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In 1954, Caterina Valente made her European debut with recordings of "Istanbul" and "I Love Paris." In 1955, Gordon MacRae introduced her as the "Malaguena" Girl on the "Colgate Comedy Hour." This was followed by the global hit "The Breeze and I."
Las Vegas critics praised the extraordinary talent of the young European singer, who performed in 12 languages. She soon gained prominence on television, appearing on the Hollywood Palace, and impressed Dean Martin enough to be invited on his show over a dozen times. Danny Kaye, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, and other TV hosts frequently featured her. During "The Entertainers" (1964/65), she performed alongside Carol Burnett, Dom DeLuise, and Bob Newhart, earning the FAME Award as best vocalist on American television.
From the mid-1950s through the 1980s, German, Italian, Swiss, and Austrian TV produced over a dozen series featuring Valente, and her global guest appearances were countless.
She performed with legends such as Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, and Ella Fitzgerald, toured extensively with Woody Herman, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and Buddy Rich, and recorded with Sy Oliver, Claus Ogerman, and Chet Baker, among others.
Born in Paris on January 14, 1931, to Italian parents, and having been married first to a German and then to an Englishman, Caterina Valente connected easily with audiences worldwide, especially in Europe. She dominated the German charts with "Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe" and "Tipitipitipso," earning the title queen of German Schlager. In Italy, romantic ballads like "Nessuno al mondo" and "Till" won her gold records. France awarded her the Grand Prix du Disque for "Bimbombey," while she topped charts in the US and UK with "Malaguena" and "The Breeze and I."
She starred in 12 European musical films, dances (albeit less vigorously after two major hip surgeries), and is a virtuoso guitarist, having played in an orchestra as a teenager.
Her major honors include awards from Italy, Germany (two crosses of merit), France (officer of artistic education), Brazil, Japan, and the USA, including a Grammy nomination for best female vocalist, recognizing her artistic and civic contributions.
Valente regards her 18 concerts at the Olympia in Paris with Michel Legrand in 1972, and the 1986 album Valente 86 with the Count Basie Orchestra—along with the accompanying European tour arranged and directed by Thad Jones—as her artistic milestones.
In 1986, her 50 years in show business were celebrated with a televised tribute, "Bravo Caterina." The Guinness Book of World Records named her Europe’s most successful female recording artist, with over 1,350 albums to her name.
Her latest album, "Girltalk," featuring harpist Catherine Michel and released in 2001, received international critical acclaim.
