Rita Pavone Fan Club: 1965 - April in Brazil

This photo was actually taken in late 1964 to be on the sleeve of 'L'amore mio' 45 rpm, but as it was on the Brazilian-pressing of 'San Francesco' releasead in early 1965 I think it's in the right place here.

same photo session; different pose.

'Viva la pappa col pomodoro' is Rita's first 1965 single - straight from the TV series. It's a hit in Italy but it is not able to cross over to the international market due to its local 'tarantella' content.

'Viva la pappa col pomodoro' is released in Brazil in April 1965, during her 2nd Brazilian tour but it bombed due to its being part of a TV series not shown in the country. Radio stations didn't play the single because they thought Rita Pavone was supposed to be rock'n'roll. RCA Victor in Brazil didn't understand the nature of Pavone's appeal to the youth. Had they released 'Lui' as a single, Rita's 'disappearing act' could have been nipped at the bud. But no such luck!

Rita visits Brazilian singer-song-writer Juca Chaves in a Rome hospital after a kidney surgery he had been operated on in the early Spring of 1965. Juca Chaves died on 25 March 2023, at the ripe age of 84.

São Paulo daily 'O Estado de S.Paulo' journalist watched Rita's performance at Teatro Record on 27 April 1965 and wrote a review which is interesting to read after all these years. M. (only his initial) says Rita was still a wonderful perfomer but showed signs of 'tiredness'. Rita sang 10 songs. 6 old tunes and 4 new ones ('Lui', 'Viva la pappa col pomodoro', 'Sei la mamma' and 'Just once more') but ended the show with 'Datemi un martello' an 'old' hit.

The reviewer thought Rita was repeating herself. He thought she didn't try to 'improve' from the previous year's repertoire. He also thought 'Lui' would become Rita's new hit but it did not happen that way. The reviewer thought 'Viva la pappa col pomodoro's folksy feel would open a new way for Rita... but that didn't happen either. In other words, the times were changing quickly in Brazil. The Beatles were becoming more popular and the local rock (Jovem Guarda) was becoming more and more successful. Here's the article in Portuguese:

Mais uma vez a campeã absoluta de vendagem de discos em 1964, em São Paulo, se apresenta entre nós. É até fisicamente a mesma artista que vimos e ouvimos no ano passado: cabelo curto, baixinha, calças justas, botinhas, suspensórios e blusa cor-de-rosa.

A voz mantém o mesmo timbre agressivo, penetrante, tendo perdido um pouco de seu tom juvenil, revelando um ligeiro cansaço. Dez números nos apresentou. Seis antigos e conhecidos, inclusive o 'best-seller' 'Datemi un martello', colocado no final da apresentação, para propiciar um maior aplauso.

Mas essa esperteza revela um aspecto negativo nessa apresentação da cantora: recorrendo a um exito do ano passado para seu 'grand finale', Rita demonstra uma certa estagnação, uma despreocupação em se apurar artísticamente, já tendo, aos 19 anos apenas encontrado a sua 'formula'. O que é ainda mais lastimável quando consideramos o tremendo potencial que ela possui.

Entre as 4 novidades apresentadas, duas há que se destacar: 'Lui', uma composição inspirada que poderá tornar-se um novo 'carro-chefe' e 'Viva la pappa col pomodoro' de ressonâncias folclóricas, que talvez abra uma nova linha nas interpretações da artista.

Adonis Karan, a TV Record executive, Rita & Roberto Carlos at Teatro Record dressing room on 27 April 1965. Four months later, on 22 August 1965, Roberto Carlos would front a Sunday afternoon rock show that would catapult him to the highest place in Brazilian show business. Ironically, this very dressing room would belong to Roberto for the next four years.

Rita wears the same polka-dot dress for an Intervalo photo session.

Italian-Brazilian Enza Flori & Rita Pavone in São Paulo in 1965.

'Correio da Manhã' 6 May 1965 - columnist Claribalte Passos was less upbeat about Rita's second tour than his Paulista counterpart. Claribalte writes: Rita Pavone is again among us but not having the spetacular success she had a year ago. Actually, by the time this note was printed Pavone had already left South America. Curiously, Claribalte wrongly states that 'The International Teen-Age Sensation' (LPM-2900) was Pavone's latest release in Brazil. Actually, 'Ritorna' (BBL-178) had been released a couple of weeks before Rita started her 2nd Brazilian tour (mid-April 1965).

Rita on the stage of Teatro Record in São Paulo on 27April 1965.

