The roles she played were mostly the goody-two-shoes-girl-next-door kind of characters, with trivial novelty songs that became big record hits. This was followed by leading roles in box office musical film hits such as “Liebe, Tanz und 1000 Schlager” (1955) with Peter Alexander and “Casino de Paris “(1957) with Vittorio de Sica and her childhood friend Gilbert Bécaud Her debut as a film actress was in 1954 with a small role as a singer in the thriller “They Were So Young”. But the record gets a successful spin on American radio and low and behold becomes a major hit. The third recording, Cole Porter’s “I love Paris” in German (Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe) becomes a mega hit in German speaking countries, with more than 500’000 copies sold, which for 1954 is unheard of.Ĭaterina Valente – Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe (I Love Paris) 1954Īt the same time she records Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona’s Malaguena, again in German with an unsuccessful release in central Europe. Her Second recording: A novelty song in a Latin Style imitation arrangement sung in German called “O mama O mamajo” seemed to be liked by German Audiences.
Hence the first record: a Jazz/Swing version of Istanbul in English. Caterina’s husband sent the tapes to all the major Radio Stations in Germany which got Caterina an audition at the Radio in Baden Baden for Jazz Band Leader Kurt Edelhagen, who after the audition claimed- he had found the most musical woman in the world.Ĭaterina declined the invitation to become the band’s singer but gladly accepted to collaborate on various projects. Successful it was, to the point that the Director of Radio Zurich invited her to a recording session where Caterina recorded a handful of songs accompanying her self on all instruments. After initial misgivings (who had ever seen a Singer/Dancer as a circus act?), Caterina gave in with the condition that if it wasn’t a success she would stop immediately. The famous Clown Grock, who was a close friend of the Valente Family, had asked Caterina to perform her act and be part of the program. In 1953 the Juggling Drummer was part of the bill of the Circus Grock Swiss Tour. The local people serenade the bandit protagonists with it as they leave Angel's Mexican village.By 1952 Caterina had left the Family act, got married and toured the USO Clubs in Europe and North Africa with her Juggler/Drummer husband. The song figures prominently in the 1969 film The Wild Bunch, directed by Sam Peckinpah and scored by Jerry Fielding. Felice & Boudleaux Bryant wrote lyrics in English, as "She Wears My Ring", which was first recorded by Jimmy Sweeney (also known as Jimmy Bell) in 1960 with notable cover versions by Roy Orbison (1962), Ray Price and Solomon King (both 1968), and Elvis Presley (1973).
The song has also been recorded by Caterina Valente (1959), Nat King Cole (1962), Plácido Domingo (1984), Flaco Jiménez (1992, instrumental), and Caetano Veloso (1994). A guitar instrumental was recorded by Chet Atkins in 1955. The song was recorded in 1906 by Señor Francisco. It became the signature song of the exiled Mexicans. The Spanish lyrics use the image of a migrating swallow to evoke sentiments of longing for the homeland. The lyrics come from a poem written in Arabic by the last Abencerrages king of Granada, Aben Humeya, in a translation by Niceto de Zamacois, which Sevilla found in a magazine used as packing material. "La golondrina" (English: "The Swallow") is a song written in 1862 by Mexican physician Narciso Serradell Sevilla (1843-1910), who at the time was exiled to France due to the French intervention in Mexico.