Calabria Regione Calabria
—  Region of Italy  —
Flag Coat of arms
Country	Italy
Capital	Catanzaro
Government
• President	Giuseppe Scopelliti (PdL)
Area
• Total	15,080 km2 (5,820 sq mi)
Population (31-05-2010)
• Total	2,009,227
• Density	130/km2 (350/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
GDP/ Nominal	€ 33.6[1] billion (2008)
GDP per capita	€ 16,400[2] (2008)
NUTS Region	ITF
Website	www.regione.calabria.it

Calabria (pronounced [kaˈlaːbrja]; in Calabrian dialects: Calabbria or Calavria, Greek: Καλαβρία), in antiquity known as Bruttium or -formerly- as Italia, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro. The most populated city of Calabria is Reggio, that furthermore is the seat of the Council of Calabrian government. It is bounded to the north by the region of Basilicata, to the south-west by the region of Sicily, to the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea, and to the east by the Ionian Sea. The region covers 15,080 km² (5,822 sq mi) and has a population of just over 2 million. The demonym of Calabria in English is Calabrian (Italian: calabrese). In ancient times the name Calabria was used to refer to the southern peninsula of Apulia also known as the heel of Italy.

Geography[link]

Cliff at Tropea.

Pollino National Park

La Sila National Park.

Calabria is at the very south of the Italian peninsula, to which it is connected by the Monte Pollino massif, while on the east, south and west it is surrounded by the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas. The region is a long and narrow peninsula which stretches from north to south for 248 km (154 mi), with a maximum width of 110 km (68 mi). Some 42% of Calabria's area, corresponding to 15,080 km², is mountainous, 49% is hilly, while plains occupy only 9% of the region's territory. It is separated from Sicily by the Strait of Messina, where the narrowest point between Capo Peloro in Sicily and Punta Pezzo in Calabria is only 3.2 km (2 mi).

It is mainly a mountainous region. Three mountain ranges are present: Pollino, La Sila and Aspromonte. All three mountain ranges are unique with their own flora and fauna. The Pollino Mountains in the north of the region are rugged and form a natural barrier separating Calabria from the rest of Italy. Parts of the area are heavily wooded, while others are vast, wind-swept plateaus with little vegetation. These mountains are home to a rare Bosnian Pine variety, and are included in the Pollino National Park. La Sila is a vast mountainous plateau, about 1,200 metres above sea level, which stretches for nearly 2,000 square kilometres along the central part of Calabria. The highest point is Botte Donato, which reaches 1,928 metres. The area boasts numerous lakes and dense coniferous forests. The Aspromonte massif forms the southernmost tip of the Italian peninsula bordered by the sea on three sides. This unique mountainous structure reaches its highest point at Montalto, at 1,995 metres, and is full of wide, man-made terraces that slope down towards the sea.

In general, most of the lower terrain in Calabria has been agricultural for centuries, and exhibits indigenous scrubland as well as introduced plants such as the prickly pear cactus. The lowest slopes are rich in vineyards and citrus fruit orchards. The Diamante citron is one of the citrus fruits. Moving upwards, olives and chestnut trees appear while in the higher regions there are often dense forests of oak, pine, beech and fir trees.

The climate is influenced by the mountainous and hilly relief of the region: cold in the area of Monte Pollino, temperate with a very limited temperature range in the area of Aspromonte, while the Sila and Serre massifs ensure greater humidity on the Tyrrhenian coast and a drier climate on the Ionian coast.

Geology[link]

Geotectonic map of the Central Mediterranean Area and the Calabrian Arc. The blue trace indicates the position of the geotectonic cross section depicted below.From van Dijk (1992)^[3]

Geotectonic Cross Section of the Calabrian Arc. Left: NW; Right: SE. From van Dijk (1992)^[3]

When describing the geology of Calabria it is commonly referred to "The Calabrian Arc", the arc-shaped geographic domain extending from the southern part of the Basilicata Region up to the northeast of Sicily, the Peloritano Mountains (although some authors extend this domain from Naples in the North up to Palermo in the Southwest). The Calabrian area shows basement (crystalline and metamorphic rocks) of Paleozoic and younger ages, covered by (mostly Upper) Neogene sediments. Studies have revealed that these rocks comprise the upper Unit of a pile of thrust sheets which dominate the Apennines and the Sicilian Maghrebides.^[3]

The Neogene evolution of the Central Mediterranean system is dominated by the migration of the Calabrian Arc to the southeast, overriding the African Plate and its promontories (Argand, 1922;^[4] Boccaletti and Guazzone, 1972^[5]). The main tectonic elements of the Calabrian Arc are the Southern Apennines fold-and-thrust belt, the "Calabria-Peloritani", or simply Calabrian block and the Sicilian Maghrebides fold-and-thrust belt. The foreland area is formed by the Apulia Platform, which is part of the Adriatic Plate, and the Ragusa or Iblean Platform, which is an extension of the African Plate. These platforms are separated by the Ionian Basin. The Tyrrhenian oceanized basin is regarded as the back-arc basin. This subduction system therefore shows the southern plates of African affinity subducting below the northern plates of European affinity.^[3]

