In 19 Caterina Valente had international success with Malagueña. Photo: Arthur Grimm / Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft (Ufa), Berlin-Tempelhof.ĭutch postcard by Takken, Utrecht, no. Publicity still for Hier bin ich, Hier bleib ich/Here I Am, Here I Stay (Werner Jacobs, 1959).ĭutch postcard by Gebr. Publicity still for Das einfache Mädchen/The simple girl (Werner Jacobs, 1957) with Rudolf Prack.ĭutch postcard by N.V. German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag G.m.b.H., Minden/Westf., no. Photo: publicity still for Bonjour, Kathrin (Karl Anton, 1956). Photo: Ufa.Įast-German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, no. The next year she performed in such German musicals as Ball im Savoy/Ball at Savoy (Paul Martin, 1955), and with Peter Alexanderin Liebe, Tanz und 1000 Schlager/Love, Dance, and 1000 Songs (Paul Martin, 1955).ĭutch postcard by Gebr. Her hit Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe (1954), based on the Cole Porter song I Love Paris, sold more than 500,000 copies.Īfter her first musical successes, she sang and danced in the crime film Mannequins für Rio/Party Girls for Sale (Kurt Neumann, 1954) starring Johanna Matz and Raymond Burr. Soon afterwards she achieved great success with songs such as Dreh dich nicht um (Don't Turn Around). Their son is the singer Eric van Aro, Jr.Ī year later, she made her first recordings for Polydor with the orchestra of Kurt Edelhagen. In 1952 she married juggler Erik van Aro who recognised her talent and accompanied her in her initial years of worldwide success. With her older brother, the late singer and actor Silvio Francesco, she made later many records together, and he would be a frequent guest and musical director in her stage as well as TV-shows.Ĭaterina started her career as a singer and dancer at the circus Grock. Her father Giuseppe Valente was a well-known accordion player, her mother Maria Valente a musical clown. Photo: Klaus Collignon.Ĭaterina Valente was born in Paris, France, in 1931 in an Italian artist family. With Peter Alexander and Silvio Francesco. German postcard by WS-Druck, Wanne-Eickel, no. Publicity still for Bonjour Kathrin (Karl Anton, 1956) with Dietmar Schönherr. German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag, Minden/Westf., no. The Guinness Book of World Records recognised her as Europe's most successful female recording artist, with over 1350 albums to her credit. Her popularity was global, and she played and sang in fifteen films. Italian singer, dancer and actress Caterina Valente (1931) was in the late 1950s and early 1960s the queen of the German Schlager music.