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Caterina Valente

"Caterina Valente is more a jazz singer than many artists so identified in the U.S. Her conception, phrasing, and timbre are exceptional." -Leonard Feather: The Encyclopedia of Jazz

“A VOCAL SUPERSTAR IN ANY LANGUAGE!” The Los Angeles Times said it, and who are we to argue?

In 1954 Caterina Valente introduced herself to European audiences with her recordings of “Istanbul” and “I love Paris”. In 1955 Gordon MacRea presented her on the “Colgate Comedy Hour” as the “Malaguena” Girl. This was followed by the worldwide hit “The Breeze and I”.

Las Vegas critics raved about the extraordinary talent of the young European vocalist who could sing in 12 languages and she soon found the spotlight on TV, at the Hollywood Palace and Dean Martin was so impressed he invited her on his TV show at least a dozen times. Danny Kaye, Perry Como and Bing Crosby often featured her as well, along with other TV hosts. In “The Entertainers” aired in 1964/65 she shared the bill with Carol Burnett, Dom DeLuise and Bob Newhart and was awarded the FAME Award as best vocalist on American television.

From the mid fifties to the eighties German, Italian, Swiss and Austrian Television produced more than a dozen series of Valente-Shows and her guest spots over the globe are uncountable.

Among others, she has performed with Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, toured extensively in concert with Woody Herman, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Buddy Rich and has recorded with Sy Oliver, Claus Ogerman and Chet Baker just to name a few.

Born in Paris of Italian parents, once married to a German then to an Englishman Caterina Valente easily related to fans wherever she performed, particularly in Europe. She stormed the charts in Germany with “Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe” and Tipitipitipso” becoming the queen of German Schlager. In Italy romantic ballads like “Nessuno al mondo” and “Till” brought he gold records. The Grand Prix du Disque was her award in France for “Bimbombey” and she topped the charts in the US and the UK with the before mentioned “Malaguena” and “The Breeze and I”.

She starred in 12 European movie-musicals; she dances (less exuberantly since undergoing two major hip operations); and is a virtuoso on the guitar, having strummed the instrument in an orchestra when only a teen-ager.

Major awards from Italy, Germany (2 crosses of merit), France (officer of artistic education), Brazil, Japan as well as the USA (including a best female vocalist Grammy nomination) document her artistic and civil achievements throughout the years.

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Album Review

Caterina Valente/Catherine Michel: "Girltalk"

Read ""Girltalk"" reviewed by Dave Nathan


This isn't a jazz album and even though it was released by a top jazz label and Nagel-Heyer doesn't claim that it is. Remember Caterina Valente who more than 45 years ago swept America with such pop hits as “I Love Paris" and one of the most exciting vocal versions of “Maleguena" ever. In the year 2000, she joined a major classical harpist Catherine Michel for a program of Latin and European songs, American standards and classical music.

Fluent in ...

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Video / DVD

Caterina Valente and Michel Legrand in Concert, 1972

Caterina Valente and Michel Legrand in Concert, 1972

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Caterina Valente is one of the most prolific and exceptional all-around entertainers in the second half of the last century. An Italian who was born in France in 1931, Valente grew up in a musical family. She played guitar, was well versed in jazz, danced and spoke six languages and sang in 11, which helped her become one of the most recorded global vocalists and most in-demand performers in Europe. Michel Legrand, of course, was one of the finest composer-pianists ...

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Recording

Chet Baker + Caterina Valente

Chet Baker + Caterina Valente

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

As the summer of 1955 began to dissolve into pre-autumn, Chet Baker made plans to head off to Europe to perform with a new rhythm section: Dick Twardzik (p), Jimmy Bond (b) and Peter Littman (d). Their first stop was in the Netherlands in mid-September followed by Germany and France. But a month into the tour, Twardzik died of a heroin overdose in Paris at age 24. Baker continued on, employing local pianists along the way. He also became friendly ...


Caterina Valente is simply the greatest female entertainer in the world! Jack O’Brian, Syndicated Column, USA, 1964
Ela è a maior do mundo! Folha de Tarde, BRASIL, 1968
Few, even among the celestial ones, reveal such proficency along with special magic Variety, USA, 1969
“… dass sie so vieles und vieles so ausserordentlich gut kann, dass sie alle Konkurrenten in ihrer Branchenumgebung lässig in den Schatten stellt und dass sie dem Sinatra auf jeden Fall die Stimme voraus hat” Die Zeit, Deutschland, 1969
Courez voir et entendre Caterina Valente! Sa voix est d’une pureté et d’une souplesse rares et tous son numéro est un feu d’artifice! Le Figaro, France, 1970
Don’t miss Caterina the great! A dynamic performer, in the same league as Sammy Davis Jr, Lena Horne..

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