The geology of Calabria has been studied for more than a century; For details concerning the older literature, i.e. from before 1973, the reader is referred to the review of Ogniben (1973) .^[6] Ippolito (1959) ^[7] presented a complete bibliography of the literature on the Calabrian geology as published up until that moment. Books, reviews and important "mile¬stones" concerning the geology of the Calabrian Arc are the following: Cortese (1895),^[8] Limanowski (1913),^[9] Quitzow (1935),^[10] Caire et al. (1960),^[11] Caire (1961),^[12] Grandjacquet et al. (1961),^[13] Ogniben (1969,^[14] 1973 ^[6] ), Caire (1970,^[15] 1975,^[16] 1978 ^[17] ), Burton (1971),^[18] Amodio-Morelli et al. (1976),^[19] Dubois (1976),^[20] Grandjacquet and Mascle (1978),^[21] Moussat (1983),^[22] van Dijk (1992),^[23] and van Dijk et al. (2000).^[3] The earlier works were mainly dedicated to the evolution of the basement rocks of the area. The Neogene sedimentary successions were merely regarded as "post-orogenic" infill of "neo-tectonic" tensional features. In the course of time, however, a shift can be observed in the temporal significance of these terms, from post-Eocene to post-Early Miocene to post-middle Pleistocene.^[3]

The area is seismically and volcanically highly active. This is generally ascribed to the re-establishment of an equilibrium after the latest (mid-Pleistocene) deformation phase. Some authors believe that the subduction process is still ongoing, which is a matter of debate (van Dijk & Scheepers, 1995).^[24]

History[link]

Magna Grecia around 280 BC.

Calabria was first settled by Italic Oscan-speaking tribes. Two of these tribes were the Oenotrians (roughly translated into the "vine-cultivators") and the Itali. Greeks settled heavily along the coast at an early date and several of their settlements, including the first Italian city called Rhegion (Reggio Calabria), and the next ones Sybaris, Kroton (Crotone), the birthplace of the mathematician Pythagoras, and Locri, were numbered among the leading cities of Magna Graecia during the 6th and 5th centuries BC.

The Greeks were conquered by the 3rd century BC by roving Oscan tribes from the north, including a branch of the Samnites called the Lucanians and an offshoot of the Lucanians called the Bruttii. The Bruttii conquered the Greek cities, established their sovereignty over present day Calabria and founded new cities, including their own capital, Cosenza (known as Consentia in the ancient times).

The Romans conquered the area in the 3rd century BC after the fierce Bruttian resistance, possibly the fiercest resistance the Romans had to face from another Italic people. At the beginning of the Roman Empire the region would form the Augustan Regio III Lucania et Bruttii of Roman Italy.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the inhabitants were in large part driven inland by the spread of malaria and, from the early Middle Ages until the 17th century, by pirate raids.^{[citation needed]} Calabria was devastated during the Gothic War^{[citation needed]} before it came under the rule of a local dux for the Byzantine Empire.

In the 1060s the Normans, under the leadership of Robert Guiscard's brother Roger, established a presence in this borderland, and organized a government along Byzantine lines that was run by the local Greek magnates of Calabria. In 1098 Roger, named the equivalent of an apostolic legate by Pope Urban II, and later formed what became the Kingdom of Sicily. The administrative divisions created in the late medieval times were maintained right through to unification: Calabria Citeriore (or Latin Calabria) in the northern half and Calabria Ulteriore (or Greek Calabria) in the southern half.

Beginning with the subsequent Angevin rule, which ruled Calabria as part of the Kingdom of Naples, Calabria was ruled from Naples right up until unification with Italy. The kingdom came under many rulers: the Habsburg dynasties of both Spain and Austria; the Franco-Spanish Bourbon dynasty which created the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, Napoleon's brother Joseph Bonaparte, and then French Marshal Joachim Murat, who was executed in the small town of Pizzo. Calabria experienced a series of peasant revolts as part of the European Revolutions of 1848. This set the stage for the eventual unification with the rest of Italy in 1861, when the Kingdom of Naples was brought into the union by Giuseppe Garibaldi. The Aspromonte was the scene of a famous battle of the unification of Italy, in which Garibaldi was wounded.

The 'Ndrangheta organized crime families of Calabria began to appear after 1860. The Calabrian word 'ndrangheta comes from Ancient Greek ανδραγαθία that means "valiance".^[25] According to a US Embassy cable, Calabria would be a failed state if it were not part of Italy. The 'Ndrangheta controls huge segments of its territory and economy, and accounts for at least three percent of Italy's GDP through drug trafficking, extortion, skimming of public contracts, and usury. Law enforcement is hampered by a lack of both human and financial resources.^[26]

Until the mid 20th century, Southern Italy was among the poorest regions of Europe. Impoverished Calabria was a main source for the Italian diaspora of the early 20th century. Many Calabrians moved to the industrial centres of northern Italy, the rest of Europe, Australia and the Americas (especially Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and the United States). Since the 1970s there has been an increased affluence and a much improved economy based on modern agriculture, tourism, and a growing commercial base. Although the per capita income remains well below that of northern and central Italy, it is reportedly approaching the European Union median.^[27]

Economy[link]

Calabrian olive tree plantations.

A typical feature of agriculture in Calabria is the high fragmentation of the farm structure. Holdings of less than two hectares made up 69% of the total in 2000. The main cultivation in Calabria is olive tree, representing 29.6% of UAA and 70% of tree crops. In fact the majority of farms (137,938 units on a total of 194,600) produce olives.^[28]

Within the industrial sector, manufacturing contributes to gross value added by 7.2%. In the manufacturing sector the main branches are foodstuff, beverage and tobacco with a contribution to the sector very close to the national average.^[28]

The seaport of Gioia Tauro.

