Gianmaria Testa is Italian - very Italian. He lives in the Langhe in Piedmont and was a train station manager and a part-time musician until the French discovered him and made him an International star. He has since produced seven discs and performed at over two-thousand concerts around the world. Vitamia, Testa's latest release for Le Chant du Monde, was produced by Paola Farinetti and features eleven tracks on the theme of balancing the pressures of personal and professional life. The songs offer Testa's personal reflections on the past, the present, and even a subdued and secular prayer for the future. The album was recorded live in the studio and features guitarist Claudio Dadone and Giancarlo Bianchetti on guitars, Nicola Negrini on bass, Philippe Garcia on drums and Roberto Cipelli on piano. Other guests include cellist Mario Brunello, trombonist Gianluca Petrella, Luciano Biondini on accordion and Carlo De Martini on viola and violin.
