A Masterpiece.

In my search of integration, I have gotten obsessed with learning about the kitschiest parts of Italian culture and recently I was introduced to some of the very best of the worst best that I just had to share it with y'all.


I decided this post needed to be written while Lindsey and Chris were visiting from Pescara. We went to a restaurant and I heard what is possibly one of my favortie Italian songs of all time: Insieme by Mina. In all honesty, months ago I wouldn't say that Mina belonged in this category. She is a wonderful artist with an amazing voice. And I'm such a fan of the lyrics on top of it all. My German friend Linda gave me some of her music and I went through periods where I would play it non-stop. Her hit Parole, Parole, Parole will really get stuck in my head sometimes, but in the good way. While talking over these songs with Gabriele, he finally showed me some of her performances on YouTube. I can't believe I had never thought to watch her before. I'd say she certainly knows how to work a camera. But the strangest part is that at some point she decided not to make any more appearances on television after a huge success there. What a character! I consider her along the Barbra Streisand persuasion, maybe because they are contemporaries with strong pipes.


Gabriele caught on to my enthusiasm for early 70s Italian music and reintroduced me to Raffaella Carrà. I had first heard one of her songs a few months back at a private concert by Pilar, which ended in a wonderfully amusing scene between the sweet voiced Pilar and the host of the concert dancing. The dance happened because the song she sang is called Tuca Tuca and is accompanied with a dance I'd consider a more intimate version of the macarena. Gabriele explained that this song was often played at school dances when he was in middle school (which just made me giggle a lot). Turns out Raffaella is a gay international symbol a la Madonna as a dancer with catchy songs that are popular not only in Italy but also Spain, Brazil, Greece, Russia, and elsewhere. She was also in trouble back in the day with the Vatican because she was the first womanin Italy to ever show her belly button on television! Che scandolo! Anyway, after hours of more clips, I knew I wanted to share a bit with you, but this video sealed the deal. Ladies and Gentlemen: Raffaella on the tour of Italy in Tanti Auguri. A masterpiece.