The main Calabrian ports are in Reggio Calabria and in Gioia Tauro. The Reggio di Calabria port is equipped with five loading docks of a length of 1,530 metres. The Gioia Tauro port has seven loading docks with an extension of 4,646 metres; it is the largest in Italy and the seventh largest container port in Europe,^[29] with a 2007 throughput of 3.7 million TEU's^[30] from more than 3,000 ships.

The region is served by three heavily used roads: two national highways along the coasts and the A3 motorway, which links Salerno and Reggio di Calabria along the old inland route. In Calabria there are two main airports: one is situated in Lamezia Terme and the other in Reggio di Calabria, both very close to the cities.^[28]

Demographics[link]

The following is a list of Italian municipalities with population over 20,000^[31]:

1. Reggio di Calabria - 186,013 inhabitants
2. Catanzaro - 93,265 inhab.
3. Lamezia Terme - 71,123 inhab.
4. Cosenza - 69,827 inhab.
5. Crotone - 61,529 inhab.
6. Corigliano Calabro - 40,533 inhab.
7. Rossano - 38,280 inhab.
8. Rende - 35,352 hab.
9. Vibo Valentia - 33,857 inhab.
10. Castrovillari - 22,518 inhab.
11. Acri - 21,263 inhab.
12. Montalto Uffugo - 20,553 inhab.

Population genetics[link]

Y-Dna haplogroups were found at the following frequencies in Calabria : J (38.60%), R1 (33.40%), E1b1b (15.80%), G (10.50%), I (1.75%).^[32] R1 and I haplogroups are typical in West European populations while J and E1b1b consist of lineages with differential distribution within Middle East, North Africa and Europe which include regions in the Balkans, parts of France, and Austria which are only among the few.

Government and politics[link]

Administrative divisions[link]

Calabria is divided into five provinces:

Culture[link]

Main sights[link]

The Riace bronzes, Greek bronzes, about 460-430 BC.

The Byzantine church known as the Cattolica.

Tourism in Calabria has increased over the years. The main tourist attractions are the coastline and the mountains. The coastline alternates between rugged cliffs and sandy beaches, and is sparsely interrupted by development when compared to other European seaside destinations. The sea around Calabria is clear, and there is a good level of tourist accommodation. The poet Gabriele D'Annunzio called the coast facing Sicily near Reggio Calabria "... the most beautiful kilometer in Italy" (il più bel chilometro d'Italia).^{[citation needed]} The primary mountain tourist draws are Aspromonte and La Sila, with its national park and lakes. Some other prominent destinations include:

• Reggio, on the strait between the mainland and Sicily, the largest and oldest city in Calabria, renowned for its panoramic seaside with botanical gardens between the art nouveau buildings and the beautiful beaches, and its 3,000 years of history with the old Aragonian Castle and the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia where the famous Riace bronzes (Bronzi di Riace) are located.
• Cosenza, seat of the Cosentian Academy, renowned for its cultural institutions, the beautiful old quarter, a Romanesque Cathedral and a Hohenstaufen Castle.
• Scilla, on the Tyrrhenian Sea, "pearl" of the "Violet Coast", has a delightful panorama and is the site of some of Homer's tales.
• Tropea, on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast, is home to a dramatic seaside beach, and the Santa Maria dell'Isola sanctuary. It is also renowned for its sweet red onions (mainly produced in Ricadi).
• Capo Vaticano, on the Tyrrhenian Sea, is a very famous wide bathing place near Tropea.
• Gerace, near Locri, is a beautiful medieval city with a Norman castle and an ancient cathedral.
• Squillace, a seaside resort and important archaeological site.
• Stilo, the home of Tommaso Campanella, with its Norman castle and beautiful Byzantine church, the Cattolica.
• Pizzo, on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast, known for its ice cream called "Tartufo". Interesting places in Pizzo are Piazza Repubblica and the Aragonian castle where Murat was murdered.
• Paola, a town situated on the Tyrrhenian Sea coast, renowned for being the birth place of St. Francis of Paola, saint patron of Calabria and Italian sailors, and for the old Franciscan sanctuary built during the last hundred years of the Middle Ages by the will of St. Francis.
• Sybaris, on the Ionian sea, a picturesque village situated near the excavation of ancient Sybaris, a Greek colony of the 7th century BC.
• Catanzaro, located at the centre of the narrowest point of Italy, from where the Ionian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea are both visible, but not from Catanzaro. Of note are the well-known one-arch bridge (Viaduct Morandi-Bisantis, one of the tallest in Europe), the Cathedral (rebuilt after World War II bombing), the castle, the promenade on the Ionian sea, the park of biodiversity and the archaeological park.
• Soverato on the Ionian Sea, also known as the "Pearl" of the Ionian Sea. Especially renowned for its beaches, boardwalk and nightlife.
• Nicotera on the Tyrrhenian Sea, is a beautiful little medieval town with an ancient Ruffo's castle.
• Ancient temples of the Roman gods on the sun-kissed hills of Catanzaro still stand as others are swept beneath the earth. Many excavations are going on along the east coast, digging up what seems to be an ancient burial ground.
• Samo, a village on the foot of the Aspromonte, is well known for its spring water and ruins of the old village destroyed in the 1908 Messina earthquake.

