Gian Marco facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gian Marco
Born	Gian Marco Javier Zignago Alcóver (1970-08-17) 17 August 1970 (age 54) Lima, Peru
Other names	Giani Gianmarco
Occupation	Musician singer composer actor
Years active	1987-present
Musical career
Genres	Pop Rock Vals
Instruments	Guitar piano charango
Labels	Sony Music

Gian Marco Javier Zignago Alcóver (born on August 17, 1970) is a famous Peruvian musician and actor. He has won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Singer-Songwriter Album three times! He won in 2005 for Resucitar, in 2011 for Días Nuevos, and in 2012 for 20 Años. Gian Marco was also named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Peru. This means he helps UNICEF with their important work for children.

His mother is the Peruvian actress and singer María Regina Alcóver Ureta. His father was the Peruvian composer and singer Javier Óscar Florencio Zignago Viñas, known as Joe Danova.

Biography

Early Life and Music

Gian Marco was born in Lima, Peru on August 17, 1970. Since both his parents were artists, he grew up surrounded by music and acting. He listened to his father's songs and watched his mother perform in plays.

When he was 12, Gian Marco sang on TV for the first time. It was on an Argentine show called Domingos Gigantes. A year later, he sang in Caracas, Venezuela, on a show called La Revista de los Sábados. People were amazed by the 13-year-old singing "Eva Maria." When he was just six, he even recorded a song with his father called "Navidad Es" ("Christmas Is").

Gian Marco went to school in Lima. He played the guitar and sang in all school events. At 11, he recorded a song for a musical called Papito Piernas Largas. His mother was also in that play. All these experiences helped him get ready for his successful music career.

After high school, at 18, Gian Marco went to Santiago de Chile to study graphic design. But he still loved music. He started playing in popular places in Santiago and Viña del Mar. This helped him become known as an artist.

First Albums and Recognition

About a year and a half later, he returned to Lima. One of his songs was chosen for the Peruvian version of the Festival OTI in 1989. This led to his first record deal. In early 1990, his first album, Gian Marco: Historias, came out. It had popular songs like "Domitila" and "Mírame" ("Look at me").

In 1992, he recorded his second album, Personal. Songs like "Te Extrañaré" ("I Will Miss You") and "Dame un Beso" ("Give Me a Kiss") became hits. In 1993, he won first place in the Peruvian Festival OTI. This meant he got to represent Peru in the international festival in Valencia, Spain, with his song "Volvamos a Empezar" ("Let's Start Over").

Television and National Fame

In the mid-1990s, Gian Marco released more successful albums. He also started writing songs for other artists. He became the host of a popular game show called Campaneando. Being on TV helped him become even more famous in Peru.

During this time, he also released several albums. These included Entre la arena y la luna (Between the Sand and the Moon) (1994), Señora, Cuénteme (Lady, Tell Me) (1994), and Al Quinto Día (On the Fifth Day) (1997). His album Señora, Cuénteme was a special tribute to canción criolla. This showed how much he loved Peruvian folk music.

Becoming an International Star

Gian Marco wanted to share his music with the world. So, he moved to the United States. There, he caught the attention of Emilio Estefan, a famous music producer. Emilio hired him as a songwriter and singer. Gian Marco worked on songs for other artists, like Mandy Moore.

He also kept working on his own music. In 2002, he released A Tiempo (On Time). This album was played on radio stations all over the world. It sold over 50,000 copies in Spain. The album was nominated for three Latin Grammy awards. This proved he was one of the most important Peruvian singer-songwriters.

In 2004, Gian Marco recorded the theme song for the Americas Cup (a big soccer tournament) held in Peru. The song, "Más allá de los sueños" ("Beyond Dreams"), was a huge hit. In 2003, he won the "Emerging Latin Artist" award in Spain.

Later, he released the album Resucitar (Resurrection) in 2004. This album was very positive and had great success. It won him a Latin Grammy in 2005. Many songs from this album became popular, like "Resucitar," "Sin querer," and "Gota de lluvia."

Celebrating His Career

In 2005, Gian Marco held a huge concert at the Estadio Monumental de Perú. It was to celebrate 15 years of his music career. More than 40,000 fans came to watch! Many guest artists joined him, including his mother, Regina Alcóver. The concert ended with a special mix of his song "Hoy" ("Today") and traditional Peruvian "huaynos."

In 2006, he released Grandes Éxitos (Greatest Hits). This album featured his best songs. That same year, he sang the theme song for the animated movie Dragones: Destino de fuego (Dragons: Destiny of Fire).

On November 17, 2006, Gian Marco released his album 8. It included new songs like "No Te Avisa" ("It Doesn't Warn You") and "¿Qué Pasa?" ("What's Up?"). The song "¿Qué Pasa?" even had a rap part, showing a different side of his music.

His album 20 Years celebrated his 20 years in music. It had 20 songs, including new versions of his old hits and two brand new songs. One new song, "Invisible," was written with Amaury Gutierrez. In 2012, he received a special award in Mexico for selling over 400,000 albums in Latin America. Later that year, he won his third Latin Grammy.

His Artistic Style

Gian Marco is known for writing songs for many famous artists. He has written for Marc Anthony, Pandora, Jon Secada, Jaci Velasquez, Obie Bermúdez, Emmanuel, Alejandro Fernández, and Gloria Estefan. He has also worked with Luis Enrique.

Gian Marco has also been the face of big brands like Pepsi and Inca Kola. He is currently with Claro, a leading phone company in Peru. Many media outlets, including Billboard Magazine, recognize him as one of Peru's best songwriters. They also say he helped put Peruvian music on the international map.

Awards and nominations

Discography

Here are some of Gian Marco's albums:

• Historias (1990)
• Personal (1992)
• Entre la Arena y la Luna (1994)
• Señora, Cuénteme (1996)
• Al Quinto Día (1997)
• A Tiempo (Edicion Colombia) (2002)
• Resucitar (2004)
• Grandes Éxitos (2006)
• 8 (2006)
• Desde Adentro (2008)
• En Vivo Desde El Lunario (2009)
• En Tiempo Real DVD (2010)
• Días Nuevos (2011)
• 20 Años (2012)
• Versiones (2013)
• #Libre (2015)
• Intuición (2018)
• Mandarina (2021)
• Aún Me Sigo Encontrando (2024)

Charts

Gian Marco's songs have also appeared on music charts:

See also

In Spanish: Gian Marco para niños