Francesco Renga

Before embarking on his solo career, singer/songwriter Francesco Renga spent 13 years with the band Timoria, whose first incarnation had formed when the members were still in high school. After releasing seven albums with them, Renga decided he wanted to strike out alone, releasing his solo debut in 2001. The self-titled album appeared on Universal, the label that also housed Timoria. The same year, he entered one of its songs, "Raccontami," into the San Remo Festival, where he won the critics' newcomer award (alongside Roberto Angelini), thanks in part to his stirring live pe...