Give a girl a chance

Those seeing Laura Pausini’s name in lights this month at large-scale venue Palau Sant Jordi could be forgiven for asking, “Laura who?” But while this Italian songstress may not be a household name for most English speakers, she has in fact been churning out hits for the Latin market for over 15 years, and is a huge name all over Europe and Latin America. No, really.

Since starting out in the early Nineties, multilingual Pausini has recorded songs in five languages and released a string of albums, selling over 25 million copies and powering her to global fame. Her 2006 album Escucha netted her both a Latin Grammy award and a mainstream Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album, while follow-up Yo Canto bagged yet another Latin Grammy the following year. So there.
 

Still not entirely convinced? Well, yet more proof of Pausini’s fame must surely come from her high-profile duets. Her stellar career has seen her sing with some of the best male artists in the business, including Andrea Boccelli, Juanes, Miguel Bosé, and most recently, upper-class British crooner James Blunt. Okay, so the last one is an almost unforgivable sin for many, but anyone able to overlook this heinous crime will find that Pausini’s undeniable talent and impressive back catalogue of self-penned hits make for one hell of a performer.
 

As she brings her 10-month-long world tour to town, expect tunes from latest album Primavera Anticipada, a blend of pop-rock anthems and power ballads which show off her strong, soulful voice to perfection. There’s even a version of the James Blunt song without James Blunt, which is surely reason enough to give the girl a chance.

Laura Pausini - Palau Sant Jordi, 30th April, 9pm