Language[link]

Although the official national language of Calabria has been Standard Italian since before unification in 1861, as a consequence of its deep and colourful history, Calabrian dialects have developed that have been spoken in the region for centuries. Most linguists divide the various dialects into two different language groups. In the northern one-third of the region, the Calabrian dialects are considered part of the Neapolitan language (or Southern Italian) and are grouped as Northern Calabrian or Cosentino. In the southern two-thirds of the region, the Calabrian dialects are considered part of the Sicilian language and are often grouped as Central and Southern Calabrian.

Other historical languages have left an imprint on the region. In isolated pockets, as well as some quarters of Reggio Calabria (historical stronghold of the Greek language in Italy), a hybrid language that dates back to the 9th century, called Griko, is spoken. A variety of Occitan can also be found in certain communities and French has had an influence on many Calabrian words and phrases. In several villages, the Arbëresh dialect of the Albanian language has been spoken since a wave of refugees settled there in the 15th century. In addition, since Calabria (as well as other parts of southern Italy and Sicily) were once ruled by the Spanish, some Calabrian dialects exhibit Spanish derivatives.

It is important to highlight the presence of Calabrians in Humanism and in the Renaissance. Indeed the Hellenistics in this period frequently came from Calabria maybe because of the Greek influence. The rediscovery of Ancient Greek was very difficult because this language had been almost forgotten. In this period the presence of Calabrian humanists or refugees from Constantinople was fundamental. The study of Ancient Greek, in this period, was mainly a work of two monks of the monastery of Seminara: Barlaam, bishop of Gerace, and his disciple, Leonzio Pilato. Leonzio Pilato, in particular, was a Calabrian born near Reggio Calabria. He was an important teacher of Ancient Greek and translator, and he helped Giovanni Boccaccio in the translations of Homer's works.

Religion[link]

The majority of Calabrians are Roman Catholic. In the southern areas, there are some Byzantine Orthodox congregations in the Greek and Albanian communities. There are also communities of Evangelicals on the western coast. The most famous saint in Calabria and also the patron saint of the region is St. Francesco from Paola.

Even though it is currently a very small community, there has been a long history of the presence of Jews in Calabria. The Jews have had a presence in the region for at least 1600 years and possibly as much as 2300 years. Calabrian Jews have had notably influence on many areas of Jewish life and culture. Although virtually identitical to the Jews of Sicily, the Jews of Calabria are considered a distinct Jewish population due to historical and geographic considerations. There is a small community of Italian Anusim who have resumed the Jewish faith of their ancestors.^[33]

Cuisine[link]

Typical Calabrian red onion.

The cuisine is a typical southern Italian Mediterranean cuisine with a balance between meat-based dishes (pork, lamb, goat), vegetables (especially eggplant), and fish. Pasta (as in Central Italy and the rest of Southern Italy) is also very important in Calabria. In contrast to most other Italian regions, Calabrians have traditionally placed an emphasis on the preservation of their food, in part because of the climate and potential crop failures. As a result, there is a tradition of packing vegetables and meats in olive oil, making sausages and cold cuts (Sopressata, 'Nduja), and, along the coast, curing fish- especially swordfish, sardines (sardelle rosamarina) and cod (Baccalà). Local desserts are typically fried, honey-sweetened pastries (Cudduraci, scalille or scalidde) or baked biscotti-type treats (such as 'nzudda).

Some local specialties include Caciocavallo Cheese, Cipolla rossa di Tropea (red onion), Frìttuli and Curcùci (fried pork), Liquorice (liquirizia), Lagane e Cicciari (ceci) (a pasta dish with chickpeas), Pecorino Crotonese (Cheese of Sheep), and Pignolata.

Although Calabrian wines are not well known outside Italy, in ancient times Calabria was referred to as Enotria (from Ancient Greek Οἰνωτρία - Oenotria, "land of wine"). According to ancient Greek tradition, Οἴνωτρος (Oenotrus), the youngest of the sons of Lycaon, was the eponym of Oenotria.^[34] Some vineyards have origins dating back to the ancient Greek colonists. The best known DOC wines are Cirò (Province of Crotone) and Donnici (Province of Cosenza). 3% of the total annual production qualifies as DOC. Important grape varieties are the red Gaglioppo, and white Greco. Many producers are resurrecting local, ancient grape varieties which have been around for as long as 3000 years.^[35]

See also[link]

• 1783 Calabrian earthquakes
• 1905 Calabria earthquake
• Strait of Messina Bridge

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Arlacchi, Pino, and Jonathan Steinberg. Mafia, Peasants and Great Estates: Society in Traditional Calabria (2009)
• Dal Lago, Enrico, and Rick Halpern, eds. The American South and the Italian Mezzogiorno: Essays in Comparative History (2002) ISBN 0-333-73971-X
• Dunston, Lara, and Terry Carter. Travellers Calabria (Travellers - Thomas Cook) (2009), guidebook
• Moe, Nelson. The View from Vesuvius: Italian Culture and the Southern Question (2002)
• Schneider, Jane. Italy's 'Southern Question': Orientalism in One Country (1998)

External links[link]

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Calabria.

