Certified Italian blonde bombshell.
Com'è bello far l'amore da Trieste in giù!note
—The refrain of Tanti auguri
.
.Raffaella Carrà (born Raffaella Maria Roberta Pelloni, 18 June 1943 - 5 July 2021) was probably the most famous Italian showwoman ever.
After starring in several movies in the '50s and the '60s (including one directed by Mario Monicelli), she started singing and dancing in various variety shows. She became instantly famous thanks to the elaborate coreographies of her exhibitions, the unforgettable tunes she sang and her iconic style, which was seductive but never vulgar. She's also been the Ur-Example of barring midriffs for Italian television.
She was a popular figure in many countries, especially in Latin America, but also Spain, Germany and Russia (she was famous even in the former Soviet Union).
Raffaella Carrà's work provides examples of:
- The Cameo:
- She appears next to Saint Motel's frontman A/J Jackson in the "unofficial official" video for "My Type".note
- Of all places, a short clip of "Do It, Do It Again" (the Translated Cover Version of "A far l'amore comincia tu") appears in the Doctor Who episode "Midnight".
- She appears next to Saint Motel's frontman A/J Jackson in the "unofficial official" video
- Cool Old Lady: She still was a leading lady in Italian television well into her 70s.
- Dye Hard: She was a natural brunette and her iconic blonde hair was actually bleached.
- Gratuitous German: "A far l'amore comincia tu" includes a repeated line in German that goes "Liebe, Liebe, Liebelei" ("love, love, flirtation").
- Lady in Red: Appropriately, during the video of "A far l'amore comincia tu", which was filmed in Soviet Union.
- Messy Hair: Her iconic hairdo was styled to avert this trope during her dance numbers.
- Ms. Fanservice: Her revealing outfits, suggestive lyrics and dance moves made her a frequent target of Moral Guardians back in the day.
- Named After Somebody Famous: Her stage surname was taken from painter Carlo Carrà.
- Really Gets Around: The most famous example is "Tanti auguri".Ma girando la mia terra io mi sono convinta che non c'è odio, non c'è guerra, finché a letto l'amore c'è.Meaning
- Sex Is Good: Read this page and do the math.
- Signature Move: The sudden backbend accentuated by a drum roll, appearing in "Tanti auguri", "Tuca tuca" and "A far l'amore comincia tu".
- Silver Fox: She was still a looker despite pushing 80 (though the "silver" part is defied, as she still dyed her hair blond).
- '60s Hair: Her most recognisable trait is the blonde bob, either with or without bangs, which she sported continuously for more than fifty years.
- Spiritual Antithesis: "Forte forte forte" and "A far l'amore comincia tu" were released as two sides of the same single and they're both love songs, but in the former Raffaella takes the role of a submissive girlfriend, while in the latter she's much more assertive towards her man.
- Woman Scorned: Subverted in "E salutala per me", which is about a woman cheated on by her man. Although the intro is quite melancholic and she doesn't hide her disappointment, in the refrain she comes off as forgiving.
- Word Purée Title: "Tuca tuca".
