Gianluca Zanna, From an Italian Boarding School to an International Music Career

Gianluca Zanna is an artist who proves that an independent vision can support steady progress outside traditional corporate structures. Before his work began reaching wider radio audiences, Zanna had already made his mark through his magazine Contatto Discografico. His path was marked by several businesses he built from scratch: founder of an online sound effects store with SoundFX.com and SoundEffects.com, commercial real estate entrepreneur, and even unconventional professions such as bodyguard and Krav Maga instructor. “The music industry requires skills many people don’t imagine,” he notes.

Determination and collaboration

The turning point came through his meeting with Brian Reeves, a multi-platinum producer with credits including U2, Billy Idol, Donna Summer, and Elton John. Through this collaboration, Zanna founded the independent label Zanna Records.

Zanna’s recent success is something deeply personal. You Are My Destiny is the authentic sound of a true love story with Claudette Lyons, whom he met on digital platforms. The Future Remix video boasts over 3.5 million views on YouTube and gained traction on college and community radio.

Independent operation, mainstream results

Exploring a new way of performing live, the duo Luca & Claudette has created a digital live-streaming experience, bringing concerts directly to fans’ screens from awe-inspiring landscapes – from the mountains of Sedona to deserts, waterfalls, and underground caves.

His label blends ‘90s dance-pop with contemporary sounds, distributing music to radio across the United States, Canada, Brazil, Europe, and beyond.

The search for partnerships

Zanna is currently seeking collaborations for distribution and sub-publishing. The catalog – powered by You Are My Destiny – reaches markets from the United States to Brazil, across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Another recent milestone demonstrating Zanna’s versatility as a songwriter is the track Wake Up America, licensed to This American Life, the Pulitzer Prize–winning radio program and one of the most celebrated in broadcasting history.

From an Italian boarding school – where a young dreamer secretly listened to forbidden rock broadcasts – to international airwaves, Zanna embodies the immigrant dream fulfilled without sacrificing creative identity. Reflecting on his path, Zanna says: “America gave me the opportunity to become who I was meant to be. But it took all those detours to give me something meaningful to share.”