Matia Bazar is an Italian pop band that originated in Genoa in 1975, founded by keyboardist Piero Cassano, bassist Aldo Stellita, guitarist-vocalist Carlo Marrale, drummer Giancarlo Golzi, and vocalist Antonella Ruggiero, blending pop, rock, synth-pop, and new wave. The band debuted with "Stasera... che sera!" in 1975, followed by chart-topping releases including "Solo tu" (1977), "Vacanze Romane" (1983), and "Ti Sento" (1985), which topped charts in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy. In 1979 they represented Italy at Eurovision with "Raggio di luna," broadening their international audience. A prolific run of studio albums followed — Gran Bazar (1977), Semplicità (1978), Tournée (1979), Il Tempo del Sole (1980), Berlino, Parigi, Londra (1982), Tango (1983), Aristocratica (1984), Melanchólia (1985), Melò (1987), and Red Corner (1989) — reinforcing their chart presence. They won Sanremo in 1978 and 2002. The lineup evolved over time: Ruggiero left in 1989, Marrale in 1994; Stellita died in 1998, Golzi in 2015; and Cassano, the last founding member, departed in May 2017. The band continued with Fabio Perversi (1998), Silvia Dragonieri (2017), Silvio Melloni, Gino Zandonà, and Piercarlo Tanzi (all 2021), releasing One1 Two2 Three3 Four4 (2007) and Conseguenza Logica(2011). Their 40th anniversary in 2015 brought a live release and jubilee tour.
