Ornella Vanoni 1961 LP debut

Together with Mina and Milva, Vanoni is remembered as one of the three italian goddesses of pop music in the 1960s and beyond - each of them different in their own way - knowing Vanoni only from her later recordings where she gently croons and sounds detached, it is a great surprise to hear her first LP that shows her in completely different light.

These are songs already previously recorded (and in some cases released as singles) several years earlier when Vanoni actually started in theatre - in Bertolt Brecht no less - many if them about "underworld" life and life of crime. At this time Vanoni was known as a "Underworld Singer" - there is a song "Sentii Come La Vosa La Sirena" where one can clearly hear police siren in the background. The biggest surprise is lady's voice which at this point was very plummy, rich, creamy and much deeper than later when she changed her singing style and focused on gentle crooning. One can easily imagine her singing these songs in the theatre. Also present is unmistakable sound of Ennio Morricone who is arranger here, he frames Vanoni's song about mafia with cinematic sounds that precedes his own "Once upon a time in the West" soundtrack. Because album is so different from everything else singer did later in her career, I find it completely fascinating - this is not simple pop music but slightly disturbing & ominous sound and therefore still fresh, in fact sounds far more interesting and contemporary than most of her later pop material. Songs sung with only a guitar ("Le Mantellate","La Zolfara") are highlight and my own personal favorite, while mainstream public probably went for more romantic and lush sound of ballads like "Senza Fine" and " Me in Tutto Mondo" where sophisticated orchestration pointed towards french chanson and Vanoni uses different, more restrained voice that would became her trademark. In a way, its almost like a photo album where one can hear how singer developed from theatrical artist to a ballad stylist. Fascinating. How I wish she stuck to this dangerous "underworld" music!

Italian music: Claudio Villa and Ornella Vanoni

One of the joys of my travels is the fact that I can easy find local music, that I would not find elsewhere. Unfortunately CD shops are slowly disappearing but occasionally good luck serves me still so in Italy I stumbled upon 3Cd compilation of Claudio Villa - it was sold on news agent kiosk together with other packages on offer (movies,magazines, shampoos and tampons) which shows how people perceive music these days - back to Claudio Villa,he was one of the brightest and most important names in italian music of 1950s and 1960s, true representative of schooled Bel Canto singing. I opened this package and listened in amazement, what a voice! - it must be one of the prettiest man's voices ever - Villa was tenor with a beautiful sound who obviously loved singing and it shows in his music, one romantic ballad after another (peppered with occasional Neapolitan or classical piece), I can't believe that italians are offering this stunning compilation for nothing on a news agent kiosk! First two CDs are covering 1950s and 1960s when Claudio Villa was king of San Remo festival, Cd nr.3 covers 1970s when he was still powerful voiced but slightly nostalgic older veteran who sang and recorded pre-WW2 repertoire like "Chitarra Romana" and "Funiculì Funiculá" - in my opinion Claudio Villa is GOD.

Another local singer I really listen carefully these days is Ornella Vanoni. Together with Mina and Milva,Vanoni is remembered as one of the biggest female stars of 1960s, however her style is quite different from other ladies as she does not belt but gently croons and sounds a bit detached. I have discovered her very first LP album from 1961. that absolutely fascinates me because it shows her in completely different light - more like actress she was at the beginning of the career - music is theatrical and arrangements done by great Ennio Morricone so everything sounds like some mad cinema music with lots of special effects in the background and Vanoni herself is actually passionate and very involved here. This first album of her must be my favorite Vanoni album.

"Straighten up and fly right": Helen Shapiro

Shapiro's voice basically never changed from those early 1960s days - she is still deep voiced wonder of the nature with very expressive instrument that only got better with years and it's a revelation to hear that voice singing not simple children's ditties like "Walking back to happiness" but some serious jazz colored material like "Cry me a river" or Cole Porter/Nat Cole/Irving Berlin songbook.

This being 1983. arrangements are heavy on synthesizers (fashion of the time, remember?) that might sound thin to today's listeners but I guess it was right back than and it does brings ancient material little up-to-date , though one could also point that this kind of classy repertoire perhaps don't need updating gimmick, the music and lyrics are written in stone as immortal classics. It is interesting to see how much Shapiro has moved from her early pop days to this 1980s jazz incarnation - she could definitely earn more had she stayed in pop arena,so this is a labour of love. The whole album is nicely swinging, synth jazz collection with hand picked highlight after highlight ("You go to my head", "Serenade in blue") and if you ever wondered whatever happened to Helen Shapiro after that first, initial early 1960s burst of glory, here is the answer - she grew up and turned her attention to jazz, that chocolate voice as good as ever,if not even better.

Prima Donna : a history (Rupert Christiansen)

Hugely entertaining book that follows centuries of phenomenon called "prima donna" (it was "virtuosa" and "cantatrice" in earlier times) from now-fogotten Mrs Tofts to present times - it definitely needs fresh update as we got newer voices in the meantime. Christiansen has a gift of turning potentially dry facts into interesting story and compares how one generations or style influenced the later artists. Along the way he has a thing or two to say about composers and conductors who had to put up with spoiled singers ("Nobody knows the Troubels I've seen" Rudolf Bing about Helen Traubel) and more often than not we got a picture of women who simply pushed everybody else around them to respect high standards. True, Christiansen has his own opinions about voices and I don't always agree with him but it's still the book is fascinating peek in a world that has its own rules. In the last chapter, he wisely recognizes the curious fact that people tend to appreciate stars of yesterday more than contemporary ones and that this is nothing new, every generation is showing this tendency to put up old names on pedestal and only the long gone stars are the real ones. I read this book several times from start to finish and always enjoyed it immensely.

Farewell Helga Vlahović

Dear Helga Vlahović just left us, what a sad news.

Vlahović was a famous TV presenter, visiting our homes for decades - hers was a very elegant face and soothing voice, she was a true lady from a generation of TV presenters who held themselves with class and style, probably they had some serious training because all the famous TV people from that time actually appear cultivated and educated as opposite to today's TV presenters. When I was growing up, people like Helga Vlahović were always present in various TV shows and in fact for many of us she represented TV Zagreb - hers was the voice and face always impeccably professional on many TV shows and programs, but what I remember the best about her was one unexpected appearance during the war (so it must be around 1991-92) when she came at the end of TV program (after midnight) and gave us a speech about life and how suffering and happiness are both part of it. At that particular day we had just bad news, bombs and air raids so the whole country was spiraling into depression and there was Helga suddenly, unexpected, looking at us like some big mother with her gentle voice and familiar face, telling us that this will also pass and nothing is forever. What a nice lady.

Farewell Helga Vlahović and be happy, wherever you are. You are not forgotten.