Raffaella Carrà
Raffaella Maria Roberta Pelloni (born 18 June 1943), better known as Raffaella Carrà (Italian: [raffaˈɛlla karˈra]), is an Italian singer, dancer, television presenter, and actress. She is a popular figure in Europe and Latin America, both as a result of her many well-known taped presentations and records, and because of her many popular TV shows. Carrà is widely regarded as a gay icon.[1][2]
Raffaella Carrà | |
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![]() Carrà in 1974 | |
Born | Raffaella Maria Pelloni 18 June 1943 |
Occupation |
|
Musical career | |
Genres | Latin Ballad |
Instruments | Vocals |
Labels | |
Early life
She was born in Bologna,[3] and took dance lessons there early on. When she was 8 years old, she left Bologna to study at the National Dance Academy (Accademia Nazionale di Danza) in Rome, and started her film career in the 1950s, playing the character of Graziella in Tormento del passato (1952), where she appears credited with her real name.
Career
Actress
![](../I/Giulio_Cesare%252C_il_conquistatore_delle_Gallie-Carr%C3%A0-Pajer.png.webp)
Carrà debuted in cinema at age nine, in Tormento del passato (1952). She did five other movies until 1960 when she graduated from the national film school of Italy. The same year she appeared in Long Night in 1943, and went on to appear in many Italian peplum films, including Fury of the Pagans (1960), Atlas in the Land of the Cyclops (1961), Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules (1961), Ulysses Against the Son of Hercules (1962), Pontius Pilate (1962) and Caesar the Conqueror (1962), as well as comedies and action films such as 5 marines per 100 ragazze (1961), The Terrorist (1963), The Organizer (1963) and La Celestina P... R... (1965).
In 1965, she moved to the United States signing with 20th Century Fox. As Carrà, she starred in the motion picture Von Ryan's Express (1965) with Frank Sinatra, Edward Mulhare, and Trevor Howard. In 1966, she guest starred in an episode of the American television series I Spy (Sophia, as the title character). Feeling homesick, she decided to return to Italy where she starred in several Italian and French films such as Le Saint prend l'affût (1966), the Our Man Flint parody Il vostro super agente Flit (1966), Why Did I Ever Say Yes Twice? (1969) and Cran d'arrêt (1970), as well as a few television shows. However, subsequently her acting career has been scarce with no more than five works mainly for television.
Singing and dancing
Since 1961, Carrà has sung and danced on the variety shows of Italian television. In particular, since the early 1970s, they have contained elaborate choreography, mesmerizing elaborate themes, and her uninhibited style. She was the first television personality to show her belly button on camera. This was met with heavy criticism from the Vatican and from Catholic churches in the countries that watched her show, Canzonissima.[4]
Carrà had a hit song with the sensual Tuca Tuca (1971), written for her singing and dancing television presentations by her long-time collaborator and former boyfriend, Gianni Boncompagni. Similarly, in 1971 Carrà achieved other hits with Ma che musica maestro and Chissà se va.
Her greatest international hit single was Tanti Auguri (Best Wishes), which has become a popular song with gay audiences. The song is also known under its Spanish title Para hacer bien el amor hay que venir al sur (which refers to Southern Europe, since the hit was recorded and taped in Spain). The Estonian version of the song Jätke võtmed väljapoole was performed by Anne Veski.
"A far l'amore comincia tu" (To make love, your move first) was another success for her internationally, known in Spanish as En el amor todo es empezar, in German as Liebelei, in French as Puisque tu l'aimes dis le lui, and in English as Do It, Do It Again. It was her only entry to the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 9 in 1978, where she remains a one-hit wonder.[5] "A far l'amore comincia tu" has also been covered in Turkish by a Turkish singer Ajda Pekkan as "Sakın Sakın Ha". In 1977, she recorded another hit single, Fiesta (Party) originally in Spanish, but then recorded it in French and Italian after the song hit the charts.
![](../I/Raffaella_Carra.jpg.webp)
In 1984, Carrà recorded "Spera, aspetta e spera", Italian version for "Lança Perfume", classic from Rita Lee, the queen of Brazilian rock'n roll. In 1985, Carrà's Starlight Express video was released, using characters, costumes and sets from the show.
