Deborah Blando

Deborah Salvatrice Blando (born March 3, 1969) is an Italian-born Brazilian and Italian singer and composer. She has sold about six million copies sold worldwide, with six albums released between 1991 and 2002. She has seven number 1 single and ten Top 10 singles in Brazil, five singles in the American Hispanic market, and two of them in the Top 10 which became known in Europe, such as the pop ballad "Innocence" in 1992. Blando was born in Sant'Agata di Militello, the daughter of an Italian father and a Brazilian mother of Ukrainian descent, who was raised in Brazil. In 1975 she moved to Florianópolis, Brazil. At age 12, she was invited to record her first album under the pseudonym Giovanna, entitled Alegria da Gente, which was recorded completely in Italian and performed on major television shows. Her parents, however, did not allow her to pursue her career as it would disrupt her studies and thus forced her to stop. Later, she resumed her musical career working on Oswaldo Montenegro, including The Minstrels.