What is your name?
Mine was a mistake.
A life-changing mistake.
Many of you wonder why I chose this stage name, NILLA, as my birth name is Antonella.
The story behind the new name is related to when I moved out of Puglia for the first time.
Since I was in elementary school, I wanted to go and live in the most beautiful city in the world, that for me is Rome. So, when I was 18, I left my beloved Apulian home behind to fulfill my long-held dream. Little did I know that this new chapter in my life would lead to the birth of a name that would resonate so much with me.
Upon arriving in Rome, I met new people from other regions and countries. At a certain point, it became evident that my origins were recognizable simply by how I pronounced my name.
People immediately told me where I was from by how I introduced myself.
In the beginning, the conversations were always like this one:
“Hello, I am Marco. Nice to meet you.”
“Hello! Antonella.” – smiling and shaking hands –
“Are you from Puglia, Antonella?”
“Yes”
“From where exactly?”
“Salento”
“I knew it!” – pleased face – “Oh, I love Salento, it is magical! .. etc., etc. etc!”
The first time this happened, I felt embarrassed. “How can everyone guess where I am from, if I just say my name?” I found myself thinking. As time passed, I gathered the courage to ask for an explanation.
To my surprise, my newfound friends in Rome kindly explained that I pronounced the letter “e” of my name with the close sound of the Italian letter “i”.
So, instead of saying ANTONELLA, with the Italian open sound of the “e,” I was saying ANTONILLA with the Italian close sound of the “i”. That is a typical mispronunciation of some areas of the South of Italy.
Many friends had fun with me because of this, and we laughed a lot.
What initially seemed a mistake soon became a disguised gift.
It was during this moment that the name “NILLA” was born, as a short name of my original one.
I quickly fell in love with being called NILLA. It carried an open and joyful sound that perfectly connected to my spirit and personality. From that day forward, NILLA became more than just a name. It symbolized a new journey, the real discovery of myself, and a new life adventure. It reminded me to celebrate the quirks and uniqueness that make me who I am.
So, with a heart full of gratitude, I proudly introduce myself to you as NILLA.
It is a name that holds the echoes of my past, the joys of the present, and the promise of a future filled with open-heartedness and boundless creativity.