Mina – You Are My Destiny

29th January 2025 · 1960, 1960s, Music

I love a torch song as much as the next sentimental fool. So I was thrilled when this one made an appearance in The Brutalist.

It took place during the same Tuscan scene that introduced La Bionda’s Italo-disco classic One For You, One For Me. But this one is all smouldering passion and drama.

Mina Mazzini – just ‘Mina’ on her records – is a new name to me but in Italy she is one of the most beloved, iconic and successful singers of all time.

With her liberated image, she was a trailblazer for women in the male-dominated Italy of the ’60s and ’70s, challenging social mores and becoming a symbol for female empowerment.

Known for her lush and powerful voice, with a three-octave range, and her image as an emancipated woman, she was a staple of Italian television variety shows, and a permanent fixture in the charts for 15 years, enjoying hits with an astonishing 77 albums (including seven number ones) and 71 singles.

Born in Lombardy as Anna Maria Mazzini in 1940, she made her first recordings under the name Baby Gate (including a cover of Be Bop A Lula) and had her first No.1 single in 1959 with Tintarella Di Luna.

Her run continued into the ’70s with Amor Mio, Parole Parole, E Poi… and L’importante E Finire but at the height of her popularity, Mina announced that she would retire from the spotlight after a 1978 live album celebrating the first 20 years of her career.

Withdrawing from the public eye, she continued to record and release albums, which maintained her chart presence through the ’80s and ’90s. Even into her seventies, Mina showed no signs of slowing down, topping the Italian charts again as recently as 2018.