Cristina D'Avena


Cristina D'Avena is an Italian singer, actress and TV personality. She sings for television and animation series, and has recorded numerous albums, selling nearly 7 million copies.
After her debut on stage at age of three on Lo Zecchino d'Oro, she was selected to join the prestigious Instituto of Antoniano's choir. From the earlier 80s, D'Avena was chosen to sing numerous cartoons theme songs, which were collected in numerous successful compilations and albums.
Between the 80s and 90s she made her debut as an actress in successful Italian television series, including the live actions of Kiss Me Licia. Since the late 90s and for all the 0s years, she conducted television programs and held concerts in Italy.
From the 10s D'Avena came back to music publishing other successful albums, including the charts topping albums collection Duets, sang in collaboration with Italian singer and songwriter. She also wrote children book and kept appearing on TV shows.

Career

Music career and theme songs for animated series

D'Avena mainly performs theme songs for animated series. In all, she has sung 743 songs, including theme songs for Sailor Moon, Kimagure Orange Road, Ai Shite Knight, Marmalade Boy, Ace o Nerae!, Touch, Pokémon, Attack No. 1, One Piece, Candy Candy, La Seine no Hoshi, Magic Knight Rayearth, Dr. Slump, ', Himitsu no Akko-chan, Little Women, Wedding Peach, Attacker You!, Glass Mask, Cardcaptor Sakura and Rose of Versailles. Cristina also has recorded songs for other television programs. The dubbed Italian songs she sings are not covers of the Japanese songs but newly written songs for the Italian dub of the anime. For the Italian dub of Mahou no Tenshi Creamy Mami, D'Avena, in addition to performing the theme songs, also dubbed the singing voices of both Creamy Mami and her rival Megumi Ayase and in other many series. D'Avena has also performed themes for live-action TV series and for Western cartoon series such as ', Count Duckula, , My Little Pony and Friends, The Smurfs, The Magic School Bus, The Snorks, Totally Spies and Jem.
In December 2009 she released her Magia di Natale album, which includes 12 traditional Christmas songs, all arranged by Valeriano Chiaravalle. In this album she has sung in the English language for the first time. This album also includes a cover version of "Childhood", a Michael Jackson song in which she pays homage to the late singer. Another album dedicated to Christmas was realised afterwards and many special albums commemorating her 30th year of the music industry were also published.
During all her career Cristina presented, storytold and created fairy tales through VHS, tapes and audio CD for De Agostini and other editions.
On November 10, 2017, after the contract with Warner Music Italy, releases the 76th album, Duets - Tutti cantano Cristina, which collects her greatest hits, singers with Italian artists including Loredana Bertè, Emma Marrone, J-Ax, Giusy Ferreri, Annalisa, Francesca Michielin, Arisa and Michele Bravi. The album became her first number one album and received the platinum certification by Fimi.
On November 23, 2018 her 77th studio album Duets Forever - Tutti cantano Cristina is released, containing 16 duets with many singer-songwriters of Italian music, such as Elisa, Patty Pravo, Carmen Consoli, Federica Carta, Elodie, Max Pezzali and Alessandra Amoroso. The album reached number three of the Italian Albums Chart chart and is certified gold.

Acting and television programs

In addition to performing the theme songs, she also played Licia, the female lead of the anime Ai Shite Knight, in 4 live-action TV drama sequels to the anime which were made in Italy in response to the popularity of the anime there.
Just after the great success of Licia saga fiction, a new telefilm was created shaped on herself. A four seasons telefilm just for the Italian public: Arriva Cristina, Cristina, Cri Cri and Cristina, l' Europa siamo noi. They were also hugely successful in the 1990s.
Cristina has been the presenter and the special guest of many TV programs for children, such as Holyday on Ice, Sabato al Circo, Luna Party, L' Allegria fa '90, Bim Bum Bam, Buona Domenica, I Fatti Vostri, Lo Zecchino d' Oro, Game Boat, and Matricole e Meteore.
After co-hosting the TV program Matricole e Meteore for Canale 5, from 2012 to 2013 D'Avena hosted two music-theme programs on TV channel Super!. In 2014 she is the voice of Beatrice in the Italian dub of Over the Garden Wall. She was a special guest in the 2016 edition of the Festival of Sanremo and was cast for the comedy TV program Colorado. On February 16, 2018 D'Avena returned to TV as a member of the jury on the first edition of Sanremo Giovani, a teenage talent conducted by Antonella Clerici.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Songs

Filmography

TitleYearRoleNotes
Bim Bum Bam1982-2000Herself Italian TV Program
Love Me Licia1986LiciaItalian TV Series; 34 episodes
Licia dolce Licia1987LiciaItalian TV Series; 35 episodes
Teneramente Licia1987LiciaItalian TV Series; 39 episodes
Balliamo e cantiamo con Licia1988LiciaItalian TV Series; 36 episodes
Arriva Cristina1988CristinaItalian TV Series; 36 episodes
Cristina1989CristinaItalian TV Series; 36 episodes
Sabato al circo1989–1991Herself Italian TV Program
Cri Cri1990–1991CristinaItalian TV Series; 72 episodes
Evviva l'allegria1990Herself Italian TV Program
Cristina, l'Europa siamo noi1991CristinaItalian TV Series; 36 episodes
Zecchino d'Oro1998-2000, 2017, 2018Herself Italian TV Program
Matricole e meteore2010Herself Italian TV Program
Karaoke Super Show!2012Herself Italian TV Program
Radio Crock'n'Dolls2013Herself Italian TV Program
Over the Garden Wall2014Beatrice American TV Series; 10 episodes
Colorado2016Herself Italian TV Program
Sanremo Giovani2018Herself Italian TV Program