The reactions of the world press to the death of Ornella Vanoni
From France to the USA, passing through the United Kingdom: the international press also remembers Ornella Vanoni, who died last night in her home in Milan at the age of 91. Among the first newspapers to report abroad the news of the death of the Milanese diva was the historic British press agency Reuterswho defined it as “one of the most influential voices in Italian music and one of the country’s most loved artists“: “After achieving fame with televised singing festivals in the early 1960s, his career spanned more than seven decades and inspired several generations of artists.” And again: “An engaging storyteller whose songs explore themes of crime, poverty and social exclusion, as well as love, loss and femininity, she has sold more than 55 million records and released around 40 studio albums, according to Italian media“.
While in Italy the prime minister Giorgia Meloni expresses “pdeep condolences for the passing of Ornella Vanoni, the unmistakable voice of our music, who marked decades of Italian culture and accompanied generations with timeless songs”, underlining how “Italy loses a unique artist, who leaves us an unrepeatable artistic heritage”, across the Channel Reuters writes: “Despite the evolution of fashions and customs in Italy, Vanoni’s intimate and enchanting voice has remained a symbol of emotional authenticity in Italian music. Stylish and fiercely independent, she maintained her public notoriety through talk show appearances long after the release of her most popular albums“. And again: “Vanoni has explored different musical genres. Her first popular songs about the Milanese underworld earned her the nickname ‘Cantante della mala’. She later became an interpreter of works by important Italian singer-songwriters and collaborated with the Brazilian artists Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes, as well as with jazz musicians”.
The French television broadcaster France 24 defines it “one of the most successful and loved singers of pop music, popular music from the 60s onwards“. “With over 50 million records sold, Vanoni has frequently collaborated with other high-profile artists, from George Benson and Herbie Hancock to Franco Califano and Gino Paoli, with whom she had a long artistic collaboration and romantic relationship”, we read on the broadcaster’s website.
Tributes also from Malta. The newspaper The Malta Independent portrays her as “one of the most representative figures of Italian popular music” and writes: “He had one of the longest careers in the industry“. And then: “A complete artist, she was known for her unmistakable vocal timbre, which allowed her to explore multiple eras and genres. Over the years, Vanoni has crossed paths with author music, bossa nova and jazz, after making her debut with the so-called ‘Songs of the Mala’. His professional path has also been marked by numerous collaborations“.
On the other side of the Atlantic, among the first newspapers to dedicate a tribute to Ornella Vanoni is – curiously – the The Herald Journala newspaper based in Logan, IN Utah.
