A secret story filled with passion filmed on December 23, 2006 was released today -- right on time for Valentine's. Oscar winning director Anthony LaMolinara (SpiderMan 2) created this music video in the Giardini Segreti of Villa Borghese, his house in Rome. Combining live action and 3D with character animation -- 13 frames in computer graphics by Direct2Brain, the virtual museum in the clip -- the video totaled 24 frames.
When you've had the chance to watch the clip, you can come back to the story of this extraordinary Italian brand: Mina Mazzini. Mina's sound career spans more than four decades.
This is only a flavor of the colors and creativity of the Mina brand. If you watched the video, you had a taste of the sound. Her voice is unmatched to this day.
I have used a reverse chronological order for the collage. The one cover that displays an orange peel is a special 4-song CD she recorded for Italy's wireless company Wind. It was part of a promotion containing the CD and a phone card. You may view more images and discography at her site.
Mina's voice is a unique and respected brand. And so are the visuals -- check out the Mona Lisa likeness in Olio from 1999, the Disney-like characters for her duet with Celentano from 1998. The four illustrated faces are from the cover of Mina Canta i Beatles, an album she recorded in 1993.
There is also Mina the writer: she has a regular column in La Stampa, from which I quoted in the past, and a Q&A in Italian Vanity Fair. Her writing is crisp, her content solid, her style decidedly irreverent. She is not afraid to try new things, and although she changes the look quite frequently, the brand remains solid. A woman of the many faces, opinions and vocal abilities, Mina embodies all the qualities of a great -- and enduring -- brand: mystery, sensuality, and intimacy.
