1950s & 1960s Imported Italian magazines

Elizabeth Taylor at Oggi, 16 March 1961; Mina, 2nd February 1961.

Sophia Loren in Oggi, 28 September 1961; Mina Mazzini, 1963.

Claudia Cardinale in 'Il Musichiere', 15 Aprile 1961. 

Claudia Cardinale at Oggi, 7 February 1963; Cardinale at Sorrisi e Canzoni, 3rd April 1966.

Cardinale in 'Epoca', 17 Febbraio 1963; Rita Pavone & Peggy March in 'Oggi' 30 Jan 1964.

Philips Italiana nel Brasile

Philips is not the kind of label one usually would link to Italian hits. In 1967, when the Italian Invasion was on the wane, Brazilian Philips released a Fausto Leali single that would conquer the hearts of many people: 'A chi', a cover of 'Hurt' that Timi Yuro took to #4 on 31 July 1961. This single would play day and night at our record player. 

'Hurt' is a 1954 song by Jimmie Crane & Al Jacobs. It was originally recorded by Roy Hamilton, peaking at #8 on the R&B charts spending 7 weeks on it. 

MILVA in Brasile

Talking to a friend of mine who's very partial about Milva, I told him Milva had been in Brazil twice in the 1960s. As I could not pinpoint the actual date I started on a quest to discover when Milva actually visited Brazil.

Milva actually missed the 'Italian invasion' of Brazil (1963-1967) altogether. In fact, Celly Campello, Brazilian queen of rock from 1959-1962, covered Milva's 'Flamenco rock' in 1962, as her last single before she got married and retired from the limelight. Celly's recording played a lot on the radio but Milva's original was never heard.

'Nessuno di voi' (Gorni Kramer-Pallavicini) was the first time I heard Milva. It was a track in a compilation album recorded live at the Festival di San Remo in 1966. 'San Remo '66' was produced by Brazilian DJ Miguel Vacccaro Netto using tapes of Radio Montecarlo which broadcast the event live. 

'Flamenco rock' (Malgoni-Carlaggi) becomes ' Flamengo rock' (Malgoni-Romeu Nunes) 

recorded 'live' straight from San Remo's Casino Auditorium.

original Cetra single.

I researched 'Intervalo' magazine for an answer and got it.

'Intervalo' n.221 says Milva would visit Brazil in April or May 1967.

six weeks later 'Intervalo' n.227 claims Milva had been signed by TV Tupi to perform in Sao Paulo, Rio, Brasilia and Porto Alegre. 

'Intervalo' n.229 says Milva received a lot of money for her Brazilian tour; a 2nd note says Juca Chaves was Milva's constant partner while she stayed in Sao Paulo.

'Intervalo' n.230 actually shows photos of Milva while she visited the weekly magazine offices in May 1967.

These were the most popular TV programmes in Rio de Janeiro in the week Milva toured the country; 'Intervalo' n.230. As one can see Channel 4, TV Globo was already the top TV station in Rio. Channel 13 was TV Rio came as the runner-up. 

Milva in the pages of 'Melodias' during her May 1967 visit; Milva met with Enza Flori and orchestra conductor Spósito both signed to Chantecler which distributed Ricordi in Brazil.

Milva was born Maria Ilva Biocalti in Goro, Italy on 17 July 1938, having enjoyed the height of her fame throughout the '60s and ’70s, also cultivating a fan base around the world. Famously referred to as “La Rossa” (the Redhead), given the colour of her hair, she recorded 173 albums throughout her life.

Milva died on 23rd April 2021, at home in Milano after a somewhat long illness. 

Brazilian movie star Norma Benguel holds a copy of Milva's album at her home in Rome in 1963. La Benguel was impressed with Milva's style of singing and it shows in her smiling face...

NICO FIDENCO

Looking back at the chart action of Italian acts in Brazil during the so-called 'Italian invasion' (1963-1967) one can clearly see that Rita Pavone was the #1 act followed by Sergio Endrigo, Bobby Solo. Pino Donaggio and Nico Fidenco.

Nico Fidenco was actually the first act to break through the Brazilian charts with 'Legata a un granello di sabbia' in 1963.

Fidenco's first 2 albums sold a lot of copies and he had quite a few hits with 'Tutta la gente' (1963), 'Se mi perderai' (1964), 'Con te sulla spiaggia' (1964) and finally 'A casa d'Irene' in 1965.

by May 1965, the Italian wave was abating but Nico Fidenco went up the charts with 'A casa d'Irene' which tells the story of a mysterious brothel in a world resembling 'Blade runner'...

Nico Fidenco née Domenico Collarossi on 24 January 1933, in Rome. He made the grade circa 1961, when 'Legata a un granello di sabbia' went to #1 in Italy and crossed over to the European continent as well as Latin America. 

