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Mama (1960 Song)
"Mamma" is a popular song composed in 1940 by Cesare Andrea Bixio with Italian lyrics by Bixio Cherubini under the title "Mamma son tanto felice" (''Mum, I am so happy''). The performers of this song included: Beniamino Gigli, Luciano Tajoli, Richard Tucker, Claudio Villa, Robertino Loreti, Violetta Villas, Muslim Magomayev, Luciano Pavarotti, Toto Cutugno, Andrea Bocelli, Sergio Franchi, Romina Arena, Jon Christos and Mario Frangoulis. In 1946, the English lyrics were written by Harold Barlow and Phil Brito who had their popular recording hit the charts in May 1946 under the title of "Mama". British singer David Whitfield also had a hit with the song, which reached number 12 in the UK Singles Chart in 1955. The British lyrics did differ from the American ones. The song was re-arranged and re-written by Geoffrey Parsons and John Turner. The song was also recorded by Connie Francis in 1959 for her album ''Connie Francis Sings Italian Favorites'', with her hit single released ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Connie Francis
Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937), known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” in one headline of a marginal publication, she is estimated to have sold more than 100 million records worldwide. In 1960, Francis was recognized as the most successful female artist in Germany, Japan, England, Italy, Australia and in every other country where records were purchased. She was the first woman in history to reach No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, just one of her other 53 career hits. Biography 1937–1955: Early life and first appearances Francis was born to an Italian-American family in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey, the first child of George and Ida (née Ferrari-di Vito) Franconero, spending her first years in the Crown Heights, Brooklyn area (Utica Avenue/St. Marks Avenue) before the family moved to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Italian Language
Italian (''italiano'' or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. Together with Sardinian, Italian is the least divergent language from Latin. Spoken by about 85 million people (2022), Italian is an official language in Italy, Switzerland (Ticino and the Grisons), San Marino, and Vatican City. It has an official minority status in western Istria (Croatia and Slovenia). Italian is also spoken by large immigrant and expatriate communities in the Americas and Australia.Ethnologue report for language code:ita (Italy) – Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version Itali ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sergio Franchi
Sergio Franchi (born Sergio Franci Galli; April 6, 1926 – May 1, 1990) was an Italian-American tenor and actor who enjoyed success in the United States and internationally after gaining notice in Britain in the early 1960s. In 1962, RCA Victor signed him to a seven-year contract and in October of that year Franchi appeared on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' and performed at Carnegie Hall. Sol Hurok managed Franchi's initial American concert tour. Franchi became a headliner in Las Vegas, and starred in concerts and cabarets on several continents. His earliest ambitions and studies had been directed toward an operatic career, but he instead found his niche in popular and romantic music. Franchi performed musical comedies on stage, appeared on numerous television variety shows, and starred in a major motion picture. He became an American citizen in 1972. After gaining success, Franchi was a benefactor and philanthropist, donating his time and talent to many causes. For his longtime sup ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was born visually impaired, with congenital glaucoma, and at the age of 12, Bocelli became completely blind, following a brain hemorrhage resulting from a football accident. After performing evenings in piano bars and competing in local singing contests, Bocelli signed his first recording contract with the Sugar Music label. He rose to fame in 1994, winning the 44th Sanremo Music Festival performing "Il mare calmo della sera". Since 1994, Bocelli has recorded 15 solo studio albums of both pop and classical music, three greatest hits albums, and nine complete operas, selling over 75 million records worldwide. He has had success as a crossover performer, bringing classical music to the top of international pop charts. His album ''Romanza'' is one of the best-selling albums of all time, while '' Sacred Arias'' is the biggest selling classical album by any solo artist in history. ''My Chr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toto Cutugno
Salvatore "Toto" Cutugno (; born 7 July 1943) is an Italian pop singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known for his worldwide hit song, "L'Italiano", released on his 1983 album of the same title. Cutugno also won the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 held in Zagreb, Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia with the song " Insieme: 1992", for which he wrote both lyrics and music. Biography Toto Cutugno was born in Fosdinovo, Lunigiana, (Tuscany), to a Sicilian father from Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto and a homemaker mother. Shortly after his birth the family moved to La Spezia (Liguria). He began his musical career as a drummer, and later formed an Italo disco band together with Lino Losito and Mario Limongelli called Albatros. He also started a career as songwriter, contributing some of French-American singer Joe Dassin most well-known songs such as '' L'été indien'', '' Et si tu n'existais pas'' and ''Le Jardin du Luxembourg'' (written with Vito Pallavicini). He also co-wrote Dalida's '' Monda ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, gaining worldwide fame for his tone, and gaining the Honorific nicknames in popular music, nickname "King of the High Cs". As one of the Three Tenors, who performed their first concert during the 1990 FIFA World Cup before a global audience, Pavarotti became well known for his televised concerts and media appearances. From the beginning of his professional career as a tenor in 1961 in Italy to his final performance of "Nessun dorma" at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Pavarotti was at his best in bel canto operas, pre-''Aida'' Giuseppe Verdi, Verdi roles, and Giacomo Puccini, Puccini works such as ''La bohème'', ''Tosca'', ''Turandot'' and ''Madama Butterfly''. He sold over 100 milli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Muslim Magomayev (musician)
