Sultry voice, poetic lyrics and surprising harmonies are just a part of the recipe that makes Chiara's music so irresistible.
The distance she has traveled is both musical and spiritual-literally stretching across the Atlantic Ocean. Born in Rome, Chiara was encouraged to play the piano by her grandmother; she kids that her nonna's out-of-tune upright afforded the best ear training. She briefly tried the acoustic guitar, but that ended almost comically with a drive to get some gelato. "The little car only had two doors," she remembers. "When I sat down, I broke the neck of the guitar. That was it for me. No more guitar. My mother said, 'You'd better sing, girl!'"
Chiara had already been in some classical choirs, but was looking for something freer than the operatic traditions of her homeland. A friend suggested that she learn jazz; she'd never heard of it. A little investigation brought her to a private music school that she would attend through her four years of high school: the St. Louis Music Academy in Rome. When she was sixteen, Chiara began singing professionally and won a scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. She enrolled there from 1994-98. By the first year Chiara was a regular on the Boston club scene, performing with different bands.
But her journey didn't end with Boston or jazz. Chiara's move to New York City was inevitable. Searching for something musically closer to her Mediterranean roots, she immersed herself in Latin and Brazilian music, learning Spanish and Portuguese along the way. She also wrote her first song, "Parole Incerte" ("Uncertain Words"), about the misunderstandings that can come from the distance between a person and her loved ones.
Meanwhile, two of Chiara's bandmates - pianist Alain Mallet and drummer Jamey Haddad - had begun working with Paul Simon and invited her to a rehearsal. It was there that she met producer Russ Titelman and left him with a demo of "Parole Incerte." He called the very next day and insisted, "You are a songwriter. Forget about everything else you are doing. You have to write." Chiara began composing lyrics in English. She studied the work of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor.
Titelman let president and CEO of Verve hear the song and the next day Chiara was offered a record deal that not only allowed her to enter the studio but made her the first Italian born to be signed by Verve Records.
From this series of encouraging and exciting encounters emerged the 10 original compositions included on her debut album LAST QUARTER MOON, Verve2005; seven written by herself and three co-writes, including the brooding ballad "Trouble" that was co-written with legend Burt Bacharach. "I had almost every song on the album," recalls Chiara, "when Russ called me to say that Burt Bacharach was interested in writing with me." "Trouble" came together during a three day session at Bacharach's Los Angeles home. Chiara arrived with an idea for the melody; they shaped and refined it as a team.
The first album granted her a first round of the world and great position in the charts of italy and Japan.
Billboard Magazine noted that, “the beauty, charm and allure of singer/pianist/songwriter Chiara Civello’s debut…makes for an auspicious beginning and marks the first revelation of the New Year.” The International Herald Tribune declared “her combination of personality, soulfulness and sophistication…striking.”
The second album The Space Between (2007 Universal Classic and Jazz) produced by Steve Addabbo , shows a more intimate and immediate side of the singer songwriter, leading us us through a journey of thirteen beautiful moments where we feel we can get really close to her.
“This is a record about ‘the space between’. The space between the notes, the silence between words, the space between me and you, me and my past, me and my future, and all the spaces between that nowadays are so difficult to stop and think about….the space between that makes you feel the reality better, the space that makes you miss someone, the space between that makes you not say everything all at once, but bit by bit, as the need of saying it gets stronger in you. The space between what I think and what I say… In Italy, we have a saying: Between saying and doing, there is the sea.”
The album entered successfully the Italian and Japanese chiarts and led her to new important artistic collaborations.
Definitely an itinerant soul, Chiara describes her life as:” My home is the world, as long as there’s a piano at the destination, my world fits in a suitcase, the rest I carry with me : my computer and my guitar.
"Jazz was the most incredible diving machine when it came to going really deep into music," says Civello, about her path of discovery, one sure to continue in the future. "But I knew I couldn't be the new Ella Fitzgerald; I couldn't be the new Shirley Horn. I learned all different kinds of music and then I said to myself, 'I need to find my own voice. Time to unlearn now, time to be free.' It's like a hot air balloon: To be able to fly you have to throw off the sandbags. I want to be as light as I can-light as a feather."
