Gianluca Zanna Surpasses 21 Million YouTube Views, Reaches Belarus and Hungary, and Builds a 235-Station Global Radio Reach — All From a Ranch in Sedona, Arizona
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A Story That Began at MIDEM, Cannes, 1995
Thirty-one years from MIDEM 1995 to 235 stations across 60 countries, built one email at a time from a ranch in Arizona — fulfilling the vision of the man who brought Ace of Base to the world!
SEDONA, ARIZONA — In 1995, at the world's most prestigious music industry conference in Cannes, France, a young Italian music publisher named Gianluca Zanna met a Danish music visionary named Claes Cornelius — and in just 1 hour the course of both their lives shifted.
Thirty-one years later, that meeting is now part of the present. On March 26, 2026, the Gianluca Zanna Music / Zanna Records YouTube channel was officially certified by vidIQ at 21,000,000 views.
Simultaneously, "You Are My Destiny" has now been confirmed on 235 verified radio stations across 60 countries and 6 continents — including landmark new airplay in Minsk, Belarus on Radio CENTR FM and in Budapest, Hungary on MixRadio Creamix — all verified through the WARM World Airplay Radio Monitor.
Every single one of those stations was reached the same way: one handwritten email at a time, from a ranch in the Arizona desert.
A Meeting in Cannes That Changed Everything
Gianluca Zanna arrived at MIDEM 1995 as a young publisher running Contatto Discografico, Italy's leading music industry magazine. He was hungry, ambitious, and searching for a direction. In Cannes, he found it — in the form of Claes Cornelius.
What Claes represented was not just experience. It was proof that ears, instinct, and courage could outmaneuver the machinery of the music industry. Three years after that Cannes encounter, Gianluca left Rome and immigrated to the United States, determined to build something of his own. That dream became Zanna Records.
The Man Who Heard What Others Couldn't
To understand what Claes Cornelius' endorsement means, you need to understand the story of Ace of Base. When the unknown Swedish band arrived at Mega Records in Copenhagen, they had already been rejected by every label they approached. Even inside the Mega Records office that day, a junior A&R representative turned them away and told them to go back to Sweden.
Then Claes Cornelius walked in. He listened to the tape. He heard what no one else could hear. And because he was in that office on that particular day — one of the best-selling pop acts in music history was born.
That same instinct — the one that hears the hit no one else can hear yet — was activated again on February 20, 2025, when Claes wrote the following words about "You Are My Destiny":
"I feel free to predict brand-new track 'You Are My Destiny' by Claudette Lyons and Gianluca Zanna as a top contender for playlist presence 2025. There are ways to transcend the power of the multinationals and radio has been instrumental in discovering hits — 'You Are My Destiny' is ready to go."
— Claes Cornelius, Former Executive & Co-founder, Mega Records (Ace of Base) | Copenhagen, Denmark — February 20, 2025
One Email at a Time, From the Arizona Desert
When Gianluca received that message from Claes, he was operating from a ranch outside Sedona, Arizona — off the beaten path, without major label infrastructure, without a radio promoter, without a publicist.
Claes told him: "Start with the radio stations."
So he did. One email at a time. He researched stations in every country, wrote personal outreach messages in 18+ languages, and followed up relentlessly. Country by country, continent by continent, the list grew.
Today, that list stands at 235 verified stations in 60 countries — spanning North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. From a radio station in Minsk, Belarus to stations in Nepal, Nigeria, Malta, Portugal, and Taiwan — all new countries confirmed in March 2026 alone.
March 2026: A Month of Milestones
21,000,000 YouTube Views — vidIQ Certified
On March 26, 2026, the Gianluca Zanna Music / Zanna Records YouTube channel was certified at 21 million total views — achieved entirely without major label infrastructure across 150+ original releases spanning EDM, classical, rock, and pop.
Radio CENTR FM — Minsk, Belarus
One of Belarus's largest national radio networks, broadcasting on 101.7 FM and across six cities nationwide including Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Mogilev, and Novopolotsk. "You Are My Destiny — Remix" was confirmed in rotation March 27, 2026 — Zanna Records' first verified play in Belarus.
MixRadio Creamix — Budapest, Hungary
The dedicated EDM and electronic dance channel of MixRadio, one of Hungary's most recognized digital radio brands. "I Am Destiny" confirmed in rotation, underscoring Zanna's growing foothold in Eastern Europe.
1,399+ WARM-Tracked Airplays in just the last 30 days
Total verified airplay plays across all tracked stations continue to grow weekly, cementing "You Are My Destiny" as one of the most widely aired independent releases in recent memory.
Artist Statement
"When I interviewed Claes in Cannes in 1995, his story inspired me to dream bigger and go to America. I had no idea where that would lead. When he told me last year to start with the radio stations, I had no idea we would reach 60 countries. I am sitting here on my ranch in Sedona, and the music is playing in Minsk and Budapest and Nepal and Nigeria. Claes in his email dated February 20, 2025 predicted it. He always does."
— Gianluca Zanna, Founder & CEO, Zanna Records
ABOUT GIANLUCA ZANNA / ZANNA RECORDS
Gianluca Zanna is an Italian-American independent artist, songwriter, producer, and CEO/Founder of Zanna Records, based in Sedona, Arizona. Born in Rome and a former publisher of Italy's music industry magazine Contatto Discografico, he immigrated to the United States in 1998 and built Zanna Records from scratch without major label support — releasing 150+ original singles across EDM, classical, rock, and pop.
"You Are My Destiny" reached #1 on the North American College & Community Radio Chart and #3 on Amazon Dance & Electronic. Coverage includes Rolling Stone (US & UK), Forbes, Billboard Italia, Entrepreneur UK, and Music Connection.
Zanna Records' collaborations includes 3 times Grammy nominee Joseph Wooten (Steve Miller Band and the Wooten Brothers) and industry pioneer Claes Cornelius (former Mega Records / Ace of Base). Gianluca performs as half of EDM duo Luca and Claudette (with singer Claudette Lyons), represented by David Helfant Law Offices.
Danny Saber officially start collaborating as Executive Producer with Zanna Records, working on Live with No Regrets, the "You Are My Destiny" instrumental version featuring Joseph Wooten, and more songs to come. Danny has worked with icons including U2, The Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Madonna, and many more.
ABOUT CLAES CORNELIUS
Claes Cornelius is a pioneering Danish music executive and co-founder of Mega Records, Copenhagen. He is best known for recognizing Ace of Base when every other label had passed, single-handedly launching one of the best-selling pop acts in history. A MIDEM veteran and mentor to independent artists worldwide, Claes officially joined Zanna Records as a collaborator and team member in 2025. He and Gianluca are co-authoring the biography All That I Wanted.
MEDIA CONTACT
Zanna Records | Sedona, Arizona
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