Muslim Muhammad oghlu Magomayev ( az, Müslüm Məhəmməd oğlu Maqomayev / ) or Muslim Magometovich Magomayev (russian: Муслим Магометович Магомаев; 17 August 1942 – 25 October 2008), known simply as Muslim Magomayev and dubbed the "Soviet Sinatra", was a Soviet, Azerbaijani and Russian opera and pop singer. He achieved iconic status in Russia and the post-Soviet countries for his vocal talent and charisma. People's Artist of the USSR (1973). Early life Muslim Magomayev represented one of the most respected artistic dynasties in Azerbaijan. His grandfather Muslim Magomayev (1885–1937), a friend and contemporary of the prominent Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov, was one of the founders of modern Azerbaijani classical music. Magomayev's father, Mahammad Magomayev, who died two days prior to the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II while serving as a soldier in the Soviet Army, was a gifted scenic designer; and his mother, Aishet Kinzhalov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Violetta Villas
Czesława Gospodarek (née Cieślak; 10 June 1938 – 5 December 2011), known by her stage name Violetta Villas, was a Polish and international cabaret star, singer, actress, composer and songwriter. Her voice was characterized as coloratura soprano, which spanned over four octaves. She could play the piano, violin, and trombone and had absolute pitch.Tygrysica z Magdalenki, Witold Filler (1993) Characterisations of her included "the voice of the atomic age", "the singing toast of the continent", "a voice like French champagne", and the "Polish Yma Sumac". Villas was the first star of the ''Casino de Paris'' at Dunes Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas (1966–1970). Villas was known for her conspicuous wardrobe and number-one hits. During her show business career, Villas acted in six films, performed in numerous musical shows, and recorded almost three hundred songs in ten languages, including Polish, English, French, German, Italian, Latin, Neapolitan, Russian, Spanish and Portugues ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robertino Loreti
Roberto Loreti (born 22 October 1947 in Rome), also known by stage name Robertino (a diminutive of ''Roberto''), is an Italian singer, known mostly for songs he performed as a teenager. Early years He was born to a large family with eight other children. His family was poor, and when he was 10, his father fell sick and Robertino helped the family by delivering bakery products to restaurants. He enjoyed singing folk songs on his way and was noticed by people for his singing voice. After a request to perform at a wedding in a restaurant, Robertino was sought after by other restaurants who competed for his service. Robertino was singing at Cafe Grand Italia where Neapolitan actor Totò and Danish TV producer Volmer Sørensen noticed him. Sørensen was vacationing in Rome with his wife, singer Grethe Sønck, who noticed the boy. Sørensen persuaded his father to sign a contract, which stated that the boy would sing till age 17, and became his producer. That led to performances on Dani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Claudio Villa (singer)
Claudio Villa (born Claudio Pica; 1 January 1926 – 7 February 1987) was an Italian singer and actor. Biography Tenor Claudio Villa was born Claudio Pica in the Trastevere quarter of Rome in 1926. He recorded over 3000 songs, sold 45 million records, and appeared in 25 musicals during his career. His parents gave him the name "Claudio" in honor of Claudio Serio. Many songs made famous by Villa, like "'A Tazza 'E Cafe'," were recorded for the Fonit Cetra label. Villa died in 1987; on his gravestone are the words "Vita sei bella, morte fai schifo" (''"Life, you are fine; death, you stink"''). Together with Domenico Modugno Villa holds the record for the most wins at the Sanremo Music Festival, where he won the competition in 1955, 1957, 1962 and 1967. In 1963 he won the Festival di Napoli with the song "Jamme ja". He also sang at another Italian music competition, ''Canzonissima'', a television event shown on RAI from 1956 to 1974. He won Canzonissima in 1964 with "O sole m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Tucker (tenor)
Richard Tucker (August 28, 1913January 8, 1975) was an American operatic tenor and cantor. Long associated with the Metropolitan Opera, Tucker's career was primarily centered in the United States. Early life Tucker was born Rivn (Rubin) Ticker in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Bessarabian Jewish parents who immigrated to the US in 1911. His father, Sruel (Sam) Ticker, and mother Fanya-Tsipa (Fanny) Ticker had already adopted the surname "Tucker" by the time their son entered first grade. His musical aptitude was discovered early, and was nurtured under the tutelage of Samuel Weisser at the Tifereth Israel synagogue in Lower Manhattan. As a teenager, Tucker's interests alternated between athletics, at which he excelled during his high-school years, and singing for weddings and bar mitzvahs as a hazzan, cantorial student. Eventually, he progressed from a part-time cantor at Temple Emanuel in Passaic, New Jersey, to full-time cantorships at Temple Adath Israel in the Bronx and, in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luciano Tajoli
Luciano Tajoli (17 April 1920 – 3 August 1996) was an Italian singer and actor. Music festival Luciano Tajoli participated several times (1961, 1962, 1963, and 1970) in the Sanremo Music Festival, winning in 1961 with the song Al di là.Marcello Giannotti, "L'enciclopedia di Sanremo: 55 anni di storia del festival dalla A alla Z", Gremese Editore, 2005, page 20(Google books) It is estimated that he sold over 45 million records. Personal life Tajoli was born in Milan, came from a poor family and was a self-taught singer. He trained as an apprentice in tailor, barber and cobbler's shops. Due to polio in his childhood, Luciano always leaned during his performances, e.g., against a chair or piano. His limping was accommodated into the screenplays of his film appearances. He died, aged 76, in Merate. Selected filmography * ''The Taming of the Shrew'' (1942) * ''Songs in the Streets'' (1950) * ''Trieste mia!'' (1951) * '' The Two Sergeants'' (1951) * '' Don Lorenzo'' (1952) * ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