“In the first album you search, in the second you focus, in the third you find yourself…. and here I am,” says Chiara Civello in describing her third album titled “7752” of upcoming release.
7752 is the distance in Kilometers from New York City to Rio de Janeiro, the two cities that provided the inspiration for this album. New York is where Chiara lives, while Rio changed Chiara’s life…
While visiting her friend, Daniel Jobim, in Rio in February 2008, Chiara was taken to a party (known as SARAO) where artists and musicians of all kinds get together. The guitar went around and everyone sang a song. As Chiara shared, listened, and learned, a new phase of her artistic path began.
“Co-writing I was already familiar with,” says Chiara, “since those unforgettable three days spent in Santa Monica in which I wrote Trouble with Burt Bacharach for my first album…but in Brazil everyone co writes. It’s a big party, everyone shares and dares and makes it happen.”
Ana Carolina, a Brazilian pop star, is one of the main collaborators of 7752. Not only did she co-write five of the songs with Chiara, but she also played acoustic guitar on most of them. “We met at that party and she asked me if I had a melody for her, so the next day I started RESTA, a song that soon after we finished together and sang as a duet live in Sao Paulo.” Success has already accompanied the collaboration with Ana Carolina, as RESTA will be featured on the new Novela of Globo TV called “Passione,” starting on May 17, 2010.
Written between Rio, New York, and Trastevere (Rome), 7752 includes ten musical moments of which eight were recorded in NYC (and produced by the eclectic producer Andres Levin), while four were recorded in Rio and produced by Chiara herself.
“All my friends and favorite musicians merged into this record in the most natural way…it was like bringing the Rio spirit into the studio: Mauro Refosco (Thom Yorke, David Byrne, Forro’ in The Dark) and Guilherme Monteiro (Ron Carter, Forro in The Dark) had already recorded with me and I couldn’t possibly think of a record without them, Anat Cohen is one of my best friends and I have always wanted to have her on my album but we never were able to make it happen; Jaques Morelenbaum is one of the most talented and sentimental musicians I have ever met; Mark Ribot was the perfect guy for these songs, not to mention the great rhythm section that Andres brought in the studio, Gene Lake on the drums and Jonathan Maron on the bass. Ana Carolina who wrote most of the songs with me already owned them on the acoustic guitar and added her tremendous groove to them”.
Already defined as an “enticing and contagious” album, 7752 sounds lively, while portraying a new, playful and joyous aspect of Chiara’s singing and songwriting. The sound is a beautiful alchemy among the 60s, Italian melody, Brazilian harmonies, and R&B.
http://www.chiaracivello.com
I Will Wait for You
Chiara Civello Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The hours one by one
cnd then the time will come
When all the waiting's done
The time when you will return
cnd find me here and run
Straight to my waiting arms
If it takes forever
I will wait for you
For a thousand summers
I will wait for you
Till you're back beside me
Till I'm holding you
Till I hear your sigh
Here in my arms
cnywhere you wander
cnywhere you go
Everyday remember
How I love you so
In your heart believe what
In my heart I know
That forever more
I'll wait for you
Non, je ne pourrai jamais vivre sans toi
Je ne pourrai pas, ne pars pas, j'en mourrai
Un instant sans toi et je n'existe pas
Mais mon amour, ne me quitte pas
In Chiara Civello's "I Will Wait for You," the lyrics convey an intense longing and commitment that resonate deeply with the themes of love and patience. The opening lines present a vivid metaphor of time, where each tick of the clock signifies the slow passage of moments filled with anticipation and yearning. The singer acknowledges a cyclical nature of waiting, emphasizing that time used for waiting can feel like both an eternity and a brief respite. As they reflect on the moment of reunion, the imagery of “waiting arms” signifies not just physical closeness but emotional solace. This evocative scene serves as a poignant reminder of the power of love to transcend time and distance, framing the inevitability of reunion as something sacred and deeply desired.
