From Italian Boarding School Dreamer to International Music Producer

Gianluca Zanna represents something increasingly rare: proof that independent vision, authentic storytelling, and steadfast determination can achieve what corporate giants spend fortunes trying to manufacture.

The Italian-born producer and music entrepreneur recently reached the top spot on the NACC charts with “You Are My Destiny,” featuring Claudette Lyons. Yet this chart triumph marks only the latest milestone in a career that serves as a blueprint for resilience, reinvention, and the enduring value of genuine industry connections.

From Italian Publishing to Zanna Records

Before carving his name into America’s and the world’s airwaves, Zanna earned his early credentials as Contatto Discografico magazine’s youngest music publisher, navigating the European music landscape while many peers were still finding their direction.

At MIDEM 1995, a transformative encounter would change everything. There, Zanna met Claes Cornelius, the legendary Danish A&R executive from Mega Records who discovered and propelled Ace of Base to international stardom.

“The chemistry was instant,” Zanna recalls of that meeting nearly three decades ago. That connection inspired his move across the Atlantic in 1998, as he left behind the familiar to pursue his American dream as a music producer.

The journey from newcomer to success was far from easy. Like many artists chasing opportunity, Zanna undertook unconventional ventures to sustain his music aspirations, working as a bodyguard and Krav Maga combat instructor. Those challenging years, he notes, proved formative rather than distracting. “The music industry requires those capabilities more than people realize,” he observes with characteristic pragmatism.

The Strength of Determination and Collaboration

Zanna’s pivotal breakthrough came through his collaboration with renowned multi-platinum producer Brian Reeves, whose credits include U2, Billy Idol, Donna Summer, and Elton John. After meeting with Brian, Zanna launched Zanna Records, giving Zanna the freedom to create and produce according to his artistic principles, unbound by corporate label restrictions.

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of Zanna’s recent success is its deeply personal origin. “You Are My Destiny” is more than a commercial hit; it’s the sonic reflection of his real-life love story with Claudette Lyons, whom he met through digital platforms. That sincerity is evident in every note, resonating with global audiences. The track has logged more than 3,000 radio spins across international broadcasters, while its Future Remix visual surpassed 2.5 million YouTube views, with approximately half a million daily viewings. The remix on October 14th held the number three position on Amazon’s Dance & Electronic Best Sellers Chart,  In October, “You Are My Destiny (Future Remix)” climbed to number three on Amazon’s Best Sellers Dance & Electronic Charts, outranking tracks by Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, David Guetta, and Pitbull. Top Hits USA added the song to rotation across more than 1,000 stations for two consecutive months.

Today, his independent music label Zanna Records has racked up over 8.5 million YouTube views in the last few months and placed songs alongside Taylor Swift on radio playlists across a thousand stations with Top Hits USA  for two consecutive months.

Zanna Records, the label Zanna founded, operates outside the traditional music industry structure. Yet in September 2025, the label’s flagship track “You Are My Destiny (Future Remix)”—a collaboration between Zanna and singer Claudette Lyons under their duo name “Luca & Claudette“—hit number one on the North American College and Community Radio Chart, dominating airwaves across the United States and Canada. The song has since surpassed 2 million views on YouTube.

The timing of Zanna’s recent accomplishments almost feels poetic. In January, after nearly three decades, he reconnected via Facebook with Claes Cornelius, the very figure who set his career in motion. Their renewed partnership has reignited creative sparks. Cornelius has joined the Zanna Records team, collaborating on his memoir All That I Wanted while co-developing new material that bridges their combined expertise across generations.

Independent Operation, Mainstream Results

What makes Zanna’s current wave of success particularly impressive is its complete independence, achieved without the backing of a corporate label or traditional publisher. The evidence speaks clearly: a number one NACC chart position, billboard placement in New York’s Times Square with a Las Vegas Strip feature on October 25th, and a live session at Rolling Stone headquarters as a finalist with Claudette Lyons for America’s Top Next Hitmaker 2025. His music also enjoys global reach through MoodMedia’s network, broadcasting across 500,000 commercial locations in 150 countries.

Performing under the moniker Luca and Claudette, the duo has also pioneered what they call the Live Streaming Tour, an immersive digital concert experience streamed directly to audiences’ devices from diverse and dramatic settings, including desert vistas, Sedona mountaintops, waterfalls, and underground caverns. It’s a bold reimagining of live performance for the digital age.

The Partnership Proposition

Currently, Zanna is seeking distribution and sub-publishing alliances for his catalogue under Zanna Records. For potential partners, this presents an opportunity to collaborate with an artist who has achieved measurable global traction and listener engagement, entirely organically, without major-label support.

His catalogue, anchored by “You Are My Destiny,” includes songs with proven international appeal. It is already broadcasting across stations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Russia, South Africa, Indonesia, Romania, Spain, Colombia, Australia, Italy, and Brazil, with new markets continually adding support.

Forbes Magazine Scotland covered Zanna’s corporate music ventures, while Music Connection Magazine profiled Zanna’s journey in a feature titled “When Dreams Cross Borders: The Gianluca Zanna Phenomenon.”

Zanna has also been featured on the prestigious magazines Rolling Stone US, Rolling Stone UK

The Testament in Zanna’s Journey

In a music industry often criticized for artificial trends and manufactured acts, Gianluca Zanna’s ascent stands out as refreshingly authentic. His story shows that even in a corporate-dominated environment, artists with genuine vision, perseverance, and integrity can still capture global attention.

From the Italian public boarding school where a young dreamer secretly tuned into forbidden American rock broadcasts, to today’s international airwaves echoing his compositions, Zanna has fulfilled the immigrant dream while staying true to his creative ethos. His reunion with Claes Cornelius, three decades in the making, adds a poetic symmetry to a career that remains far from its final act.

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.”

In an era of synthetic sound and fleeting fame, his journey proves that true passion, pursued with unwavering dedication, still produces something magical. The youth who once fantasized about American hit songs now creates them, and the music world is paying attention.

Zanna Records has released over 150 original singles, many featuring Lyons on vocals. The label’s sound draws from 1990s dance-pop with contemporary production, and its music has aired on radio stations in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and throughout Europe.

In December 2025, Zanna and Lyons signed with Jody Jackson of JJ Entertainment, a Hollywood publicist/agent whose client roster has included the Eagles, Madonna, and the Beach Boys. For an independent operation that started without industry backing, the deal represents validation of a different approach to building a music career.

Zanna’s stated goal is to secure a major label partnership for global distribution and licensing. Whether that happens or not, the label has already demonstrated that chart success and industry recognition don’t require the traditional gatekeepers—just persistence, quality production, and a willingness to build relationships one radio station at a time.

For distribution and publishing inquiries regarding the Zanna Records catalogue, contact:

zanna@zanna.us | ZannaRecords.com