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Today is the birthday of an Italian actress,
Silvana Mangano, who was born in 1930, in
Rome to an Italian father and an English mother.
I remember seeing her in the film,
Anna,
in 1953. I was a brand new teenager, my hormones were beginning to go
into overdrive and I thought she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever
seen. Actually, the only recollection of the film I have, which I STILL
remember to this day, is when she sings the song
Anna in a nightclub scene (
link below).
movie poster
I
remember running to a record store with my weekly allowance to buy the song which was on this
45 RPM record. The title on the record is,
Anna, but in very tiny letters is,
El Negro Zumbón (The Black Joker), a
baião. It has a very beautiful and very sensual
samba beat. It was written for the film
Anna, which was directed by
Alberto Lattuada and the score was written by
Nino Rota (
link below).
The Baião is a
NortheasternBrazilianmusic genre and
dance style based on a
syncopatedduple meterrhythm, based around the pulse of the
zabumba,
a flat, double-headed bass drum played with a mallet in one hand and a
stick in the other, each striking the opposite head of the drum for
alternating high and low notes, frequently accompanied by an
accordion and a
triangle pattern. The baião rhythm is integral to the genres of
forró,
repente and
coco (or embolada). It is mostly associated with the state of
Pernambuco. Baião was popularized via radio in the 1940s, reaching peak popularity in the 1950s.
Anna has been covered by many artists:
Amália Rodrigues,
Edmundo Ros,
Abbe Lane with
Tito Puente,
Connie Francis and
Chet Atkins. My favorite version is by
Pink Martini.
My friend, Eva, who lives in
Barcelona told me about the group. When
they came to
Oakland in mid-2000, they played at the
Paramont Theatre and I went to see them. I fell totally in awe of them. The lead
singer,
China Forbes is a knock out on stage, so, I've added a link to a
live performance in addition to the studio version. After I saw them in performance, I bought all their albums.
45 RPM record w/sleeve, side 2
The film is about a sinner who becomes a nun;
Raf Vallone as Andrea, the rich man who loves her; and
Vittorio Gassman as Vittorio, the wicked waiter who sets Anna on a dangerous path.
Mangano's real sister, Patrizia Mangano, portrays Anna's sister in the film.
Sophia Loren has a small uncredited role as a nightclub assistant. Future film directors
Franco Brusati and
Dino Risi cowrote the script.
Following surgery that left her in a coma,
Silvana Mangano died of lung cancer in
Madrid,
Spain, on December 16, 1989; she was 59 years old.
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A Anna (El N. Zumbon), Written By Giordano-Vatro
Side 2:
B I Loved You (T'ho Voluto Bene), Written By Galdieri-Redi
Companies, etc.
Record Company – Loew's Incorporated
Notes:
From I.F.E. film "Anna"
As introduced by Silvana Mangano
From the Soundtrack of the Film "Anna"
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Label Side A): 53-XY-117
Matrix / Runout (Label Side B): 53-XY-118
Matrix / Runout (A-Side Runout Etching): C 53 XY 117
Matrix / Runout (B-Side Runout Etching): R 53 XY 118
Silvana Mangano – Anna / I Loved You
Label: MGM Records – K11457
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1953
Genre: Latin, Pop, Folk, World, & Country, Stage & Screen:
Viewfinder links:
