Alberto Rabagliati
Alberto Rabagliati (
Milan,
26 June 1906 -
Rome,
7 March 1974) was
Italy's first pop star.
In
1927 Alberto Rabagliati moved to
Hollywood from native
Italy as the winner of a
Rudolph Valentino look-alike contest. He later recalled:
"For someone like me, who had seen no more than Lake Como or Monza's cathedral so far, finding myself on board a luxury steamer with three cases full of clothes, a few rolls of dollars, granduchesses and countesses flirting with me was something extraordinary".
He remained four years in
America, but his career as an
actor never took off. During his stay he had however the opportunity to get to know new
musical genres such as
jazz,
swing,
scat.
Back in
Europe he became a
singer. After a brief experience with
Pippo Barzizza's
orchestra, he joined the
Lecuona Cuban Boys, a
Cuban band. He performed with his face painted black and made a hit with the song
Maria la O.
While with the Lecuona Cuban Boys he met
Giovanni D'Anzi who proposed him an audition with Italian state
radio station
EIAR. Rabagliati soon became a radio star, and in
1941 even had his own radio show. Every Monday night EIAR aired
Canta Rabagliati ("Rabagliati sings"), with the singer presenting his most famous songs such as
Ma l'amore no,
Mattinata fiorentina,
Ba-ba-baciami piccina,
Silenzioso slow,
Bambina innamorata.
He was so popular that his name was sung in the lyrics of
La famiglia canterina,
Quando canta Rabagliati,
Quando la radio. Female audience went crazy for him, and covered him with red roses at every performance. At a time when anything foreign was banned, the idol Rabagliati was allowed to maintain his American-influenced style. Indeed, the
Fascist government decided to make use of his popularity by choosing his song
Sposi (c'è una casetta piccina) ("Wed (there's a little home)") as their demographic campaign anthem.
His enormous fame as a singer helped his acting career restart. From
1940 to
1965 he starred in some twenty movies, including
The Barefoot Contessa,
Montecarlo,
Il Vedovo.
Rabagliati was active also on the stage until mid
1950s. He performed in musical reviews and commedies by
Garinei and Giovannini.
His last public appearance was in
1974 as a guest in the TV show
Milleluci hosted by
Mina and
Raffaella Carrà. Soon afterwards he died of cerebral
thrombosis.
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Filmography