• Calabria's History, Culture, Language and Genealogy
• Official Region homepage
• Living in Calabria - A Guide
• Calabria Property Website
• Official Region tourist information
• Web Portal of Calabria in the World
• KALìt Calabria in testa!
• The first web portal about Calabria
• A news aggregation website about Calabria
• Youth Association of Locri*
• Postcards from gioia tauro
• History and visit to art cities of Calabria
• Calabria Travel Guide VIDEO
• Calabria Region and History Guide
• Villaggi Calabria Reservation

v t e Calabria Provinces and places Catanzaro Cosenza Crotone Reggio Calabria Vibo Valentia Politics and government Elections in Calabria List of Presidents of Calabria

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KT Tunstall
Tunstall at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle 2 November 2010
Background information
Birth name	Kate Victoria Tunstall
Born	(1975-06-23) 23 June 1975 (age 37) St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
Origin	Fife, Scotland
Genres	Alternative rock, folk, blues, country blues
Instruments	Guitar, drums, flute, piano, vocals
Years active	2000–present
Labels	Relentless
Website	www.kttunstall.com
Notable instruments
Gibson Firebird, Gibson Dove, Gretsch White Falcon, Gibson Hummingbird, Gretsch G6128-1962 Double Cutaway

Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall (born 23 June 1975, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland)^[1] is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland. She has enjoyed commercial and critical success since, picking up three nominations before winning a BRIT Award, and a Grammy Award nomination.^[2] She is also the recipient of an Ivor Novello Award. Tunstall has a contralto vocal range.^[3]

She has released four albums internationally: Eye to the Telescope (2004), KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza (2006),Drastic Fantastic (2007) and Tiger Suit (2010). She has also done a guest appearance in an episode (S1E04) of the comedy series This is Jinsy on BBC Three.

Early life[link]

Kate has a half-Chinese, half-Scottish mother and an Irish father. She was 18 days old when she was adopted by an English family in St Andrews, Scotland.^[4] Kate never got to meet her biological father.^[5] Her adoptive father was employed as a physics lecturer at the University of St Andrews, and her adoptive mother was a school teacher.^[6] Tunstall's family also includes an older brother named Joe and a younger brother named Daniel. Her parents had no interest in music and owned no records — the only tape her father owned was a comedy recording by mathematician and musical satirist Tom Lehrer.^[7]

Tunstall grew up in St Andrews, a town in Fife, attending Lawhead Primary, then Madras College in St. Andrews, and the High School of Dundee but she spent her last year of high school in New England^[6] at the Kent School, a selective prep school in Kent, Connecticut.^[8][9]

"After school, having learned the piano, flute, and guitar, she left her native St Andrews to take up a scholarship at Kent School in Connecticut, New England, where she formed her first band, The Happy Campers."^{[citation needed]}

She spent time busking on Church Street in Burlington, Vermont, and at a commune in rural Vermont. Tunstall studied at Madras College in St Andrews, Kent School in Connecticut, and at Royal Holloway, University of London. She has said: "...My earliest memories are Californian...", attributed to a sabbatical that her father took at UCLA in 1979.^[10]

Music career[link]

Career beginnings[link]

Tunstall performing performing at the Cardiff Union on October 2005.

Throughout Tunstall's 20s, she played in Indie music bands including Elia Drew^[11] and Tomoko. She focused on songwriting, as well as performing with members of the fledgling Fence Collective. KT Tunstall had lived with Gordon Anderson, (The Beta Band, and The Aliens), whom the song "Funnyman", on the album Drastic Fantastic, is about. She toured with the Klezmer band Oi Va Voi, and stayed with them while they were making their album, Laughter Through Tears.

British label Relentless Records heard about Tunstall through their scouts and quickly put forward an independent offer.^[12] However, Tunstall had decided to sign with a US major, and initially passed up the offer.^[12] That deal did not work out and so she eventually decided to go with Relentless.^[12]

Although he recognised the potential in the quality of her voice and songs, at this point Relentless co-founder Shabs Jobanputra's assessment was that she "wasn't ready yet" and so together with her manager, Jobanputra discussed "the process of how we saw her happening and how we would work, why we thought the songs were great, why we thought she was great, and why it could really work if we took enough time."^[12] After the signing, a lot of time was spent developing certain songs and honing her live performance before she was ready for release.^[12]

[edit] Eye to the Telescope (2004–2006)

Tunstall performing at the Isle of Wight Festival 2008.

Her début album, Eye to the Telescope, was released in late 2004. Tunstall's style of music varies from folk to pop. In Edinburgh and St Andrews, she played in a band called Red Light Stylus, which was regarded as one of the better bands to emerge from the limited Fife scene.

Tunstall's first appearance of note was a solo performance of her blues song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland.^[13] The performance was notable as she had only 24 hours to prepare after scheduled performer Nas cancelled.^[14] Her performance caught the eye of many viewers, although she had previously performed it on French television only some weeks before, upstaging more established acts such as The Cure, Embrace, and The Futureheads; she then went on to top the post-show poll on the website for that episode.

Shortly after the Later appearance, Eye to the Telescope was re-released and shot up the British charts, eventually peaking at #3 (on its first release it had entered at #73); it was nominated for the 2005 Mercury Music Prize. It was released in the U.S. on 7 February 2006.

