Gala

Gala Rizzatto, known mononymously as Gala, is an Italian pop singer and songwriter, born in Milan on September 6, 1975. She was named after Salvador Dalí's wife, Gala Dalí, and the Russian dancer Gala Ulanova. Coming from a musical family, with a jazz musician father and a singer mother, she developed an interest in music at a young age. At 17, she left Italy to study at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Career Beginnings and Breakthrough Success

Gala's music career began in the mid-1990s. Her debut single, "Everyone Has Inside," was released in 1995 and became a hit in Italy. However, it was her 1996 single, "Freed from Desire," that brought her international fame. The song was a massive Eurodance hit, reaching number one in France and Belgium and peaking at number two in the UK. It sold over six million records worldwide. The success continued with subsequent singles "Let a Boy Cry" and "Come into My Life," which also charted in the top 3 across Europe. These tracks were featured on her debut album, "Come into My Life," released in 1997. The album itself received a Diamond certification in France, Platinum in the Benelux countries, and Gold in the United Kingdom.

Musical Style and Songwriting

Gala is known for her Eurodance and house music style. She writes the lyrics to her own songs, and "Freed from Desire" was a very personal song for her, inspired by her observations of societal differences in New York and a personal relationship. Her early work often combined a classical Italian outlook with old-school acid techno.

Later Career

After her initial success, Gala moved to Brooklyn, New York, to redefine her sound as an independent artist. In 2005, she released the single "Faraway". She later founded her own record label, Matriarchy Records, in 2008. Under this label, she released the album "Tough Love" in 2009, which included collaborations with producers like Kevin Rudolf and Deantoni Parks. In subsequent years, she continued to release new music, including the single "Lose Yourself In Me" in 2012 and has performed at various events, including the 2014 Winter Olympics. She also contributed two songs to the soundtrack of the 2018 film 'Favola'.