Giada Valenti: From Venice With Love: Where your mind goes, you go

As an artist, traveling is part of my job. And I really love it. I always get to learn something new about the world.

And with the discovering of new parts of the world I also get to meet always new people and enrich my life with their stories and knowledge.

As you may know I recently started to learn Spanish. Also recently I have recorded my first Spanish song and released it as digital single, “Como La Flor”, the iconic song of one of my favorite Latino singers, Selena.

In a few weeks, I will release my second Spanish recording; “Gracias A La Vida” (Spanish for "Thanks to life"). It is a song composed and first performed by Chilean musician Violetta Parra.

The song, that was inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013, is performed throughout the world, and remains as one of the most covered Latin American songs in history.

It is such a beautiful song which lyrics are still so relevant for this time in history where, even though we have so much, we seem to forget to be grateful and thankful for the simple things life has given us, like family, friends and love all around us. I cannot wait to wait to share it with you. I think you will love it.

I love to read inspirational and motivational books and I remember reading that “Where your mind goes, you go”. Funny that while I was so absorbed to learn Spanish and learn more about Latino music, while I was recoding my first Spanish songs, I got on my path an incredible opportunity.

I have been asked to record a duet of the song, Somos Novios (known in the USA as “It’s Impossible”) with the writer of the song, Maestro Armando Manzanero. Maestro Manzanero, who has received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in United States in 2014, is widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer and one of the most successful composers of Latin America.

So, next week I will fly to Mexico City to meet Maestro Manzaniero and to record his song with him. I’m still on cloud nine for this opportunity and honor and I cannot wait to meet this living legend. Amazing right?

And if that was not enough the recording so far has been unbelievable. If you follow me on my social media you know that we have recorded the music of "Somos Novios" here in Los Angeles at the legendary United Recording Studio at the beginning of August. I just had got back from my “From Venice With Love Cruise” in Venice with my fans and a little vacation with my parents.

With jet leg and all, I went into the studio and it was a dream, to say the less. To play with me for the recoding some legendary musicians I was dreaming to work with for years.

On piano and arranger was Cheche Alara, (pianist of Barbra Streisand and Musical Director of the Grammy Awards and the Latin Grammy Awards).

On Bass, the one and only Nathan East. With more than 2,000 recordings, Nathan is considered one of the most recorded bass players in the history of music. He has been churning out hit songs with artists as legendary as Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Barbra Streisand and Stevie Wonder and so many more).

On guitar was Ramon Stagnaro (you may know him from all the Andrea Bocelli PBS music specials, but Ramon has also played and toured with artists such as Diana Ross, Celine Dion, Alejandro Sanz, Enrique Iglesias, Josh Groban, just to mention a few.

On percussion, I had Paulinho Da Costa, considered one of the most recorded musicians of modern times. Just to mention a few artists he worked with, Bee Gees, George Benson, Elton John, Diana Krall, Donna Summer, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Bonnie Raitt, Lionel Richie, just amazing.

And last but not at least, on drums, my dear Brazilian friend and producer extraordinaire, Rodrigo Rios, who had arranged this magical and unbelievable “A –Team” for the recording. I think I will never stop thanking him for this amazing musical adventure.