Carrà gained new attention in the twenty-first century for her appearance as the female dancing soloist in a 1974 TV performance of the proto-rap funk gibberish song Prisencolinensinainciusol (1973) by Adriano Celentano. A remixed video containing her dancing went viral on the internet in 2008. In 2008 a video of a performance of her only UK hit single, Do It, Do It Again, appeared in the Doctor Who episode Midnight.
Rafaella Carrà worked with Bob Sinclar on the new single Far l'Amore which was released on YouTube on 17 March 2011. The song charted in different European countries., and appeared in the soundtrack of the Italian Academy award winner movie The Great Beauty, directed by Paolo Sorrentino.[6] In May 2011, she presented the Italian points in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Spanish-language market
After her boom in the Italian market of the early 1970s, Carrà moved to Spain, doing television and releasing records in the Spanish language. This led her to move to South America, where her records had been heard for some years. In 1979, she established her headquarters in Buenos Aires, which was under a military dictatorship. Carrà was one of the figures of the ATC, the official television network of Argentina.
She was well received throughout North, Central and South America, and filled the stadiums and theaters wherever she performed. In 1980, she filmed the Barbara musical romantic comedy, also in Buenos Aires, with the most important stars of the region. After appearing in the Festival de Viña del Mar (1982) she returned permanently to Italy. She visited the city of Salto, Uruguay and performed a show in the Parque Harriague.
Discography
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |
---|---|---|---|---|
ITA [7] |
SPA [8][9] | |||
Raffaella |
|
— | — | |
Raffaella Carrà |
|
— | — | |
Raffaella... Senzarespiro |
|
— | — | |
Scatola a sorpresa |
|
— | — | |
Milleluci |
|
— | — | |
Felicità tà tà |
|
— | — |
|
Forte forte forte |
|
— | — | |
Fiesta |
|
— | 4 | |
|
|
— | 27 | |
Applauso |
|
— | — | |
Mi spendo tutto |
|
— | — | |
Raffaella Carrà |
|
— | 19 | |
Raffaella Carrà 82 |
|
— | 18 |
|
Fatalità |
|
— | — | |
Bolero |
|
— | — | |
Fidati! |
|
— | — | |
Curiosità |
|
— | — | |
Raffaella |
|
— | — | |
Inviato speciale |
|
— | — | |
Raffaella Carrà |
|
— | — | |
Hola Raffaella |
|
— | — | |
Carramba che rumba! |
|
— | — | |
Fiesta - I grandi successi |
|
— | — | |
Replay - The Album |
|
32 | 69 | |
Ogni volta che è Natale |
|
11 | — | |
Filmography
Title | Year | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Torment of the Past | 1952 | Graziella | Credited as Raffella Pelloni |
Europa di notte | 1958 | Herself | Credited as Raffaella Pelloni |
Caterina Sforza, la leonessa di Romagna | 1959 | Unknown | Cameo appearance |
Long Night in 1943 | 1960 | Ines Villani | Credited as Raffaella Pelloni |
Fury of the Pagans | 1960 | Maritza | Credited as Raffaella Pelloni |
Il peccato degli anni verdi | 1960 | Diana's friend | Credited as Raffaella Pelloni |
Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules | 1961 | Princess Saliurà | |
Atlas in the Land of the Cyclops | 1961 | Eber | |
Ulysses Against the Son of Hercules | 1962 | Adraste | |
5 marines per 100 ragazze | 1962 | Mirella | |
Pontius Pilate | 1962 | Gessica | |
I Don Giovanni della Costa Azzurra | 1962 | Waitress | Cameo appearance |
Caesar the Conqueror | 1963 | Publia | |
The Terrorist | 1963 | Giuliana | |
The Organizer | 1963 | Bianca | |
La Celestina P... R... | 1965 | Bruna | |
Von Ryan's Express | 1965 | Gabriella | |
Rose rosse per Angelica | 1966 | Angelica | |
Il vostro super agente Flit | 1967 | Aura | |
Le Saint prend l'affût | 1967 | Anita Pavone | |
7 eroiche carogne | 1969 | Sara van Kolstrom | |
Why Did I Ever Say Yes Twice? | 1969 | Teresa Coppa | |
Safety Catch | 1970 | Alberta Radelli | |
