IT'S OPEN HOUSE AT MINA'S STUDIOS
The diva' s new DVD
by Christine K. Zarb
 On 30 March 2001 over 15 million surfers attempted to view Italy’s biggest live Web event, ever. The multicast consisted of a one-hour long, live transmission of the Italian songstress Mina, and her musicians, at work in her recording studio. The event was both a flop and a success; the density of the traffic caused the site to crash. In spite of Mina’s huge popularity, no one had anticipated such an overwhelming response. It was the first time, in the history of Italian Web, that such an enormous amount of people simultaneously connected to the same website. This is a tribute to the enduring loyalty of her fans.
In the whimsical world of the entertainment business, Mina has demonstrated to possess not only an unequalled staying power, but also a keen sense of her own self. The artist retired from public life many years ago. Since then, she has devoted herself to creative pursuits with a total disregard for the media and paying little attention to changing trends. She has remained true to her own creative vision and uniqueness.
What makes Mina truly phenomenal is that in spite of her semi-reclusive lifestyle, she remains ever present within her fans’consciousness. Furthermore, her determination in safeguarding her image from any promotional compromise, has allowed her to forge ahead over several decades, nurturing and developing her distinctive style without the need for public appearances. Mina epitomizes success; with a career that spans over 40 years, during which, year after year, every new album has consistently reached the top of the charts.
Recently, the artist has become interested in the Web, attracted by the great creative opportunities offered by the medium. From the very start, her audience received the project enthusiastically. In fact, even during preliminary tests, the domain registered over 200 hits before even being officially announced.
Further to the R&D work on the Web project and following the multicast experience, a 60 minute documentary, Mina In Studio was realized. The film is available in two formats: DVD and VHS. It’s the first video production about Mina in over 20 years, and the only one that’s available commercially. The concept behind the project is to open the doors of Mina’s recording studio and to unravel the mysteries of her creative process. You can follow her as she works over a song, or you can catch a piece of music being rehearsed before it is recorded. The documentary was produced live, to allow viewers to become involved emotionally as they follow the countless steps that are part of the creative decision-making, and which lead to a final musical score. Any true fan will be fascinated to discover how the music he or she listens to, is the result of such dedicated work. Besides the documentary, the DVD contains an hour of extra material that is not included in the VHS. The additional contents are a true bonus. There are technical contents such as the rehearsals of the string section and the chorus. On top of that, about 100 extra photos are included.
Launched on 9 November 2001, both the DVD and the VHS were conceived as two exclusive documents for the collector. A tastefully gift-wrapped version of the box sets is available through the Mina Market at www.minamazzini.com, and includes a collection of 24 photos (20x30cm) of Mina. These two publications, are the latest addition to a selection of exclusive products already on offer through the Mina Market. Amongst these collectables are: the book, Disegnata Fotografata Mina; a series of four limited-edition posters; a vinyl copy of her album Della Terra; and another box set, Mina nei Caroselli Barilla, a collection of TV spots of the 60s and 70s.
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