Farewell to Milva, one of the greatest interpreters of Italian song. The artist, real name Maria Ilva Biolcati, was 81 years old and was nicknamed the ‘Pantera di Goro’, from her hometown in the province of Ferrara, or simply ‘Milva the Red’, due to the hair color that has also become the title of a famous song written for her by Enzo Jannacci.
She had cancer and on March 26 she reported on Facebook that she was vaccinated against Covid-19.
I get vaccinated because I care about my life and the life of others. Do it too. We need to come back to life …
Posted by Milva on Friday, 26 March 2021
Milva’s life and career
In over 50 years of career she has passed through musical genres very distant from each other thanks to a unique ability and talent for interpretation. His artistic stature is testified by the success obtained not only in Italy, but also in Germany, where he often participated in musical events on the main television channels, but he has also successfully released records in France, Japan, South Korea, Greece, Spain. and South America. He has sold over 80 million records and is the Italian artist with the largest number of albums made: 173 including studio albums, live albums and collections.
She has had official recognition from the Italian, French and German Republics and is the only Italian artist to be simultaneously Officer of the Ordre des arts et des lettres, Officer of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and Knight of the Legion of Honor of the French Republic. The ‘Pantera di Goro’ was part of the quartet of the great Italian female voices of the sixties and seventies, with Mina (the Tiger of Cremona), Iva Zanicchi (the Eagle of Ligonchio) and Orietta Berti (the Nightingale of Cavriago). After having worked in the light theater with Gino Bramieri and David Riondino, the great success and consecration as an interpreter comes with Giorgio Strehler under whose direction she becomes one of the most important Italian theater actresses. Her main repertoire becomes that of Bertolt Brecht’s theater of which she becomes the greatest Italian interpreter and one of the most appreciated in the international arena. To Brecht’s songs Milva has dedicated four record projects and many theatrical recitals (‘Milva canta Brecht’). At the same time he continues his career as a singer through the recording of important albums, with which Ennio Morricone, Francis Lai, Miks Theodraks, up to Vangelis, Enzo Jannacci and Franco Battiato collaborate. He has participated in the Sanremo Festival 15 times, obtaining two second places and four third places. In 2018 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival which was collected by her daughter.