As the chorus unfolds, the intensity of the singer's devotion becomes ever more apparent. The phrase "if it takes forever" underscores a willingness to endure any duration of separation for the sake of love. This declaration is significant as it speaks to the depth of emotional investment—the singer is not merely passive in their waiting; rather, they actively choose to stand by their love, suggesting that this profound commitment endures regardless of life's challenges and uncertainties. The mention of “a thousand summers” across which they would wait highlights the timeless nature of true love, suggesting that such sentiment is unbounded by mere seasons or years. The voice of the lyrics resonates with a heartfelt assurance that their love will remain steadfast, reinforcing the idea that the physical presence of a loved one is worth every moment of separation.
In the subsequent verses, there’s an appeal to memory and belief. The repetition of “everyday remember how I love you so” reinforces the notion of nostalgia and the significance of shared experiences. This line suggests that memories serve as a comforting anchor during times of loneliness, creating a shared emotional space where love continues to exist despite physical absence. The call to “believe” in love plays a crucial role as well, emphasizing that love is not merely an external force but a deeply internalized experience that shapes one's understanding of identity and belonging. The singer urges their beloved to hold onto this connection in their heart, reflecting a mutual reliance on faith and emotional strength, suggesting that love acts as a sustaining force amidst separation.
The closing lines bring a shift in tone, transitioning into French, which adds an additional layer of depth and emotion. The phrases “Non, je ne pourrai jamais vivre sans toi” and “un instant sans toi et je n'existe pas” evoke the power of love as essential to existence. The urgency in these declarations contrasts with the patiently waiting theme previously established, suggesting that while the singer is prepared to wait, the absence of their partner instills a sense of despair and existential dread. The emotional plea of “ne me quitte pas”—“don’t leave me”—is a powerful articulation of fear of abandonment and longing. Ultimately, the mix of hope, patience, and need in these lyrics creates a rich tapestry of emotions, portraying love as an invigorating yet challenging journey where one must navigate the intricacies of longing, faith, and the heart’s profound dependence on another.
Line by Line Meaning
The clock will tick away
Time will pass steadily and unrelentingly as moments slip by.
The hours one by one
Each hour will fade into the next, each one a small step in the journey of anticipation.
cnd then the time will come
Eventually, there will arrive a moment that signals the end of this lengthy wait.
When all the waiting's done
A time will come when the longing and patience will yield to reunion.
The time when you will return
It is the awaited moment when you will come back to me, rekindling our connection.
cnd find me here and run
You will discover me waiting, and you will rush into my embrace without hesitation.
Straight to my waiting arms
You will come directly into my loving embrace, where I long to hold you.
If it takes forever
Regardless of how long it may take, I am committed to this promise.
I will wait for you
My devotion is unwavering; I will remain here in patience for your return.
For a thousand summers
Even if it spans what feels like an eternity, I will hold steadfastly to my promise.
I will wait for you
My heart's resolve is clear; I will remain in hopeful anticipation of your arrival.
Till you're back beside me
My longing will continue until the moment you are once again by my side.
Till I'm holding you
I yearn for the time when I can physically embrace you, reconnecting our souls.
Till I hear your sigh
I await the intimate sound of your breath, a comforting reminder of your presence.
Here in my arms
I long for the solace of having you close, wrapped in the warmth of our love.
cnywhere you wander
No matter where your path may lead you, my feelings remain unaltered.
cnywhere you go
In every place you travel to, know that my heart follows you endlessly.
Everyday remember
I hope you recall daily the depth of my love for you, unshakeable and true.
How I love you so
Understand that my affection for you runs deep and is unwavering.
In your heart believe what
Trust in the sentiments that reside within you, even amidst uncertainty.
In my heart I know
I am certain of my feelings and the bond that connects us through time and space.
That forever more
For all eternity, my commitment and love for you will remain unchanged.
I'll wait for you
I will continuously uphold this promise to remain patient and hopeful for your return.
Non, je ne pourrai jamais vivre sans toi
No, life is unimaginable without your presence; you are essential to my existence.
Je ne pourrai pas, ne pars pas, j'en mourrai
I cannot bear the thought of your departure; it would leave me utterly desolate.
Un instant sans toi et je n'existe pas
Even a moment apart from you feels like an eternity, leaving me feeling invisible.
Mais mon amour, ne me quitte pas
But my love, I plead for you to stay and not abandon our connection.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Michel Legrand
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind