a song titled "Luna", a desperate cry about her life.

Her second live compilation album was released in 1998 and was recorded with a live orchestra.

In 2002 she returned to Sanremo for the eighth time with a song called "Dimmi che mi ami". That same year she dropped her current record label (one she had joined just a few months before) and began searching for a new label. She eventually signed with NAR.

Bertè joined a reality show called Musicfarm in 2004. With the money she earned from her appearance she began to work on a new album. This became her 2005 effort titled BabyBertè, which was released in September.[1] Her first album in seven years, the CD debuted at #2 in the official album chart. The second single from the album, titled "Strade di fuoco", reached #3 in the official single chart. In May 2006 the album was re-released with a bonus CD and a bonus DVD.

In 2008 she performed at Sanremo with "Musica e parole". In 2012 she performed "Respirare" there with Gigi D'Alessio, and the same year released the single "Ma quale musica leggera".

In 2019, the song "Non ti dico no" receives the double platinum disc certification for the over 100.000 copies sold.

In 2019 she published on the occasion of the 69th Sanremo Festival, the single "Cosa ti aspetti da me" with which she ranked 4th. The song is awarded the public award of the Ariston, created ad hoc following the whistles of the audience in the hall at the announcement of the first three artists classified. During the Festival, Loredana scored a total of 3 Standing ovations winning the appreciation of the Ariston audience.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Loredana Bertè.

• Official website
• Loredana Bertè on IMDb