1970 Peru, Argentina & Brazil

Rita in Lima, Peru, on 5 May 1970.

Mr Reno aka Mr Ricordi & wife Rita in Lima, Peru. 

Mr & Mrs Ricordi. 

Rita with plucked eye-brows in Lima, on 3rd May 1970.

Rita's career had taken a nose dive when she left RCA Italiana for Ricordi in late 1967. Since then she married her manager Teddy Reno and had a baby boy in August 1969. Three months later Rita saw an opportunity to come back to show business when RAI-TV decided to launch 'Canzonissima 69'.

'Canzonissima', a competition among Italy's best singers - had been a huge success in 1968 and was back again. This time Pavone was the come-back-kid and sang on Canzonissima's 7th instalment on 8 November 1969. Rita presented 'Per tutta la vita' - a song first introduced by Quartetto Cetra at Festival di San Remo in 1959, and later recorded in English by Brenda Lee as 'I want to be wanted' who took it to #1 at the Billboard charts in October 1960.

Rita was back at Canzonissima '69 on 29 November 1969 presenting 'Quelli belli come noi', actually the last song she recorded for Ricordi before she went back to RCA Italiana in 1970. Even though she sang as best she could - especially the 1959 hit - she failed to make an impression on the public not qualifying for the next round and the Great Final show on 6 January 1970 - which was won by Gianni Morandi.

As things were not so good in Italy, Teddy Reno thought a South American tour would cheer them up... Little did Mr. Reno know that Brazil was a completely different country in 1970. Times had changed... Pavone's tour was a big let down.

'Per tutta la vita' and ' Quelli belli come noi' were released by Ricordi to cash in on Rita appearance at 'Canzonissima 1969'. They turned out to be the last two songs Rita recorded for Ricordi for she was signed back by RCA Italiana in early 1970. 

R i t a    P a v o n e    i n   B r a z i l    i n    M a y    1 9 7 0 

Rita Pavone was back in Brazil for the 4th time in May 1970. It would be her 3rd singing tour. She was riding a new personal phase after having had a baby-boy in August 1969 and taken part at Canzonissima 1969-1970.

Things in South America were completely different though. By the late 1960s Italian music had taken a deep dive in Brazil having been superceded by the Anglo-American juggernaut. 

After 6 years living under a harsh military dictatorship things were not the same. On top of that, Rita's manager-cum-husband Teddy Reno wasn't very smart this time and bungled the whole thing when he hired the services of Argentine impresario Marcos Lazaro.

Mr. Marcos Lazaro was born in Argentina but he operated mostly from Brazil. He had a monopoly on the most popular Brazilian talents like Roberto Carlos and Elis Regina. Mr. Lazaro neglected Rita Pavone's tour and when the couple arrived in São Paulo, Teddy realized almost nothing had been done in the way of advertising Rita's tour.  

Rita ended up singing only one night at Teatro Olimpiá, that had been converted from old Art-Deco Cine Rex in Bela Vista.

   Rita Pavone in a Lima hotel, prior to her flying to Brazil in May 1970.

Ms. Pavone and DJ Guillermo Llerena Godoy in Lima, Peru in the winter of 1970.

Here's what Guillermo Llerena Godoy wrote about interviewing Rita Pavone at the lobby Hotel Crillon on Avenida Nicolás de Piérola, 589, Lima, Perú, in April 1970; the same hotel which had received the likes of Los Cinco Latinos, The Platters, Enrique Guzman, Neil Sedaka, Antonio Prieto and Emilio Perícoli, who I had also interviewed. 

I made the interview using a little Capitol cassette-recorder I had bought in my first trip to the U.S.A. Rita talked about her childhood, her career as a recording artist, as an actress and mainly that she missed her little baby badly who had remained back in Italy. When she talked about the baby she became kind of sad but she soon would come to her animated self again.

I played the interview in my radio show 'Su amigo musical' at Radio El Sol. How could we forget such hits as 'Que me importa el mundo', 'Si tuviera un martillo', 'Corazón', 'El partido de football', 'El baile del ladrillo', 'A mi edade', 'Ay ay ay muchacho' and other hits she recorded for RCA Victor.

'No es facil tener 18 años' (PML-10360) made in Peru. Even though the titles are translated into Spanish all songs are sung in the original Italian.

