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Raffaella Carrà

About:

18 June 1943 - 5 july 2021

Raffaella Roberta Pelloni was born in the city of Bologna. She grows up in the small village Bellaria-Igea Marina in the Rimini province together with her mother Iris and Grandmother Andreina. Her father leaves the family when she is one year old. At the age of four she gets classes in classical ballet. When raffaella is eight years old the family moves to Rome. He she starts to take up acting, singing and more modern dance classes at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. At the start of 1960 she begins her movie career – still under the name Raffaella Pelloni. Throughout the sixties she stars in several national and international movies along side well known stars as Jean Marais, Curd Jürgens, Maurice Chevalier, Michel Piccoli and Marcello Mastroianni. Internationally she is most remembered as a movie actress for her role of Gabriella in 'Von Ryans Express' (1965) with Frank Sinatra in one of the leads.

Her name Carra is adopted for Italian music show where she figures as the partner of Domenico Modugno. She stole the show when coyly revealing her perfect navel which made quiet family men break out in a cold sweat; when her, far from skinny, legs gave some consolation to housewives struggling with the latest point-based diet; when her winning smile made the comic spells of Maga Maghella credible to the little ones. From that moment Raffaella Carra, Italian TV show icon was born. In 1970 she gets her first own TV show called 'Canzionissima'. Parallel to the shows she releases albums with the best songs of that TV season. Hits like 'Ma che musica maestro!', 'Tuca Tuca' and 'Chissà se va' become hits on Italian radio. The show is followed by 'Milleluci' in 1974. This show is co hosted by singer Mina. In 1975 she tries to expand her working territory outside Italy with performances and tours through Western Europe, Russia, Canada, Japan and South America. Especially and this last territory Raffaella would become very popular with her mix of dance, show and song. Parallel to her Italian TV shows she would make Latin shows like 'Hola Raffaella!' and 'La hora de Raffaella Carrà'. Much of her albums are also translated and released in the Spanish and Latin American territory.

In 1977 she has her biggest and in fact only European hit 'A far l'amore comincia tu' which is most remembered for the revealing dress and the chorus 'Liebe Liebe Liebelei'  In 1980 she meets the Argentinean choreographer Sergio Japino in Buenos Aires. The duo start a long lasting relationship in 1982 although they would never marry. Her 1982 TV show 'Fantastico 3' holds the Italian record 20 million viewers at one time. In 1983 she tries to win the San Remo festival with the song 'Soli sulla luna'. Between 1983 and 1985 Raffaella is the first to make an Italian late-night tv show called 'Pronto, Raffaella?'. This is followed by 'Buonasera Raffaella' in 1985 and 'Domenica' in 1987. Raffaella proves to be a cunning businesswoman; she squeezes TV company RAI 4,5 million lira (around 125,000 euro a month) in contract negotiations. The Italian prime minister at the time Bettino Craxi questions her exuberant salary on the cost of the taxpayer. Raffaella responds with the remark that she is the hardest working woman in showbussines and worth every penny: "No Italian gets any poorer on my behalf". But the tone is set. When Silvio Berlusconis offers her seven million lira for a show on his private TV channel 'Canale 5' she does not hesitate. For this channel she makes the popular TV shows 'Raffaella Carrà Show' in 1988 and the 1989 'Il principe azzurro'.

In the nineties she moves to Spain for a long time to work for the Spanish broadcasting society. It would take until 1998 to return to Italy and until 2002 to pick up TV shows for the RAI. In 2002 she presents the lottery show 'Carràmba che sorpresa', followed by 'Sogni' (2004) and 'Il treno dei desideri' and 'Amore' (2006). In 2007 singer Tiziano Ferro honours Raffealla with the song ‘E Raffaella è mia’ for his album 'Nesuno e solo'. She graces Tizziano with a surprise performance at his Roman concert. In 2008 she is in the Spanish jury for the Eurovision songcontest. Carrà died in Rome on 5 July 2021, at the age of 78. The cause of death was held a secret.

On the web:

- Raffaëlla's website: http://www.raffaellacarra.tv
- Fannsite: http://www.raffaellacarrafans.com

What do we think:

PR: Where to start explaining the attraction of Raffaëlle Carrá...? She is is singer, an actress, a dancer, a tv-hostess... but most of all she is 200% showbizz woman. She combines Dalida's expression and performance with the business attitude of madonna. Certainly, she is not the best singer. And not the best actress. And not the best dancer. But with that never-ending energy she grew out to be one of Italy´s most famous tv-personalities. And, whatever you may think of her, she succeeded to maintain a highly succesful (international) career for more than three decades already! So campy as she may be, no Europopmusic collection is complete without at least one Carrà-album.

DB: Another misunderstood icon on the site. If you see Carrá purely as a popsinger you might misunderstand what she is about. Music is just a vessel for Raffaëlla to accompagny her dance routines and show numbers. If you just keep that thought in mind you'll suddenly see the danceacts she performs on Tuca Tuca, Ma che musica and Mio computer song. If that doesn't help buy the DVD and watch some great TV shows and some great music specially written for those shows. One of the European TV originals.

If you like this, you probably like... / european counterparts:

Dalida (France)

Albums:

♪♪♪- Raffaella - 1970

♪♪♪ - Raffaella Carrà - 1971

♪♪♪♪♪ - Raffaella... Senzarespiro - 1972

♪♪♪ - Scatola a Sorpresa - 1973

♪♪♪ - Milleluci - 1974

♪♪♪♪♪ - Felicità tà tà - 1974

♪♪♪♪ - Forte Forte Forte - 1976

♪♪♪ - Fiesta - 1977

♪♪♪♪ - Raffaella - 1978

♪♪♪♪♪ - Applauso - 1979

♪♪ - Mi spendo Tutto - 1980

♪♪ - Raffaella Carrà ’82 - 1982

♪ - Fatalitá - 1984

♪♪♪♪ - Bolero - 1984

♪♪ - Fidati - 1985

♪♪ - Raffaella - 1988

♪♪ - Inviato Speciale - 1990

♪♪ - Rafafella Carra - 1991

♪♪ - Caramba che rumba -1996

♪♪♪♪♪ - Fiësta - 1999

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♪♪♪♪♪ = outstanding album, an absolute must-have
♪♪♪♪ = great album, highly recomended
♪♪♪ = nice album
♪♪ = be careful, requires listening before buying
♪ = best to be avoided