Elena Tessari

Jump to navigation Jump to search
Elena Tessari
ElenaTessari.jpg
Background information
Born (1962-09-11) 11 September 1962 (age 61)
Caliste, Arxaþ, Gylias
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Years active1984–present
Labels
Associated acts

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.

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.

She composed the soundtrack for the animated series Good Time Gals, which aired between 1997 and 2000.

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
2000 Music for the Good Time Gals Soundtrack 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