Barbara | 1980 | Barbara | |
"FF.SS." – Cioè: "...che mi hai portato a fare sopra a Posillipo se non mi vuoi più bene?" | 1983 | Herself | Cameo appearance |
Colpi di fortuna | 2013 | Herself | Cameo appearance |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1962–1963 | Il paroliere questo sconosciuto | Herself | Talk show, co-host with Lelio Luttazzi |
1964 | I grandi camaleonti | Ortensia | Italian TV Series; 8 episodes |
1965 | Scaramouche | Costanza De Mauriac | Italian TV Miniseries; 4 episodes |
1966 | I Spy | Sophia | American TV Series; episode: "Sophia" |
1970 | Io, Agata e tu | Herself | Co-host alongside Nino Ferrer |
1970–1975 | Canzonissima | Herself | Variety show, co-host with Corrado (3 seasons) |
1971 | Arsène Lupin | Antonina | Italian TV Series; episode: "La donna dai due sorrisi" |
1974 | Milleluci | Herself | Variety show, co-host with Mina |
1976 | La hora de...Raffaella Carra’ | Herself | Spanish Variety show, host |
1978 | Ma che sera | Herself | Variety show, host |
1981 | Millemilioni | Herself | Musical show, host |
1982, 1991 | Fantastico | Herself | Variety show, co-host with various |
1983–1985 | Pronto, Raffaella? | Herself | Talk show, Host |
1985–1986 | Buonasera Raffaella | Herself | Variety-talk show, Host |
1986–1987 | Domenica in | Herself | Talk show, host |
1988 | Raffaella Carrà Show | Herself | Variety show; host |
1989 | Il principe azzurro | Herself | Game show, host |
1990 | ... E saranno famosi | Herself | Variety show, host |
1990–1991 | Ricomincio da due | Herself | Talk show; host |
1992–1994 | Hola Raffaella! | Herself | Spanish Variety-talk show, host |
1993–1994 | A las 8 con Raffaella | Herself | Spanish talk show, host |
1995 | En casa con Raffaella | Herself | Spanish talk show, host |
1995–2009 | Carramba Che sorpresa/fortuna | Herself | Variety show, Host (seasons 1–8) |
1996–1997 | 40 minuti con Raffaella | Herself | Game show, Host |
1997 | Mamma per caso | Nicoletta | Italian TV Miniseries; 4 episodes |
1998 | Centoventitre | Herself | Game show, host |
1999 | I Fantastici di Raffaella | Herself | Game show, Host |
2001 | Festival di Sanremo | Herself | Musical show, host |
2001 | Dopo il Festival tutti da me | Herself | Talk show, host |
2004 | Sogni | Herself | Variety show; host |
2006 | Amore | Herself | Charity show; host |
2008 | Salvemos Eurovision/Europasion | Herself | Spanish Variety show, host |
2011 | Eurovision Song Contest | Herself | Musical show, commentator |
2013–2016 | The Voice of Italy | Herself | Talent show, Coach (seasons 1–2, 4) |
2015 | Forte forte forte | Herself | Talent show, judge and creator |
2016 | 60 años juntos | Herself | Spanish Tv Special, host |
2019 | A raccontare comincia tu | Herself | Talk show, Host |
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Raffaella Carrà. |
- Meccia, Ernesto (14 June 2013). "Con Raffaella todo es empezar". Página/12 (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 August 2018.
- Pacho, Lorena (19 June 2018). "Raffaella Carrà, el mito cumple 75 años". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 August 2018.
- Profile Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Stradanove.net. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
- "Raffaella Carra – Italian Music". Retrieved 23 June 2015
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 95. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBSd272VwLw
- "Discography Raffaella Carrà". Italiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- "Discography Raffaella Carrà". Spanishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ""Rumore" di Raffaella Carrà: il successo della disco-music italiana". Metropolitan Magazine. 18 June 2020. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
External links
- Raffaella Carrà at the Internet Movie Database
- Raffaella Carrà at the MSN