Rita on the cover of 'Fatos&Fotos' in São Paulo in April 1965.

Rita Pavone arrives at Aeroporto Santos Dumont, Rio de Janeiro on 2nd May 1965.

La Mamma, Rita, Teddy with fans and coppers... Rio de Janeiro 1965.

later on the same day Rita performs at TV Rio, Channel 13 in Copacabana.

Rita had a toothache while in Rio in early May 1965. She went to a dentist and was surprised to have paid only US$ 10 for the service.

Just back in Italy from a tournee that started in Ottawa, Canada all the way through Buenos Aires, São Paulo and Rio, Rita says her romance with Brazilian drummer Netinho is over and she is ready to start Cantagiro. 'Tutta Musica', 27 May 1965.

Rita meets Pelé and Garrincha at the Moscow airport on 1st July 1965.

Rita meets football's most famous duo Pelé & Garrincha at the Moscow airport where she had gone to sing 'Lui' at Cantagiro 1965... and asked them if they were not afraid of 'communists'... showing how silly and politically illiterate she was.

23rd June 1965 - Bari

1st July 1965 - Moscow, USSR

5 July 1965 - Genova

7 July 1965 - Frankfurt am Main, Germany

8 July 1965 - Viena, Austria

10 July 1965 - Fiuggi - finalissima.

Cantagiro 1965 - Girone A

1. Rita Pavone - 'Lui' (898 votes)

2. Gianni Morandi - 'Se non avessi più te' (896)

3. Nico Fidenco - 'L'uomo che non sapeva amare' (876)

4. I Marcellos Ferial - 'La casa del sole' (The house of the risin' sun') - 860 votes

5. Pino Donaggio - 'Sono nato con te' (855)

6. Michele - 'Dopo i giorni dell'amore' (852)
7. Donatella Moretti - 'Ti vedo uscire' (847)
8. Little Tony - 'Ogni matttina' (842)
9. Dino - 'Il ballo della bussola' (830)
10. Edoardo Vianello - 'Il pepperone' (822)

11. Giancarlo Guardabassi - 'Torna, torna, torna' (784)
12. Nicola Di Bari - 'Piangerò' (761)
13. Mario Abbate - 'Amore, pienzame!' (759)
14. Gino Paoli - 'Ripiangerai' (750)
15. Tony Renis - 'Nessun' altra che te' (736)

16. Ricky Gianco - 'La mia voce' (729
17. Remo Germani - 'Dammi la prova' (678)
18. Vittorio Inzaina - 'Ti vedo dopo Messa' (675)
19. Paolo Mosca - 'Io ritorno a casa mia' (669)

Cantagiro 1965 - Girone B

1. Mariolino Barberis - 'Il duca della luna' (22 votes)
2. Roberta Mazzoni - 'Ho sofferto per te' (21)
3. Mario Anzidei - 'Non ti perderò' (F. Failla e A. Mari; R. Rizzato e C. Arden) (18)
4. Elisabetta Ponti - 'Non cercare la luna' (13)
5. Sonia e le Sorelle - 'Sulla sabbia' (12)

6. Caterina Caselli - 'Sono qui con voi' (7)
7. Le Snobs - 'Amore, ti ricordi' (7)
8. Gianni di Cristina - 'Abbi pietà' (6)

These acts have not got to the finale:

1. La Cricca - 'Balliamo senza scarpe'
2. Roby Ferrante - 'Il giorno mio)
3. Annamaria Parise - 'Non è giusto'
4. Riki Maiocchi - 'Quella che cerchi'
5. Franco de Marchis - 'Quando scende il sole'

6. Elio Alonge - 'Io non voglio la carità'
7. Lalla Castellano - 'Pupa ye ye'
8. Joe Fedeli - 'È andata così'
9. Roberto Fulgari - 'Non piangere'
10. Andrea Lo Vecchio - 'La ragazza di Reggio Emilia'

11. Valeria Piaggio - 'Tu non pensi più a me'
12. Jean Valentino - 'Voi che sapete'.

Mariolino Barberis (winner of Girone B) and Rita Pavone (winner of Girone A) in Moscow celebrate their victory at Cantagiro 1965.

Rita Pavone & Gianni Morandi at Cantagiro 1965. She was in the competition with 'Lui' and he with 'Se non avessi più te'.

Gianni Morandi, Rita Pavone & Nico Fidenco.

'Lui' was supposed to be Rita's biggest hit so far but it was only an Italian hit not having made much of an impact anywhere else. Actually, 'La forza di lasciarti' - the B side - is a better song.