L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano T h e s o n g Mamma has a special place in I t a l i a n m u s i c h i s t o r y , b o t h b e c a u s e o f i t s u n i v e r s a l theme, maternal love, and the many famous artists to whom it is associated. The song was composed in 1940 by Cesare Andrea Bixio, with lyrics by Bixio Cherubini, a known arti- stic duo. Born in Naples on O c t o b e r 1 1 , 1 8 9 6 , C e s a r e Andrea was a prolific Italian c o m p o s e r , k n o w n f o r h i s c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o p o p u l a r music in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. His repertoire i n c l u d e d c l a s s i c s s u c h a s Vivere, Parlami d'amore, Mariù, and La mia canzo- ne al vento. H i s c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h lyricist Bixio Cherubini was especially fruitful: in fact, their artistic partnership well represented what a suc- c e s s f u l s y n e r g y b e t w e e n composer and lyricist could b e , a n d o r i g i n a t e d m a n y very popular songs, all sym- bols of the passion and sen- timentality of wartime and post-war Italy. Mamma fit- ted perfectly into this for- mat. It was introduced during a period when songs about maternal love were quite popular, not least because o f t h e c e n t r a l r o l e o f motherhood in Fascist cul- ture. However, it was espe- c i a l l y t h e r e s i l i e n c e a n d c o u r a g e o f w a r t i m e mothers, who would regu- larly see their sons leave for war, that was celebrated in Bixio and Cherubini's song. The 1940s were marked by global upheaval, with fami- lies experiencing separa- tion, loss, and uncertainty d u e t o W o r l d W a r I I . I n such times, songs that recal- l e d t h e c o m f o r t i n g a n d s t e a d f a s t p r e s e n c e o f m o t h e r s p r o v i d e d s o l a c e a n d a s e n s e o f s t a b i l i t y . Mamma, so, soon became an anthem of gratitude and affection, and a representa- tion of the profound bond between a child and their mother. What many don't know is t h a t M a m m a h a d b e e n c o m p o s e d a s p a r t o f t h e soundtrack for an epony- m o u s m o v i e , d i r e c t e d b y Guido Brignone and relea- s e d i n 1 9 4 1 . I n t h e f i l m , famous tenor Beniamino G i g l i p o r t r a y e d a s i n g e r returning from the United States with his American wife (interpreted by another idol of the time, German actress Carola Höhn), to r e u n i t e w i t h h i s a g i n g mother just in time to fulfill h e r d y i n g w i s h . T h e f i l m was filled with positive ste- reotypes of the times, inclu- ding the American dream of Italian immigrants, their nostalgia for their home- land, and the truthfulness of the ultimate rule of amor v i n c i t o m n i a , " l o v e triumphs over everything." F u n n i l y e n o u g h , G i g l i ' s interpretation of Bixio and C h e r u b i n i ' s s o n g b e c a m e more popular and enduring in people's memory than the movie itself. It wasn't surprising, then, that in 1958, one of Italy's most famous interpreters, C l a u d i o V i l l a , r e p r i s e d Mamma and made it popu- l a r a g a i n a m o n g a w h o l e new set of listeners. Villa's rendition was especially tou- ching, thanks to his ability to emphatically deliver any song and fill it with pathos. Villa's version also introdu- ced the song to international listeners and contributed to its widespread success out- side of Italy. C l a u d i o V i l l a — b o r n Claudio Pica on January 1, 1 9 2 6 , i n t h e T r a s t e v e r e district of Rome — was an Italian tenor whose career l a s t e d s e v e r a l d e c a d e s . V i l l a ' s u p b r i n g i n g i n a m o d e s t n e i g h b o r h o o d influenced his musical style, which often reflected the feelings and stories of every- day people. He began his singing career in the 1940s, performing in small venues and gradually gaining reco- g n i t i o n f o r h i s p o w e r f u l voice and emotive delivery. Villa's popularity grew expo- nentially and earned him t h e a f f e c t i o n a t e t i t l e I l Reuccio (The Little King). Villa's interpretation of Advancing our Legacy: Italian Community Services CASA FUGAZI If you know of any senior of Italian descent in San Francisco needing assistance, please contact: ItalianCS.org | (415) 362-6423 | info@italiancs.com Italian Community Services continues to assist Bay Area Italian-American seniors and their families navigate and manage the resources needed to live healthy, independent and productive lives. Since Shelter-in-Place began in San Francisco, Italian Community Services has delivered over 240 meals, over 900 care packages and made over 2000 phone wellness checks for our seniors. Mamma played a signifi- cant role in strengthening the song's status as a clas- sic, thanks to his ability to convey deep emotion, and to fully capture the essence of the song. Villa's perfor- m a n c e a l s o i n t r o d u c e d M a m m a t o i n t e r n a t i o n a l listeners, contributing to its widespread acclaim.Throu- g h o u t h i s c a r e e r , V i l l a achieved remarkable suc- cess, recording over 3,000 songs and selling approxi- mately 45 million records worldwide. His contribu- tions to Italian music were f u r t h e r c e m e n t e d b y h i s four victories at the Sanre- mo Music Festival in 1955, 1957, 1962, and 1967. Villa's repertoire extended beyond traditional songs to include also operatic arias, which showed his versatility as a vocalist. As we said, the popularity of Mamma extended across Italian borders, with nume- rous foreign artists offering t h e i r i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s . I n 1946, English lyrics were penned by Harold Barlow and Phil Brito, leading to a p o p u l a r r e n d i t i o n t h a t charted in May of that year under the title Mama. Briti- sh singer David Whitfield also achieved success with his 1955 version, which rea- ched number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. Famously, in 1959, American singer Con- nie Francis recorded an E n g l i s h v e r s i o n t i t l e d M a m a , w h i c h a c h i e v e d significant success, reaching number two on the UK Sin- g l e s C h a r t a n d n u m b e r eight on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Such cross-cultural appeal speaks volumes about the song's universal theme, but a l s o s a y s a l o t a b o u t t h e quality of its musical com- position. Today, Mamma remains a n i c o n o f I t a l i a n m u s i c , even though its sentimenta- lity may feel a tad passé to most. Some even think that its lyrics only reiterate the old stereotype of Italians b e i n g m a m a ' s b o y s ( o r mammoni), an image we'd all, perhaps, prefer to shed. At the same time, there isn't a person over the age of 30 i n t h e p e n i n s u l a w h o wouldn't recognize the song when played, which, all in all, is a pretty incredible achievement in itself! Mamma: an Italian music classic FRANCESCA BEZZONE LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE TRADITIONS Claudio Villa was one of the inter- preters of Mamma (By Unknown author - Italian magazine Radiocorriere, Wikicommons/ Public Domain)

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