:User:AlanColonnetti/sandbox
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{{Short description|Italian-Zimbabwean music producer, artist, and writer}}
{{Draft topics|biography|media}}
{{AfC topic|blp}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Alan Colonnetti
| birth_place = Tortona, Italy
| nationality = Italian-Zimbabwean
| occupation = Music producer, artist, writer
| known_for = Deep house music, album art, Nyatho
| alias = Colo Nyathi
| website = [https://colonyathi.com colonyathi.com]
}}
Alan Colonnetti (also known by his artistic alias Colo Nyathi) is an Italian-Zimbabwean multidisciplinary artist, music producer, and writer. He is known for blending deep house music with visual storytelling and autobiographical literature. His work frequently explores themes of cultural identity, memory, and emotional growth.
Early life and education
Career
= Music =
Alan Colonnetti has released deep house and electronic music tracks, including "Give It Time," "This Sound," and "I Can’t Get Enough." He is the founder of EmbarrassedArts Records and Phakama Records, and a co-founder of the Italian label EAR Deep.
Phakama Records has gained recognition for supporting rising artists in Zimbabwe’s underground scene. In 2022, Colonnetti was featured in The Chronicle, a Zimbabwean national newspaper, in an article that explored how independent record labels, such as Phakama, were promoting new talent. The article identified him as the label’s founder and acknowledged his efforts in uplifting emerging musicians.
In 2024, he was interviewed on Asakhane Live, a Bulawayo-based independent media platform known for spotlighting local creatives. The live feature focused on his journey as a musician, visual designer, and founder of Phakama Records.
= Visual Art =
Colonnetti is also known for his minimalist and symbolic album artwork, especially for releases under Phakama Records. His design portfolio includes projects such as Mweya, Paradise, Under Afrikan Skies, and Clouded Reveries. His covers have featured Zimbabwean artists like DJ Stavo, Bryan K, and Josh Major.
= Literature =
Legacy
Alan Colonnetti has credited the Arts Department at Christian Brothers College (CBC) in Bulawayo with nurturing his early creative development, particularly through school theatre productions and stage performances. These formative experiences played a key role in shaping his confidence and artistic expression.
He has since expressed plans to establish the Colonnetti Legacy in Arts Award at CBC. The proposed award would aim to celebrate and support student excellence in the visual and performing arts, continuing the spirit of encouragement he once received.
Selected works
= Books =
Nyatho (2023)
Colo Nyatho (upcoming)
= Selected music =
"Give It Time"
"This Sound"
"I Can’t Get Enough"
References
External links
[https://colonyathi.com Official website]
[https://music.apple.com/us/artist/alan-colonnetti/1531460315 Apple Music]
[https://instagram.com/colonyathi Instagram]
:Category:Electronic music producers