"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" was one of the most successful singles and most radio-played songs of 2005 in the United Kingdom. On the UK Singles Charts, the single made number twenty-eight on the charts^[15] and on the US Billboard Hot 100, charted at number twenty.^[16] The next release from the album in the United Kingdom was "Other Side of the World" whilst "Suddenly I See" was released in the United States and used in the opening credits of the film The Devil Wears Prada. Further singles released from the album were "Under the Weather" and "Another Place to Fall" which were also successful.^[17][18][19]

Tunstall's North American break came when American Idol contestant Katharine McPhee contacted her asking to use "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" as her choice for a Billboard-themed week. At the time, the song was #79 on the Billboard charts.^[20] Tunstall had not been shy with her opinions regarding shows like Idol saying "The major problem I have is that it's completely controlled... they're told what to say. They're told how to sing."^[19] She chose to license the song as she felt that "no one on that show told Katharine McPhee to sing my song because no one knew it".^[19] Tunstall's belief was correct—the song was suggested to McPhee by Billboard columnist and author Fred Bronson.^[21] The song immediately jumped to #23 on the Billboard charts the week following McPhee's performance.^[20] She has later said "My status as a musician in America is pretty much cemented by Katharine McPhee, which is really interesting and funny for me because I've never been polite about how I feel about shows like that."^[22]

[edit] Acoustic Extravaganza (2006–2007)

Tunstall performing at the performing inside at the 2005 Summer Sundae.

Tunstall released a new acoustic album in May 2006, KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza, which was first only available via mail order from her website. The album was re-released in stores worldwide in October 2006.

Tunstall sang with Scottish band Travis on their 2007 album The Boy With No Name, on the track "Under the Moonlight", a song written by Susie Hug (late of Katydids).

[edit] Drastic Fantastic (2007–2008)

Tunstall performing.

Tunstall's second album, Drastic Fantastic, premièred on 3 September 2007 in Scotland, followed a week later on 10 September 2007 with the London release for Britain and 18 September 2007, in the US. In its first week, Drastic Fantastic reached #1 on the Scottish Album Charts, #3 on the British Charts, and #9 in the American Charts.^[23] The album's lead single, "Hold On", was released in the UK in August 2007, débuting at #34 there before peaking at #21. The song was also very successful in certain European nations peaking at #19 in Italy, #19 in Norway, #26 in Switzerland and #39 in Ireland.^[24][25] The album's second single, "Saving My Face", was released in December 2007. The song did not make the UK Top 40 Singles Charts, but however did managed to peak at #50 on the UK Singles Charts, managing 3 weeks on the UK Charts. Despite missing the UK Top 40, the song made the Top 40 in Italy, making #23 and in Switzerland peaking at #93.^[26][27] The album's third single and final worldwide single, "If Only", was released in March 2008, becoming the second single from the album not to make the UK Top 40, it managed #45 in audition.^[28]

In the United States, "Hold On" was moderately successful, charting at number ninety-five on the US Billboard Pop Chart^[29] and number twenty-seven on the US Billboard Adult Top 40.^[29] However, on the main Hot 100 charts, it stalled, failing to make impact inside the Top 100, causing it to chart at number one-hundred and four on the US Billboard Hot 100. As for Drastic Fantasic, it became one of her best charting albums to date, charting at number three on the UK Album Charts,^[30] topping the Scottish Album Charts and making the top ten of the US Billboard 200 album charts, charting at number nine.^[31] Further singles released from Drastic Fantasic were "Saving My Face" and "If Only" which were moderately successful, charting at number fifty and forty-five on the UK Singles Charts respectively.^[32][33]

Tunstall commented that the photograph for the album cover was influenced by the 1970s rock star, Suzi Quatro.

On 5 October 2007, the U.S. discount department store chain Target, in association with NBC, released a special KT Tunstall Christmas EP on CD. Sounds of the Season: The KT Tunstall Holiday Collection contains six exclusive tracks:

• "2000 Miles"
• "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"
• "Mele Kalikimaka (Christmas In Hawaii)"
• "Sleigh Ride"
• "Fairytale of New York"
• "Lonely This Christmas"

On 10 December 2007, it was released in Europe through Relentless Records as a digital download only, under the title Have Yourself A Very KT Christmas.

In 2008, KT Tunstall recorded a song for the album Songs for Survival, in support of the indigenous rights organization Survival International.^[34][35] In a video for Survival International, she speaks of music as being a force for good, and about what she has learned about tribal people on this project. She also discusses various issues concerning our culture of consumption and greed, our relation to the earth and the importance of indigenous rights in the world today.^[36]

Tunstall also worked with Suzanne Vega on her 2007 album Beauty & Crime, singing backup on songs "Zephyr and I" and "Frank and Ava". It was revealed in the booklet by Vega that the two had never met during the process of making the album.

[edit] Tiger Suit (2009-present)

Tunstall in 2007.

On 11 February 2010, the Daily Record ^[37] reported that, " 'KT TUNSTALL has recorded her new album in Berlin's famous Hansa studio. The studio, beside the site of the Berlin Wall, was used to make legendary albums including David Bowie's Heroes and U2's Achtung Baby. KT said: "I had an amazing three weeks recording in Hansa in Berlin in January and am finishing it all off in London." The Scots singer, who has been quiet of late, reassured fans she has been busy. She added: "I am still very much alive and have every music-making limb and muscle working in my laboratory of fierce-new-album-ness." Before her album comes out, KT played a stripped-down set at the Haiti fundraising gig at the Roundhouse in Camden on Thursday 25 February. She hoped to jump up with her old pal Seasick Steve for a song or two. Kt added: "My shizzle will feature some new faces and definitely some new songs, so come and have a listen and chuck some dough at a good cause." She stated down the line from a promo stop in Minneapolis that she doesn't write on tour, "so it was essential that I took time out from her previous album Drastic Fantastic". She had started her time off by traveling through the Arctic, South America and India, so she had locked into a very primal, indigenous spirit by the time it came to recording.

