IN CONVERSATION WITH EROS RAMAZZOTTI

interview by JANA LETONJA
photography by COSIMO BUCCOLIERI

Eros Ramazzotti, one of Italy’s most beloved and internationally celebrated artists, returned this fall with a brand-new album, which was released on 21st November. With 16 studio albums, over 80 million records sold, and more than 5 billion streams worldwide, Eros has spent four decades shaping modern Italian pop for a global audience. In 2026, he’ll bring that legacy to life once again with his ‘Una Storia Importante World Tour’, celebrating a career defined by passion, melody, and connection.

Your new album feels both deeply personal and globally minded. What inspired this new chapter in your music?

‘Una storia importante’ is not just a song, but today becomes an album born from the need to tell where I started from and who I have become after fourty years of career. Over time, my music has traveled extensively outside of Italy, and this international influence has been present in every one of my projects from the very beginning. From here started the idea of picking up some hits of the past, pair them with unreleased tracks and turn them into duets with artists and friends, both Italian and international.

‘L’Aurora’ with Alicia Keys is such a powerful collaboration — how did that partnership come about?

Collaborating with Alicia Keys was a wonderful experience. She is an extremely humble and authentic person, qualities that truly make a difference in music and in life. She was the one who chose ‘L’Aurora’. It’s a song she had loved for a long time, and when she told me, I immediately understood that something special would be born. I gave her complete freedom of interpretation, everything happened spontaneously and naturally, and that’s why the collaboration resonated so deeply with the audience.

The album features an incredible mix of collaborators, from Andrea Bocelli to Kany García to Carin León. How did you choose these artists, and what does each bring to the project?

Although there are still many colleagues I would like to collaborate with, the artists who accompanied me in this project have been really important to me. In the case of past hits, I let them choose the song to reinterpret, and each of them was able to enrich the new version with their own sensitivity and style, bringing new life to each piece.

You’ve always championed cross-cultural collaboration. Why do you think it’s so important for music to transcend borders?

For me, music must go beyond borders because it is born to unite, not to divide. When you collaborate with artists from different cultures, a whole new world opens up. You learn new things, discover other ways of feeling and experiencing music, and it is a continuous enrichment.

You’ve been at the heart of Italian pop for four decades. What do you think has allowed your music to stay relevant and connect across generations? Besides this, Italian pop has influenced so many global artists, from Ricky Martin to Ed Sheeran. How do you feel about your role in shaping that international sound?

I believe that my music has remained relevant because it has always come from genuine emotions. Trends change, sounds evolve, but feelings stay the same. People look for stories they can relate to, something that speaks to their lives, and I have always tried to do just that, to tell what I felt without filters. Perhaps this is what has allowed my songs to span generations. As for my role in Italian pop around the world, I experience it with great gratitude. The fact that international artists have been inspired by my music, and sometimes even by my journey, is something that makes me proud of my work.

Looking back at your early hits like ‘Una Storia Importante’ and ‘Adesso Tu’, how do you feel your sound and message have evolved? And, when you look back at your body of work, what are you most proud of as a musician, but also as a person?

When I listen again to ‘Una Storia Importante’ or ‘Adesso Tu’, I see myself as young, full of desire to tell life as it was at that moment. My sound has grown with me, but the message, deep down, has remained the same. Talking about real emotions, feelings that everyone can relate to. The fact that my music has crossed generations, languages, and borders is something that still amazes me today and fills me with gratitude. As a person, however, I am proud to have remained myself, to have maintained an honest relationship with the public, with my family, and with those who have been close to me.

Do you see music as a bridge between cultures, especially in today’s world where connection feels more important than ever?

Music has always been a bridge between cultures, and today, with the internet and social media, it is even more so. At the same time, however, I approach social media with caution. Sometimes, there's a risk of wanting to rush things, of seeking immediate results without giving yourself the time to truly grow. In today's world, where we are flooded with new music every day, I believe that a true connection is born when something authentic is created, something that can endure beyond trends and numbers.

‘The Una Storia Importante World Tour’ will celebrate your remarkable career. What can fans expect from these live shows?

This tour will be a true journey together with audiences from all over the world. And it is precisely with the audience that the magic will happen. The music will come to life once again, and I can't wait, stage by stage, to feel the connection with the people who have always followed and supported me. I can't reveal anything about the live show, except that I will bring ‘La mia storia importante’.

You’ve always represented a blend of passion, romance, and authenticity in your music. What keeps you inspired creatively after all these years?

Love has always been my greatest source of inspiration. It is an incredibly powerful and universal feeling, and one never stops writing about it or discovering new nuances. And I’m not just talking about romantic love. There’s love for children, for family, the kind that changes when two people grow apart, and there’s also love for our planet, which now more than ever needs care and attention. Love has a thousand forms, and they all keep driving me to write new pieces.

Eros Ramazzotti’s new album “Una Storia Importante”/“Una Historia Importante” is out now.