Valerio Scanu is an Italian pop singer who rose to fame on the television reality show Amici di Maria De Filippi in 2008 before embarking on a chart-topping solo recording career. Born on April 10, 1990, in La Maddalena, Italy, he appeared in the eighth season of Amici di Maria De Filippi. Scanu made his recording debut in 2009 with a couple songs on the Amici di Maria De Filippi season-ending compilation Scialla. One of the two songs, "Can't Stop," was a Top 20 hit. The follow-up single, "Sentimento," was considerably more successful, topping the Italian singles chart. The accompanying six-track Sentimento EP was also a big hit, reaching the Top Five of the albums chart. ~ Jason Birchmeier