'Esta noche Rita' (PML-10404) is 'Stasera Rita' made in Peru. As usual, RCA would keep the same front cover and number but they would have a different back-cover with all the songs' titles translated into Spanish. 

'La vostra Rita' (FPM-177) RCA Victor International had a different number from the Italian release and a different number too... but the songs were the same of the Italian original. This particular album was never released in Brazil or Argentina. 

'Vuestra Rita' back-cover. 

Rita sings in Buenos Aires at comedian Tato Bores' TV programme in May 1970.

Rita in Rio de Janeiro in May 1970.

Rita Pavone sings at night club Pocket Show near Avenida Santo Amaro in Sao Paulo after mid-night 8 May 1970.

7 May 1970 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 

Rita climbs down from the stage and joins the public singing Mexican ever-green 'Solamente una vez' (Voglio amarti così) written by Agustin Lara in 1941 when he heard that singer-actor Jose Mojica would become a priest. Teatro Aquarius, Sao Paulo, 7 May 1970. 

Lucinda Rato, Luiz Amorim & an unidentified fan applaud Rita Pavone in Sao Paulo on 7 May 1970.

Rita Pavone in Porto Alegre-RS in May 1970

Rita arrives at Porto Alegre airport in May 1970. 

One could safely say Italian singer Rita Pavone has performed in no more than 4 Brazilian cities in the 3 times Rita have visited the country as an entertainer.

In June 1964 Rita performed for 4 days in São Paulo's Teatro Record plus 2 performances (on 25 June 1964) in Rio de Janeiro on TV Rio Channel 13.

Rita was back in April 1965 where she more or less did the same thing: 5 days in São Paulo plus one day in Rio de Janeiro.

Then, in 1968, newly-wed Rita Pavone and her manager-husband Teddy Reno visited São Paulo, Guarujá and spent most of their honey-moon time in Rio de Janeiro. She did not perform this time, only talking to journalists about general subjects and maybe plugging her latest single 'Pippo non lo sa' issued by Ricordi in Italy and Chantecler in Brazil.

On 7 May 1970, Rita had an only performance at Teatro Olimpiá in São Paulo. She flew to Rio de Janeiro the following day where she sang at Canecão night club on 8 May at midnight. On 9 May 1970 she flew south to Porto Alegre-RS where she performed at Associação Leopoldina Juvenil Club. Back in Rio de Janeiro, Rita sang on Agildo Ribeiro's TV show on 11 May 1970.

Rita Pavone dressed as Marilyn Monroe sings 'I wanna be loved by you' at Porto Alegre's Associação Leopoldina Juvenil. 

Rita & Teddy Reno give an interview at their hotel in Porto Alegre.

Rita Pavone was back in Brazil on 16 November 1987, this time sans-Teddy Reno but accompanied by Laura Trentacarlini as her supporting act. Rita performed in São Paulo from 23rd to 28 November 1987. Then, she flew to Rio de Janeiro and later on 3rd December 1987 Rita sang in Belo Horizonte-MG making it the 4th Brazilian city she performed. 

Rita Pavone's 3rd tournee to South America which took place in April & May 1970, had a good press coverage by the Argentine media. In Brazil, on the other hand, Rita was basically ignored by the local press. She taped a long concert for Canal 9 in Buenos Aires that would be shown throughout the month of May 1970, in 'Sábados de la bondad' and 'Musicalísimo'.

 

Durante un mes, en 'Sábados de la bondad' y en 'Musicalísimo'

"Sólo extraño a mi hijo, que quedó en Suiza"

19 Mayo 1970. 

Habia mucha expectativa en su llegada. Ocurrieron muchas cosas desde su última estada entre nosostros. Las notícias eran contradictorias, no obstante su constante presencia en nuestra televisión a través de los vídeos que llegaban de extranjero. Cuando la vimos, toda vestida de rojo, con su cabello corto y rubio jugando al viento, su sonrisa de niña pícara, y flanqueada de su esposo, Teddy Reno, comprendimos que nos encontrábamos frente a la misma Rita Pavone que queremos, que admiramos, que esperábamos. 

La dimensión universal de su nombre no ha logrado cambiar su afabilidad en el trato, ni la sencillez de sus palabras. En más de un momento, trata de hacer memoria de los nombres que se le hicieron familiares en su anterior viaje. 