Tunstall said that the album's title is inspired by a recurring dream she had, before discovering that 2010 is the Chinese Year of the Tiger.^[38] The dream is about her, seeing a tiger in her garden and goes outside to stroke it. She returns indoors and is seized by the fear that she could have been killed. Over the years, it has occurred to her that the reason the tiger responds so passively is that she herself is disguised as a tiger, wearing a tiger suit.^[39] She said that while writing and recording the album, she found a new sound she called "Nature techno", which mixes organic instrumentation with electronic and dance textures, much like Bjork has been doing since 1993. At a media showcase in London, KT Tunstall offered an unusual description of the songs from her forthcoming third album: "Like Eddie Cochran working with Leftfield".^[40]

On 11 February 2010, The Daily Record reported that Tunstall had recorded her new album in Berlin's Hansa Studios. The studio, next to where Berlin Wall stood, was used to make legendary albums including David Bowie's "Heroes" and U2's Achtung Baby. Tunstall said, "I had an amazing three weeks recording in Hansa in Berlin in January and am finishing it all off in London." The album, titled Tiger Suit, was released in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2010 and in the United States on 5 October 2010.^[41] The album's first single was "Fade Like a Shadow" in the United States and "(Still a) Weirdo" in the United Kingdom.^[42] These lead singles were released before the album.^[43]

As of February 2012, KT Tunstall has started working on a new album for some time in 2012

Live performances[link]

Tunstall performing at the 2005 Glastonbury Festival with her Gibson Dove guitar

Tunstall is known for her live performances, in which she combines use of an Akai E2 Headrush loop pedal, which she affectionately calls "Wee Bastard", with a full four-piece backing band (Luke Bullen on drums, Arnulf Lindner on bass, Sam Lewis on lead guitar and Kenny Dickenson on keyboards, trumpet, percussion and various other instruments), as well as her two backup singers (Cat Sforza and Ami Richardson)

Similar to her initial début on music show Later... with Jools Holland,^[13] Tunstall first débuted in the United States performing on various talk shows, although it was not until The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she was interviewed.^{[citation needed]} Since her talk show days, she has performed at numerous large concerts such as the Hogmanay Edinburgh Concert in 2005, the American leg of Live Earth in 2007, and the Nobel Peace Prize Concert also in 2007.^[44] Tunstall said prior to the Hogmanay performance that "This is the gig of a lifetime... This Hogmanay party is probably the best-known and best-loved in the world, and I've been here a few times over the years dreaming of being the one entertaining the crowds. Until we're on that stage I won't believe we're allowed on it."^[45]

Awards and nominations[link]

In Tunstall's breakthrough year, 2005, she received a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize, which eventually went to Antony and the Johnsons;^[46] and was awarded Best Track for her composition and performance of "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" by Q magazine.^[47]

In January the following year, 2006, she received three BRIT nominations - British Live Act, British Breakthrough Act, and British Female Solo Artist - eventually gaining the award for British Female Solo Artist, remarking that she wished to share it with fellow nominee Kate Bush.^[13] Later the same month she was given a European Border Breakers Award, which recognises the top-selling European Union artists outside their home country.^[48] Also, in 2006 she won the Ivor Novello Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Suddenly I See",^[49] along with Scottish Style Awards "Most Stylish Band or Musician".^[50]

She gained more nominations in 2007 and 2008: a 2007 Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" (eventually going to Christina Aguilera for "Ain't No Other Man"),^[51] and another BRIT nomination for British Female Solo Artist – the same accolade she had won in 2006.^[52]

Personal life[link]

Although her first name is Kate, she chooses to go by KT as her first name, saying "[Kate] just makes me think of a buxom lass baking bread for her man working in the fields. I have no problem with that, but it's just not really how I pictured being a rock star."^[6] Also, Tunstall spells her first name KT (as opposed to Katie) to differentiate herself from fellow singer Katie Melua.^[53]

In 2003 Tunstall began dating Luke Bullen, the drummer in her band.^[54] On Christmas Day, 2007, Bullen proposed to her at her parents' home in St Andrews, Scotland,^[55] and the couple were married on 6 September 2008 at the Flodigarry Country House Hotel on the Isle Of Skye in Scotland.^[56]

Tunstall sparked some controversy in 2005 when she publicly criticised singer/songwriter Dido, stating that the artist "can't fucking sing" after several fans compared the two musically. Tunstall later apologised, stating that she did not want to be involved in a public feud.^[57] Later, she denied rumours or assumptions concerning her sexual orientation^[58] and said the rainbow patterned braces on her début record cover^[59] were not intended as a statement of identity or politics as she was unaware of the symbolism at the time.^[54]

In April 2007, Tunstall underwent surgery to correct an undersized kidney, a problem caused by a childhood infection.^[60]

In 2007 Tunstall gave her backing to climate change campaign Global Cool.^[61]

In September 2008 Tunstall joined the Disko Bay Cape Farewell expedition to the West Coast of Greenland. Cape Farewell is a British based arts organisation that brings artists, scientists and communicators together to instigate a cultural response to climate change.