1960 - What a Sky / Su nel cielo (RCA Serie Europa – PM45 1109)

1961 - Non è vero / Una voce d'angelo (RCA Serie Europa – PM45 1127)

1961 - Il mondo di Suzie Wong / Tornerai... Suzie (RCA Serie Europa – PM45 1144)

1961 - Legata a un granello di sabbia / Ridi, ridi (RCA Serie Europa – PM45 1166)

1962 - Tutta la gente / Lejos me voy (RCA Serie Europa – PM45 3133)

1963 - Una donna nel mondo / Perché non piango più (RCA Italiana – PM45 3167)

1963 - Tutta la gente / Mondo meraviglioso (RCA Serie Europa – PM45 3169)

1963 - Se mi perderai / Goccia di mare (RCA Italiana – PM45 3199)

1963 - Cleopatra / Non mi chiedi mai (RCA Italiana – PM45 3222)

1963 - Hud / Ciò che rimane alla fine di un amore (RCA Italiana – PM45 3224)

1964 - Con te sulla spiaggia / Mi devi credere (RCA Italiana – PM45 3255)

1964 - A casa d'Irene / Ma dai (RCA Italiana – PM45 3299)

1965 - L'uomo che non sapeva amare / Tu non sei l'altra (RCA Italiana – PM45 3311)

Nico Fidenco visits Brazil for the 2nd time; sings at Teatro Record from 12 to 16 May 1965.

Rita Pavone's Brazilian 1st release: August 1963; Nico Fidenco & Tony Campello

As one can see by these ads at Radiolândia mid-1963... the trend was towards the ascendancy of the Modern Italian Music coming from the Peninsula... 

fortnightly 'Radiolandia' - 15 August 1963 - shows an ad of the release of  Rita Pavone's very first record in Brazil: an Extended Play containing 4 tracks: 'La partita di pallone', 'Come te non c'è nessuno', 'Alla mia età' & 'Clementine Chérie'; 

Radiolandia 15 September 1963 also brings an ad of Nico Fidenco's newest album called 'Canta Nico Fidenco' (BBL-149); That was Fidenco's 2nd album; his 1st LP 'Nico Fidenco' (BBL-124) had been released in May 1963 featuring 'Legata a un granello di sabbia' which went to the top of the charts.

At the same issue (15 Sept 1963) Radiolandia shows an ad of Tony Campello's newest album 'Não te esqueças de mim' (Non ti scordar di me) recorded originally by Frankie Avalon.   

1. 'Não te esqueças de mim' (Non ti scordar di me) Curtis-Richter-Furno; v.: Fred Jorge

2. 'Esta noite' (Tonight could be the night) Virgil Johnson from The Velvets; v.: Fred Jorge

3. 'Presa a um grãzinho de areia' (Legata a un granello di sabbia) Marchetti-Fidenco; v. Nazareno de Brito;  4. 'Moon River' (Henry Mancini-Johnny Mercer);

5. 'Quando, quando, quando' (Tony Renis-Testa; v.: Teixeira Filho)

6. 'Vamos fingir' (Making believe) Schwope; v.: Fred Jorge

1. 'Como sinfonia' (Come sinfonia) Pino Donaggio; v.: Romeu Nunes

2. 'Não toque esta canção' (Don't play that song, you lied) Ertegum-Nelson; v.: Hamilton di Giorgio; 3. 'Non esser timida' (Little lonely one) Del Prete;

4. 'Pingo d'água' (Raindrops) D.Clark; v.: Nick Savoia

5. 'Quem me faz sofrer' (Mattinata) Leon Cavallo; adapt.: Fred Jorge

6. 'O dia do amor' (Our day will come) Hilliard; v.: Fred Jorge.

 

Tony Campello's album 'Não te esqueças de mim', released mid-1963.

Roberto Carlos shows his preference for Gigliola

Sergio Endrigo & Roberto Carlos win big in San Remo 1968.

'Fatos & Fotos', 21st March 1968. 

weekly magazine 'Revista do Radio' asked a few show-business people in 1969 - what female singer they thought was the most charming of all. Roberto Carlos chose Gigliola Cinquetti. He must have met Gigliola at San Remo in 1968, when Carlos sang Sergio Endrigo's 'Canzone per te' and Cinquetti sang 'Sera'.

Rock star Roberto Carlos confesses he is charmed by Gigliola Cinquetti.

Gigliola Cinquetti & Roberto Carlos in Italy in 1968 (most likely). 

Roberto Carlos during his stay in Milan, July 1968.

R.C. and Sergio Endrigo in the summer of 1968.