On September 9, Caterina Valente passed away at the age of 93 in her home in Lugano, one of the most versatile talents in the history of post-war international entertainment. A skilled guitarist, dancer, and versatile singer capable of effortlessly spanning genres (from jazz to bossa nova, from Italian melody to cha cha cha, from samba to blues), Valente was the only truly international and cosmopolitan female entertainer in Europe. She recorded over 1350 records in 11 languages (6 of which she spoke fluently), selling 20 million copies. Described by The Spectator as the European answer to Barbra Streisand and Liza Minelli, Caterina Valente conquered the world with her performances and was a guest on over a thousand variety shows in different countries. Practically at home on American TV, Valente was a frequent guest of Perry Como and shared the stage with the greatest, from Ella Fitzgerald to Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Louis Armstrong, and Chet Baker. A curriculum and a career that alone would overshadow countless singers and entertainers today without substance.
Despite an endless list of merits and successes, Valente – except for a niche audience of connoisseurs who justly never forgot her – was practically unknown to new generations of millennials, at least until the summer of 2021 when the remix of “Bongo cha cha cha” by the English DJ duo Goodboys literally took over the radio and social media, transforming a Valente track from 1959 into a summer hit and a viral trend across all platforms, with hundreds of millions of views. But apart from the easy listening of a hit that was already a song destined for immediate enjoyment – being one of the first to bring Latin American rhythms to our country – who knows how many will have had the curiosity to learn about Valente. We hope many, but in doubt, given also the occasionally offensive imitation aired on Tale e Quale Show, it is worth retracing the main stages of her career to reaffirm the relevance of a unique phenomenon, in terms of opportunities, career longevity, and achievements.
Daughter of artists, Caterina Valente was born in Paris on January 14, 1931, to Italian parents, both artists: her father Giuseppe plays the accordion while her mother Maria is a well-known name in musical comedy and a multi-instrumentalist capable of playing 33 different instruments. Caterina took her first steps in the show business alongside her parents at the age of five, later seeking her own path together with her brother Silvio, a talented jazz clarinetist. It is during these years that she met singer-songwriter Gilbert Bécaud, with whom she later collaborated and performed. In 1952, she married Berlin juggler Erik Van Aro, with whom she had her first son Eric. In 1953, she was hired by the famous Grock Circus with a number as a singer/dancer. She was noticed by the radio stations in German-speaking countries, leading to her first recording opportunities. Her first record, Istanbul, was not a success while the third, a German version of “I Love Paris” by Cole Porter, sold 500,000 copies in the German-speaking countries. In 1954, she made her film debut, and in the three following years, she established herself, thanks also to catchy songs that quickly became best sellers, in the genre of musical films (Liebe, Tanz und 1000 Schlager in 1955 and Casino de Paris with Vittorio de Sica in 1957).
In the mid-1950s, she made her first appearances on American television, followed by initial successes in Latin America, and her jazz album “Plenty Valente” conquered the United States and France. In 1955, “Malaguena”, a cover of a Cuban song by Lecuona, became a hit in the USA, staying at number one on the charts for 11 weeks. Now a star, she returned to Italy for an appearance on “Il Musichiere” with Mario Riva in 1959.
The 1960s were characterized by record releases in 11 languages and numerous awards, including the Italian Critics’ Award. During this time, Valente was ranked among the ten most well-known light music artists in the world. She came into contact with the main exponents of Bossa Nova in Latin America and would be the first artist to introduce this genre to the American audience during a guest appearance on the Perry Como show in 1961. She then became highly sought after in all major American TV shows.
Italian television also seized the opportunity, and in 1961 Raiuno launched her with Bonsoir Caterina, followed in 1962 by Nata per la musica on Raidue and in 1969 by Bentornata Caterina. In Un’ora con Caterina Valente of 1966, she once again demonstrated her virtuosic abilities, even duetting with Mina (here is the video). The latter, in 2011, declared to Vanity Fair, “Caterina Valente, whom I call maestro, is an amazing musician. And as a voice, as mastery, she remains the strongest.”