In 2010, Tunstall publicly disowned her birth-stepfather, David Orr, because of Orr's decision to run as a British National Party candidate in the general election for Livingston.^[62] Orr is the husband of Tunstall's birth mother, Carol Ann Orr, who gave her up for adoption just days after she was born.^[63]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 2004: Eye to the Telescope
• 2006: KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza
• 2007: Drastic Fantastic
• 2010: Tiger Suit

Other albums[link]

• 2001: Tracks In July
• 2007: Have Yourself A Very KT Christmas
• 2011: Live in London March 2011
• 2011: The Scarlet Tulip EP

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: KT Tunstall

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: KT Tunstall

• KT Tunstall official website
• U.S. Official Billboard Chart History
• KT Tunstall on the cover of 19 February 2008 issue of iProng Magazine
• KT Tunstall interview at Scottish Style Awards 2006
• KT Tunstall at the Internet Movie Database
• KT Tunstall at TV.com
• "KT Tunstall: Eyes to the Skies" interview by Jay S. Jacobs
• Glastonbury Festival interview (22 June 2007)
• The Outsider Festival interview (24 June 2007)
• Hold On Review
• Interview with Rob Townsend

Video:

• CBS Sunday Morning interview: Scotland, her home town, parents, and getting started 2007-09-16 (CBS)
• K.T. Tunstall Eco-tips interview
• K.T. Tunstall Interview on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos
• Later with Jools Holland – KT Tunstall performs 'Hopeless' watch video and embed on your MySpace or Blog
• Cover version of "Walk Like an Egyptian" (originally by The Bangles) at Yahoo Music
• Video of "Suddenly I See" at Virgin Media
• KT Tunstall music videos and interview on the PBS Arts website – "Fade Like a Shadow," "Madame Trudeaux" and "Uummannaq" for SOUND TRACKS presents "Quick Hits" November 2010

Audio:

• NPR interview (2 February 2006)
• NPR interview (4 February 2006)
• Interview and performances at AOL Music

Alison Haislip
Alison Haislip at Wondercon 2012.
Born	Alison Fesq Haislip[1] (1981-02-06) February 6, 1981 (age 31) Tewksbury, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Actress/TV correspondent
Years active	2004–present
Website
http://www.alisonhaislip.com

Alison Fesq Haislip (born February 6, 1981)^[2] is an American actress and former TV correspondent for Attack of the Show! on G4 and NBC's The Voice. She resides in Los Angeles, California.

Early life[link]

Haislip is a native of Tewksbury Township, New Jersey^[3] and graduate of Voorhees High School.^[4] She attended Boston College and studied theater. She also trained at the British American Drama Academy. ^[5] Afterwards, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.^[6]

G4[link]

Attack of the Show![link]

Haislip landed at G4 in October 2007 after being told by a G4 employee, who was a patron where she worked as a bartender, that she would be a great fit at the network. Haislip hosted "The Feed" segment and did correspondent work numerous times for Attack of the Show! before being hired full time around Spring 2008. She often substituted the show's co-host position of Olivia Munn. For most of 2010, in addition to her pre-filmed segments and occasional guest hosting, she also shared responsibility for presenting "The Feed" with Blair Herter, typically anchoring it live on two of the four days that Attack of the Show aired per week.

On November 7, 2011, Haislip announced during a hosting appearance on Attack of the Show that she was leaving G4.

Tech News Countdown[link]

From May 2008 to February 2009, Haislip hosted a weekly podcast ranging in length from two to five minutes for G4's website. Tech News is currently on indefinite hiatus as a part of the network's financial cutbacks.

American Ninja Warrior[link]

Haislip and Blair Herter co-hosted the first season of American Ninja Warrior. Haislip was the sideline reporter for the second and third season.

The Voice[link]

On March 28, 2011, it was announced that Haislip would join the cast of NBC's The Voice as the backstage and social networking correspondent.^[7] Her position allows her to tweet what is happening in the competition, as well as talk to contestants backstage in the "V Room". She was replaced by Christina Milian in the second season.

Video blogging[link]

In September 2008, in correlation with the launch her official website, Haislip started releasing approximately four to six minute unedited video updates to stay more connected with her fans. Topics have ranged from answering fan questions posted on her forums to giving updates on her upcoming segments for Attack of the Show! before they air.^[8] Occasionally, Haislip had a guest alongside her while filming the blog. Past guests included fellow G4 personalities Kevin Pereira and Blair Herter, actress/dancer/writer Imogen Church, and Alison's younger brother, Greg Haislip.

Starting in mid-May 2009, Ford Fiesta Movement mission videos, and Baaaznian Production short films, replaced the original blog format of Haislip's videos. The second to last video blog or "vlog" format video was uploaded on May 11, 2009.^[9] However, a brief Christmas vlog was uploaded on December 24, 2009, in which Haislip explained she had stopped making vlogs because she has been much busier in the recent months, than in the first half of 2009. ^[10]

In the spring of 2009, Haislip began making additional videos, as required by her involvement with the Ford Fiesta Movement, a campaign in which she was one of 100 people to win one of the cars for 6 months, started by Ford Motor Company to help promote the model's upcoming US release.^[11]

Short HD films[link]

Beginning in June 2009, Haislip has appeared in a number of short HD films, along with a troupe of actors. They are currently available to be viewed on YouTube. The first film, titled "New Moongasm - A New Moon Parody"^[12] was uploaded on June 15, 2009. This was followed up by a film titled "Hi. I'm Joel Rush."^[13] on June 29, 2009. A third film, titled "Love Automatically"^[14] was uploaded on July 26, 2009. "Love Automatically" was also directed by Haislip.

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

Television[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alison Haislip

• Official website
• Alison Haislip at the Internet Movie Database
• Alison at Myspace
• Alison at Twitter