"Mamma" is a

popular Popularity or social status is the quality of being well liked, admired or well known to a particular group. Popular may also refer to: In sociology * Popular culture * Popular fiction * Popular music * Popular science * Populace, the total ...

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

composed in

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January ...

Cesare Andrea Bixio Cesare Andrea Bixio (11 October 18965 March 1978) was an Italian composer. He was one of the most popular Italian songwriters of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Bixio was born in Naples, Italy. His hits included Vivere; Mamma; Parlami d'amore, ...

with

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

lyrics by

Bixio Cherubini Bixio Cherubini (27 March 1899 – 14 December 1987) was an Italian lyricist, playwright and poet. Life and career Born in Leonessa, Cherubini was a descendant of composer Luigi Cherubini. He started composing poems and lyrics during the Wo ...

under the title "Mamma son tanto felice" (''Mum, I am so happy''). The performers of this song included:

Beniamino Gigli Beniamino Gigli ( , ; 20 March 1890 – 30 November 1957) was an Italian opera singer (lyric tenor). He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tenors of his generation. Early life Gigli was born in Recanati, in the Marche, the son of a shoem ...

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.Mar ...

Richard Tucker 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 ...

Claudio Villa 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 millio ...

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 c ...

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 so ...

, Muslim Magomayev,

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 numerou ...

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 Conte ...

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 fro ...

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 Vict ...

Romina Arena Romina Arena is an Italian American, Italian-American popera, operatic pop, pop Crossover (music), classical crossover, rock opera and New-age music, new-age singer-songwriter. Early life Romina Arena was born and raised in Palermo, Sicily, to a ...

Jon Christos Jon Christos (born John Christodoulou 23 March 1976, Salford, England) is an English singer, local radio presenter. and a member of the Professorial Staff - Vocal Studies at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. A classically tra ...

and

Mario Frangoulis Mario Frangoulis ( el, Μάριος Φραγκούλης, Mários Frankoúlis; born 18 December 1967) is a Greek vocalist and theatre actor, famous for his refined tenor vocals. Born in Rhodesia, Frangoulis after his three decade long career has ...

. In 1946, the English lyrics were written by

Harold Barlow Harold Everard Monteagle Barlow FRS (15 November 1899 – 20 April 1989) was a British engineer. He was born in Islington, London, the son of Leonard Barlow, an electrical engineer. He entered University College, London where, apart from ...

and Phil Brito who had their popular recording hit the charts in May 1946 under the title of "Mama". British singer

David Whitfield David Whitfield (2 February 1925 – 15 January 1980) was a popular British male tenor vocalist from Hull. He became the first British artist to have a UK No.1 single in the UK and in the United States with " Cara Mia", featuring Mantovani an ...

also had a hit with the song, which reached number 12 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

. The British lyrics did differ from the American ones. The song was re-arranged and re-written by Geoffrey Parsons and

John Turner John Napier Wyndham Turner (June 7, 1929September 19, 2020) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Canada from June to September 1984. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and leader of t ...

. The song was also recorded by

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 1959 for her album ''

Connie Francis Sings Italian Favorites ''Connie Francis Sings Italian Favorites'' is a studio album recorded by American singer and entertainer Connie Francis. Background The album consists of traditional Italian and Neapolitan songs (e. g. '' Santa Lucia'') as well as then-current ...

'', with her hit single released in February 1960. Arranged and conducted by

Tony Osborne Anthony Wayne Osborne (July 13, 1926 – August 27, 2010) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Tough" Tony Borne. Professional wrestling career Osborne was an amateur wrestler in both high school and in the Unit ...

, the Connie Francis version of the song was a number two hit in the UK, and peaked at number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. The song in German (as well as in Dutch and in English) was recorded by

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

child singer

Heintje Simons Hendrik Nikolaas Theodoor "Heintje" Simons (born 12 August 1955) in Heerlen, later known as Hein Simons, is a Dutch schlager singer and actor. Background Heintje was born the son of a coal miner who had to retire because of silicosis, reduci ...

for his album ''Heintje'' in 1967 (lyrics written by

Bruno Balz Bruno Balz (6 October 1902, in Berlin – 14 March 1988, in Bad Wiessee) was a German songwriter and schlager writer. From the time he wrote the music for the first German sound film until his retirement in the 1960s, Balz was responsible for th ...

). Also Heintje performed ''Mama'' in '' Zum Teufel mit der Penne (1968)''

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

References

External links

Allmusic.com AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

{{authority control 1941 songs 1955 singles 1960 singles 1960s ballads Songs about mothers Connie Francis songs David Whitfield songs