Caterina Valente (born January 14, 1931 in Paris) is an Italian-born singer… Read Full Bio ↴Caterina Valente (born January 14, 1931 in Paris) is an Italian-born singer, dancer, and actress. She comes from an Italian artist family; her father Giuseppe was a well-known accordion player, her mother, Maria Valente, a musical clown. She had three siblings, of whom Silvio Francesco was also active in show business.

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.

Du bist Musik
Caterina Valente Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wenn der Abend sich senkt
Neue Träume mir schenkt
Bist Du da Du bist Musik, die mich berauscht
Der mein Herz in Liebe lauscht
Wenn ganz heimlich die Sehnsucht erwacht Du bist Musik, die mich verwöhnt
Die das Leben mir verschönt
Und die Erde zum Himmel mir macht Deine Stimme, die klingt durch alle Träume
Und Dein Lächeln, das bringt mir alles Glück Du bist Musik, die mich berauscht

Der mein Herz in Liebe lauscht
Die die Erde zum Himmel mir macht Du bist Musik, die mich berauscht
Der mein Herz in Liebe lauscht
Wenn ganz heimlich die Sehnsucht erwacht Du bist Musik, die mich verwöhnt
Die das Leben mir verschönt
Und die Erde zum Himmel mir macht Deine Stimme, die klingt durch alle Träume
Und Dein Lächeln, das bringt mir alles Glück Du bist Musik, die mich berauscht

Der mein Herz in Liebe lauscht
Die die Erde zum Himmel mir macht

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Caterina Valente's song "Du bist Musik" convey a sense of being uplifted and enchanted by the power of music. The opening line, "When evening falls and new dreams are given to me," sets the scene of a magical moment. The singer then declares that in that moment, "you are there, you are music that inebriates me," suggesting that the music is not just something to be heard but also to be felt on a deep emotional level.

The chorus repeats the idea that the music is a source of joy and happiness that transforms the earth into heaven. The power of the singer's voice and the beauty of their smile are called out as specific examples of how the music affects the listener. The phrase "you are music that inebriates me" is repeated again in the second verse, emphasizing the intoxicating effect of the music. The overall message of the song is that music has the ability to connect people, inspire them, and make life feel more beautiful.

Line by Line Meaning

Wenn der Abend sich senkt
As the evening falls down

Neue Träume mir schenkt
Granting me new dreams

Bist Du da Du bist Musik, die mich berauscht
You are here, you are music that intoxicates me

Der mein Herz in Liebe lauscht
Which listens to my heart with love

Wenn ganz heimlich die Sehnsucht erwacht
When the longing awakens secretly

Du bist Musik, die mich verwöhnt
You are music that pampers me

Die das Leben mir verschönt
That makes my life beautiful

Und die Erde zum Himmel mir macht
And turns the earth into heaven for me

Deine Stimme, die klingt durch alle Träume
Your voice that echoes through all my dreams

Und Dein Lächeln, das bringt mir alles Glück
And your smile brings me all happiness

Du bist Musik, die mich berauscht
You are music that intoxicates me