In 1952 she married juggler Erik van Aro (Gerd Eric Horst Scholz). He recognized her talent and accompanied her in her initial years of worldwide success, although they later divorced. In 1953, she made her first recordings with Kurt Edelhagen. Soon afterwards she achieved great success with songs like "Malagueña", "The Breeze and I", and "Dreh dich nicht um" with the Werner Müller orchestra. In 1955 she was featured on the "Colgate Comedy Hour" with Gordon MacRae. Between 1966 and 1972 she was a frequent guest on the Dean Martin Show. In 1972, she married the British pianist Roy Budd; they had a son, Alexander, but they divorced in 1979.
In Germany she was a major performer of Schlager music. There she recorded Cole Porter's "I love Paris" i.e. "Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe", which sold more than 500,000 copies in (1954.) Like in other countries where she was popular, some in Germany mistakenly consider her a German singer.
Over the years, she has recorded or performed with many international stars, including Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Buddy Rich, Sy Oliver, Claus Ogerman, and Chet Baker.
In 2001, she released a new album Girltalk with harpist Catherine Michel. She is also the mother of singer Eric van Aro, Jr.
Bahía
Caterina Valente Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When twilight is deep in the sky
Bahía is
Someone that I long to see
Keeps haunting my reverie
And so the loneliness deep in my heart
Calls to you
Calls to you
I live in the memory of many dreams ago
When the stars were bright
And you were mine all alone
My love for you cannot die
Though the ocean runs dry
Or heavens fall from the sky
Now you′re gone
Bahía can't you hear my lonely call
Bahía make my life complete again
How I pray for the day?
When I′ll see your smile
And my heart will hear again
Oh, Bahía is
Oh, Bahía is
Oh, Bahía is.
The lyrics of Caterina Valente's song Bahia explore longing, memories and hope. The singer reminisces about a person or a place called Bahía, which is so enchanting that it haunts her reverie. Despite the loneliness that she feels now, the singer remembers the bright stars and the time when her beloved was hers alone. She admits that her love for this person or place cannot die, even if the ocean runs dry or the heavens fall from the sky. The song becomes an invocation to Bahía, asking it to hear her lonely call and make her life complete again. The singer prays for the day when she will see Bahía's smile and her heart will hear again.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Bahía is
Bahía represents something that holds great significance and meaning to the singer.
When twilight is deep in the sky
The singer associates Bahía with the darkness of twilight.
Bahía is
The mere thought of Bahía brings joy and longing to the singer's heart.
Someone that I long to see
Bahía is a person whom the artist desperately wants to see.
Keeps haunting my reverie
The memory of Bahía continues to linger in the artist's mind and thoughts.
And so the loneliness deep in my heart
The singer feels a deep sense of loneliness without Bahía.
Calls to you
The singer's heart yearns for Bahía to return and fill the emptiness.
I live in the memory of many dreams ago
The artist reminisces about the past and the happy memories spent with Bahía.
When the stars were bright
The artist recalls a time when the stars shone brilliantly in the sky.
And you were mine all alone
The artist remembers a time when they were romantically involved with Bahía.
My love for you cannot die
The singer's love for Bahía is eternal and will never fade away.
Though the ocean runs dry
Even if something as vast as the ocean were to disappear, the artist's love for Bahía would still remain.
Or heavens fall from the sky
Nothing, not even something as catastrophic as the heavens falling from the sky, could shake the singer's love for Bahía.
Now you're gone
Bahía is no longer with the singer, causing immense sadness and heartbreak.
Bahía can't you hear my lonely call
The singer is pleading with Bahía to hear their cries of loneliness and longing.
Bahía make my life complete again
The artist believes that Bahía's return would make their life whole and meaningful again.
How I pray for the day?
The artist desperately hopes for the day when Bahía will return to bring happiness and joy back into their life.
When I'll see your smile
The singer expresses how much they miss Bahía's smile and presence.
And my heart will hear again
The return of Bahía will bring back the sounds of joy and love in the singer's heart.
Oh, Bahía is
The song ends on a reaffirmation that Bahía holds immense importance and significance to the artist's life.
Oh, Bahía is
This line serves as a repetition of the aforementioned reaffirmation.
Oh, Bahía is.
The final line of the song once again emphasizes the importance of Bahía to the artist.
Writer(s): Ary Barroso
Contributed by Camilla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Staless74
on Cambia O Lasciami
Please correct the highlighted verse to: "Che diritti hai su di me?". Thanks.