These Italian shows launched more of Valente’s hits such as “Ciao,” “Precipitevolissimevolmente,” “Stanotte come ogni notte,” “Nessuno al mondo,” “Twistin’ the twist.” Also in the 1960s, along with tours around the world, she broke through in Las Vegas and on the CBS show The Entertainers, becoming a frequent guest on the Dean Martin Show, where she appeared 9 times until 1971. The 1960s also saw her touring around the world.
In 1970, she conquered the United Kingdom, earning a performance at the Royal Variety Performance before Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother. That same year, she performed on Italian television in an arrangement of Moto Perpetuo by Paganini written for her by Gianni Ferrio (video at the end). Her performances with Michel Legrand at the Olympia in Paris in 1972 were also famous. That same year, after divorcing, she remarried English pianist Roy Budd (father of Valente’s second son, Alexander), and then dedicated herself to further tours around the world. In 1980, she divorced her second husband as well. In 1983, she was brought back to RAI by Enzo Biagi for an interview after a long absence in Italy (here is the video), and in 1986 she celebrated her 50 years of career with a concert on German TV Bravo Catrin, watched by 16 million viewers in the Federal Republic. Other appearances in Italy during the 1980s, after her decision not to work in our country made at the beginning of the ’70s due to contractual disagreements with the entities that employed her, were in the name of personal friendships, such as her appearance in Premiatissima in 1986 for her friend Johnny Dorelli, or for causes dear to her such as the charity gala Una rosa per la vita with Delia Scala and Umberto Veronesi. In 1989, she recorded “A briglia sciolta,” which is said to be her best-selling album through numerous reprints around the world. By the late ’90s, she made the decision to retire from public life. Her last television appearances were in Germany and Austria, while in Italy in 2003 she appeared in a small cameo on the Paolo Limiti Show. Having retired after 60 years of activity, Valente has taken refuge in discreet privacy in her home near Lugano (the same retreat chosen by Mina).
But let’s come to Caterina Valente’s voice and her all-round artistic proposition. There are many merits, certainly refinement, versatility, love for musical fusions and from a more strictly technical perspective, that famous control also mentioned by Mina: this is evident in the homogeneity of emission and the simple linearity of her very long vocalizations and virtuosities, articulated at supersonic speed with disarming ease (here is the video of the duet with her brother Silvio Francesco Valente). Also impressive is the great naturalness of her singing, shown by how Valente managed to sing in the most diverse languages with ease as if they were her mother tongue and she never looked out of place alongside anyone, even in very complicated performances. Her voice was a true musical instrument, and in this sense, she was the first instrument of the orchestras with which she performed, a true prima donna.
Always smiling and endowed with great irony, she expressed joy and genuineness in her performances. It is easy to underestimate the artist Valente, perhaps also due to some commercial tunes that seem dated to some young people today, but looking deeper, one realizes how this singer has been an example of an artist who, immersed in art from a young age, reached success fully prepared after a long apprenticeship, only to continually enrich herself through travels, countless encounters, and the most diverse artistic collaborations. A great musical curiosity, therefore, but also the awareness that defining herself cosmopolitan in her case does not mean being snobbish, but eager to know, understand, and collect the best from different musical cultures (here is the duet sung in different languages with Bing Crosby).
Valente was also a very modern woman, independent and a citizen of the world, perhaps too ahead of her time and sophisticated for the provincialism of Italy and to be compatible with a mass collective memory, but perhaps also too reserved and discreet to be talked about after her retirement from the stage. It is certain that it would be right to remember her not only for “Bongo cha cha cha” or for some summer dance on Tik Tok, but for her undeniable value as a versatile and truly international artist. For the record, it should be noted that the remix that went viral a few summers ago was not authorized by Valente, but we are sure that she, with the irony that has always characterized her, would have laughed to know she became a viral success on social media. In any case, if that delayed and somewhat simplistic memory has served to talk about her, now that she has left us, let us remember the artist in her entirety. We, in our small way, have tried to restore her rightful place among the greats, indeed the very greatest.