Elisa

Italian singer-songwriter Elisa has been a reliable hitmaker in her home country since the late ’90s. Singing mostly in English, she’s touched on everything from alt-rock to piano ballads to dance-pop. • Elisa Toffoli grew up in Northeastern Italy, a multicultural region that exposed her to a wide range of musical influences—everything from Björk to Aretha Franklin. • As a teenager, the aspiring singer traveled to Berkeley, California, to record her debut album, Pipes & Flowers, with Corrado Rustici, a producer whose credits include Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston. • Elisa cracked the Top 5 of the Italian charts with 2000’s Alsie’s World, 2003’s Lotus, and 2004’s Pearl Days. The latter was produced by Glen Ballard, best known for his work with Alanis Morissette. • In 2006, Elisa teamed up with Tina Turner for “Teach Me Again.” The song appeared in the film anthology All the Invisible Children. • The singer notched her first No. 1 album in Italy with 2009’s rock-leaning Heart. • She collaborated with legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone for “Ancora Qui,” off the soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 film Django Unchained. • Elisa returned to the top of the Italian charts with 2013’s L’anima Vola (her first album sung fully in Italian) and 2016’s On. • The title of her tenth album, 2018’s Diari Aperti, translates to “open diaries.” The LP peaked at No. 2 on the Italian charts.