Elena Tessari
Elena Tessari | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 11 September 1962 Caliste, Arxaþ, Gylias |
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| Years active | 1984–present |
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Elena Tessari (born 11 September 1962) is a Gylian musician. She achieved fame in the 1980s with a style of jazz-influenced pop characterised by heavy use of synthesizers and electronic instrumentation, which earned comparisons to contemporary metro pop and has been likened to a precursor of Neo-Gylian Sound.
Early life
Elena was born on 11 September 1962 in Caliste. She came from an Italian family with artistic inclinations. Interested in music from an early age, she began learning the piano and guitar in childhood.
She attended the Regional University of Caliste in 1980–1984, graduating with a degree in literature.
Career
Elena began her music career after finishing university. At first, she played in various bands, and worked as a session musician and vocalist. During this period, she devised her trademark image, refined her musical style, and set up her label Circa Records.
Her debut album, Elena Tessari, was released in 1988. Its lush production (by Susan Shelley), elaborate arrangements (performed by a variety of session musicians, including The Sunliners, The Sapphires, and former members of Nova Express), and jazzy vocals garnered critical acclaim. It became commercially successful, producing several hit songs accompanied by music videos.
The album set the template for the early part of Elena's career. For the next 6 years, she recorded a string of albums that continued and deepened its style, continuing her collaboration with Susan Shelley. She also embarked on brief tours in support of her releases at home and abroad. One highlight of this period was a tour of Akashi co-headlined by metro pop luminary Mari Takeuchi.
Elena took a break after promotion for 1994's Falling Forward ended. Between 1997 and 2004, she recorded three albums that took her music in a greater post-rock and dream pop direction, with reduced use of synthesizers and electronics. She largely returned to her usual style starting with Under the Rainbow (2013).
In addition to her solo career, she continues to work as a session musician and vocalist, and has collaborated with others like The Ravishing Beauties and Mondo Fine.
Musical style
Elena's music is usually classified as jazz-influenced pop, and it has been described as sophisti-pop and compared to Akashian metro pop. It incorporates elements from jazz fusion, smooth jazz, funk, bossa nova, new wave, post-rock, and dream pop. Her style is characterised by lush instrumental arrangements, frequent use of synthesizers, samplers and reverb in production, combinations of programmed beats and live drumming, multitracked vocal harmonies, and loose structures, sometimes departing from the verse–chorus form with jamming and improvisation.
She has a contralto range, her voice being described in an early review as "pretty yet startlingly deep and dark-hued". Her lyrics mainly deal with themes of romance, and feature frequent literary references. She has cited Stevie Wonder, Prince and The Revolution, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Nova Express, The Beaties, The Affirmatives, and Suzanne Ciani as influences on her work, and George Benson and Nova Express as influences on her guitar style.
Elena's distinctive public image aided her success, particularly being showcased in playful music videos. She dyes her hair purple, inspired by Misato Katsuragi, and wears an outfit consisting of a black jacket, skirt, and bowler hat, with a white shirt and purple bow.
Private life
She is married with one child.
Discography
| Year | Title | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Elena Tessari | Studio album |
| 1989 | Porcelain | Studio album |
| 1991 | Years of Hunger | Studio album |
| 1992 | Forgiveness | Studio album |
| 1993 | Swept | Studio album |
| 1994 | Falling Forward | Studio album |
| 1997 | East/West | Studio album |
| 2002 | Concrete Love | Studio album |
| 2004 | That's Life | Studio album |
| 2010 | Unusual Suspects | Studio album |
| 2013 | Under the Rainbow | Studio album |
| 2014 | The Language of Love | Studio album |
| 2018 | Woman to Woman | Studio album |
| 2020 | Magic | Studio album |