french kissed: carla bruni

wade and i have dedicated each tuesday and thursday evening to a french lesson. loving rosetta stone! we're 3 chapters into unit 1 of disc 1 - and already feel like we've learned quite a bit. super exciting.

so today's "french kissed" dives further into my obsession w/ french music. introducing carla bruni. {okay okay - i'm definitely behind on the times!}

italian-born french singer/songwriter and former supermodel who is married to the president of the france, ring any bells?

{isn't she gorgeous!?!}

carla bruni was born in turin, italy on december 23rd, 1968. when she was 7, her family moved to paris (reportedly to escape the threat of kidnapping!) and she attended boarding school in switzerland.

her mother marisa borini was a celebrated concert pianist. and she was raised by alberto bruni tedeschi a classical composer. (in a 2008 interview w/ vanity fair, bruni revealed that her biological father was an italian classical guitarist, maurizio remmert, who had a six-year affair w/ her mother.) she was influenced by chopin, schubert and mahler under the guidance of her parents. yet also influenced by the music of the 70s, she fell in love with french pop icon serfe gainsbourg, british legends such as the beatles and the rolling stones and american idol bob dylan.

she became one of the most sought after fashion models and was featured in business age's list of 20 most highest-paid models. she worked for chanel, christian dior, givenchy and prada. and was romantically linked with rockstars mick jagger, eric clapton, business mogul donald trump, and actor kevin costner among others. (she was quoted to be "bored with monogamy" and to believe that "love lasts a long time, but burning desire - two to three weeks".)

bruni said goodbye to the world of fashion in 1998. and in 2002, her debut album quelqu'un m'a dit released. in 2007, her second album no promises released containing poems by william butler yeats, emily dickinson, w. h. auden, dorothy parker, walter de la mare, and christina rosetti set to music. and in 2008, she married french president nicolas sarkozy.

so since this is "french kissed" let's focus on her debut album. an intimate acoustic album produced by french guitarist louis bertignac (another former lover!). the album was a huge success - selling over 2 million copies worldwide.

{bio references: all music guide & wikipedia, photos courtesy: www.france24.com}

enjoy.