- Si no fuera porque no tenemos a nuestro hijo con nosotros, les diría que me siento completamente feliz. 

- Donde ha quedado el chico? ...

- En Suiza, con mi mamá... En estos momentos, allí hay un clima que les viene muy bien...

- Cuánto tiempo piensa estar entre nosotros?... - 'Sábados de la bondad'?...

- Sí..., y otro que se llama... 

Una pequeña dificuldad de idioma arranca carcajadas de todos los que la rodeamos en estos momentos. Sabemos que también sus presentaciones tienen lugar en 'Musicalísimo', todo por Canal 9. 

Hasta aquí, el breve diálogo que mantuvimos en momentos de su llegada. Luego, el matrimonio de artístas nos recibe en su actual vivienda, y nuestra conversación tiene mucho de remembranzas; con Teddy Reno recordamos sus tiempos de sensación frente a los micrófonos de nuestras radios; con Rita hablamos de sus primeros éxitos, de sus primeras presentaciones en nuestra televisión, las que lograron un impacto tal que hasta impuso sus modelos de vestir entre nuestras jovencitas. 

No exime de mayores comentarios su presentación en 'Sábados de la bondad' el hecho de tomar constancia de los altos 'ratings' que acusa cada una de sus actuaciones. Pero no podemos dejar de decir, que de aquella chiquilina temperamental, ahora tenemos el mismo fuego en cada interpretación; el mismo brillo en su vibrante voz, pero una mayor labor escénica, la que le premite desplazarse con el domínio de una auténtica estrella del espectáculo.

 

Mientras tanto, Teddy Reno, tratando de solucionar todos los problemas que puedan impedir el total lucimiento de la estrella. Por eso no nos sorprenda que el trato íntimo sea el de los amigos que se complementan en la profesión, que se divierten en las horas libres, y que por sobre todas las cosas, se aman hasta el sacrificio que en una recordada oportunidad, estuvo a punto de realizar la gran artísta.

 

- No siente cansancio por tanto trabajo contínuado?...

- Nunca... Sabem que por la noche trabajo en una famosa boîte... Y la hago porque me place..., porque quiero ver a la gente alegre, cantando conmigo. 

Rita Pavone nos trajo el mensage feliz de su propia alegría, en cada una de sus canciones y de sus palabras.  

Even though by 18 May 1970, Rita was back in Italy, her taped concert was shown at 'Musicalisimo' at 8:30 pm on Sunday. She was shown singing 'Maria Luisa' and 'Ay, muchacho'. 

"A Teddy le debo toda mi dicha de mujer y artista"  

Este tercer viaje de Rita Pavone y Teddy Reno a Buenos Aires ha vuelto a reactivar la imagen de la otrora estrella número uno de la canción de Italia (de la nueva ola del género), y confirmado, además, que la pequeña estrella continúa siendo inimitable en su estilo, cada año perfeccionado de acuerdo con las exigencias de las modas musicales y el público adicto a ellas.

 

Su labor en Canal 9, que se prolongará a través de video tape, confirmó la presunción que anotamos más arriba. Además, poco antes de continuar la gira (Chile, Estados Unidos y después Europa), con un pie en la escalerilla del avión, Rita nos dijo:

- Estoy contenta de haber regresado a Buenos Aires, porque eso me permitió comprobar que el público no sólo no me olvidó, sino que conservaba frescos los recuerdos de mis anteriores actuaciones y además quedó conforme con mi actuación.

 

- Notamos, Rita, que ha progresado usted en cuanto a su personalidad interpretativa.

 

- Lo que ocurre es que ahora me muevo mucho más cuando interpreto mis canciones ante el público. En suma, que dispuse convertirme en una showman total, y lo lograré.

Enrique Rabaudi writes about his experience in attending his first Rita Pavone concert in Buenos Aires in 1970: 

Gracias, querido amigo! Tuve la dicha de poder ir a verla a la "boite" Afrika. Era abril de 1970, y yo tenía 17 años. Me acompañó mi padre y allí tomé mi primer whisky. Qué puedo decir de la actuación de Rita? Espectacular! Además de sus temas más conocidos, se lució enormemente cantando "Cry me a river", "Aquarius / Let the sunshine in", "Canto de Ossanha"... El público estaba asombrado por la potencia de su voz, su ritmo y su carisma. Una auténtica show girl!