New Music from Singer/Songwriter LILIN

She comes from a family deeply rooted in the entertainment business, and she is now proving it’s her time to shine. At just 20-years-old, performer Lilin has built a solid career on her vocal chords as a leading voiceover artist. She’s given the Italian language to characters in American blockbusters like "The Grinch," "Lilo & Stitch," "Narnia and The Gold Compass."

Born in Rome in 1994, she began her career as a voiceover artist at the age of five, perhaps inheriting that vocal talent from her mother, Fiamma Izzo, a former opera singer best known for her role of Mimi in the 1986 production of "La Boheme" in which she shared the stage with Luciano Pavarotti.

Early in her career, Lilin worked with her uncle, acclaimed actor and director, Ricky Tognazzi, on his films "Il papabuono" and "Provaci ancora prof 3." Lilin and Tognazzi are related through marriage. He is married to her aunt, Simona Izzo. Lilin describes Tognazzi as a great mentor and says that he has always been supportive of her projects. This is apparent particularly on social media. I discovered Lilin's music through Tognazzi on Twitter after he posted the work of his niece, he affectionately refers to as,“Lilly.”

A family snapshot

Recently, Lilin shifted her focus from cinema to music, embarking on the adventure of a lifetime that brought her to this side of the Atlantic where she attends the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and she has set her sights high on this adventure. Lilin told me that her dream is to make a permanent impact on the American music industry. She is certainly wasting no time making that dream come true. She’s already released two singles stateside. The songs are thriving in online communities such as ReverbNation, SoundCloud and iTunes.

Lilin draws on her background in cinema and her natural storytelling abilities in sharing a part of her life with the audience. Her voice is filled with emotion and feeling, similar to that of a character in a film. At the same time, the sweet tone of her voice gives the story a touch of innocence while the lyrics give testimony to the wisdom she’s acquired at such a young age.

Lilin's first release, "Euphoria" has been a popular track especially on SoundCloud. What first struck me was the beautiful, slightly eerie piano arrangement at the start of the song, then her voice joins in and we find her giving us a pep talk on following our dreams. It’s a simple but important message we all need to hear from time to time regardless of our age. This, I am certain she is singing from the heart. She is telling us her story and it’s difficult not to find inspiration in her simple yet poignant words. The song is an outstanding first effort.

Her second release, "All the Mistakes" is also doing well on SoundCloud. In this sophomore effort, Lilin takes the beat down a notch and sings about overcoming the pain of a broken heart. The song challenges her vocally but she rises to that challenge and presents us with another positive tale about life and its struggles, proving again there’s an old, wise soul behind that young, pretty face. Her voice resonates heartbreak and experience, and again, I believe the ability to articulate those emotions in the short vignette of a song comes from her beginnings in cinema.

So what we have here is the perfect marriage of two art forms; music and film, expressed by a young talent full of enthusiasm and hope, well on her way to fulfilling her dreams.

Lilin's music is available online through ReverbNation, SoundCloud and iTunes.

Comments

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

Alessandro Gassmann: Born to Act

Alessandro Gassmannin his directorial debut "Razzabastarda" Alessandro Gassmann is the son of the iconic Italian actor/director Vittorio Gassman and French actress Juliette Mayniel. He was born in 1965 and grew up around cinema royalty. He made his cinema debut in 1982 at the age of 17 in his father's autobiographical film, "Di padre in figlio." He went on to study his craft under his father's direction at the Theatre Workshop of Florence. Vittorio Gassman was very active in theater and seemed just as comfortable on stage as he did in front of the camera. Known for his powerful interpretations of Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradiso," it is no surprise that he nurtured his son's acting aspirations on stage before he launched his career in television and film. One of Gassmann's strong qualities, which he undoubtedly inherited from his father is his incredible range and ease in going from genre to genre. He can play ...

Ornella Muti: Five decades of Acting and Still Going Strong

Ornella Muti was born Francesca Romana Rivelli in Rome in 1955 to a Neapolitan father and an Estonian mother. She began her career as a model during her teenage years and made her film debut in 1970 with “La Moglie più bella” (The Most Beautiful Wife). Her follow-up role was in the 1971 film, “Sole nella pelle” (Sun on the Skin), in which she played the daughter of wealthy parents who runs off with a hippie they don’t approve of. The film offers a telling journey through Italian society in the seventies, with its political climate, breathtaking seaside, and the styles and cars of that time. Much of the film is set amid the sunny Italian seaside and captures the innocence and beauty of first love. Muti made her American film debut in 1980 with "Flash Gordon." She played the role of Princess Aura. She’s appeared in two other American films, including “Oscar,” directed by John Landis and starring Don Ameche, Chazz Palminteri, and Sylvester Stallone. In 1992, she w...

The Extraordinary Career and Legacy of Dino De Laurentiis

Producer Dino De Laurentiis was one of the most prolific filmmakers ever, having produced or co-produced more than 600 films during a career that spanned seven decades. His legacy continues not only through the work of his children and grandchildren but also through a new generation of filmmakers in his Italian hometown. De Laurentiis was born in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius on Aug. 8, 1919, in the city of Torre Annunziata, located just minutes from the ruins of Pompeii. As a child, he worked at a local pasta factory owned and operated by his father. That experience had a profound effect on him, shaping a lifelong passion for food and an appreciation for business. At the age of 17, he decided to leave home for the big city. He arrived in Rome and enrolled in the prestigious film school, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. After attending the school for about a year, he managed to produce one film in 1940, The Last Combat , before having to leave Rome temporarily for m...

Isabella Ferrari- the Damsel and the Thinker

Isabella Ferrari is a versatile actress whose trademark pouty lips and intense, melancholy eyes have been gracing Italian screens for more than three decades. Born in Piacenza on March 31, 1964, Ferrari has perfected the art of playing contrasting roles like the damsel in distress and the complicated, intellectual. Influenced by Italian auteur cinema, which encompasses the neo-realistic approach to filmmaking, she delivers powerful performances with each role she tackles. Ferrari's small screen debut goes back to 1981 in Gianni Boncompagni's television program, "Under the Stars." Two years later, she made her big screen debut in the summer comedy, "Il ras del quartiere." Diego Abatantuono, the star of the Oscar winning film, "Mediterraneo," co-wrote and starred in the film, which put Isabella Ferrari on the map and she hasn't stopped working since. Open Roads 2005: Isabella Ferrari, Antonio Monda and Renato De Maria With doz...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog