He was an actor and Italian Tenor, who specialised in romantic-melodic “musica leggera”, reaching a sort of The Voice status in Italy as “il reuccio (della canzone)” - the small king, so called also because of his sanguine character. While Nilla Pizzi was the Queen.
But the baby-boomer generation disliked more and more his genre, style and virtuosisms (the long acute Grand Finale - e.g., notable in “Granada” -, bringing a stereotype operatic flavour into traditional pop or easy listening “musica leggera”). Sharp age divisions therefore emerged, so as to make music tastes become an identitarian, Weltanschaung space of generational divide, at the time of ‘50s rock (with Little Tony, Italy’s Elvis), then the ‘60s new pop (many thousands of cave bands, also in Italy). All this was not so specially Italian, of course; but, because of his so long career, Claudio became a target symbol (for the ritual “parricide”); he was gradually ghettoed into an ageing but always faithful audience (no empty space at his concerts). On the other hand, he basically sticked to his 1950s repertoire and style.
Together with Domenico Modugno, he holds the record for the most wins at the Sanremo Music Festival, where he won the competition in 1955 (Buongiorno tristezza), 1957 (Corde della mia chitarra), 1962 (Addio ... addio) and 1967 (Non pensare a me). He won the RAI-TV Canzonissima competition in 1964 with " ‘O sole mio", and in 1966 with "Granada".
His debut was as a follower of the folk singer Carlo Buti (Florence 1902-1963, “the Golden Voice of Italy”); in 1947 he records his first 78 giri record (a rarity now) and in 1952 he is the main actor in the movie “Serenata amara” dir. by Pino Mercanti - followed by about 30 movies, where he is often singing as well; he most loved the Mario Valli character, an artist in “Granada Addio” (1966) dir. by Marino Girolami.
In the 1950s, together with his archi-rival Luciano Tajoli, he interpreted even many songs that will almost disappear afterward: "Il Ponte", "La luna nel rio" (Who threw the moon in the river, who threw it ...) and "Fontane Romane". Among Claudio Villa’s classics, one shoud also mention: 1948 Scalinatella, 1949 Fontana di Trevi and Signorinella, 1950 Luna Rossa, the 1951 Neapolitan suite (Voce 'e notte - Core 'ngrato - 'Na sera 'e maggio - Anema e core - Malafemmena - Munasterio 'e Santa Chiara - Marechiaro), 1951 I’ te vurria vasà, 1952 Vola colomba and Vecchio scarpone, 1955 Arrivederci Roma, 1956 Guaglione, 1957 Corde della mia chitarra, Lazzarella, La vie en rose, and Ave Maria di Schubert, 1958 Nel blu dipinto di blu (Modugno’s Volare), 1960 Romantica and Marina, 1969 Strangers in the night, 1974 Michelle and La Paloma, 1980 Dove sta Zazà and Tamurriata nera, 1982 El Condor pasa, 1985 Nessun dorma, and Caro amore (Concerto per Aranjuez).
In 1973 he interprets unforgettably on TV some “stornelli a dispetto” in duet with the great folksinger Gabriella Ferri, his great admirer and friend. After different labels, he ended up recording with Cetra (later on becoming Fonit-Cetra).
His death in 1987 by heart attack was announced live on Italian television by Pippo Baudo, during the last night of the Sanremo Music Festival of 1987.
He recorded across 4 decades over 3000 songs, and sold over 45 million records.
Borgo antico
Claudio Villa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Che il poeta immortalò
E ch'io ripenso pallidi e tremanti
Come amore li avvinghiò,
Borgo ascolta, questa volta,
La nuova istoria che narrar ti vo.
Borgo antico, Dai tetti grigi sotto il cielo opaco
Io t'invoco
Ma per le strade tue si perde l'eco
Che dice cuore, cuor,
Se spasimi con me, sopporta il mio dolore.
Cuore,
Tu sai perché
Non bevo
E sono ubriaco,
Non gioco
E perdo al giuoco dell'amor.
Ho perso in mezzo a queste rose gialle
La speranza di un chissà
E la canzone mia si perde a valle
Con la mia felicità.
Ora nona, suona, suona
E dimmi ancora è tardi, non verrà.
Borgo antico,
Dai tetti grigi sotto il cielo opaco
Io t'invoco
Ma per le strade tue si perde l'eco
Che dice cuore, cuor,
Se spasimi con me, sopporta il mio dolore.
Cuore
Tu sai perchè
Non bevo
E sono ubriaco,
Non gioco
E perdo al giuoco dell'amor.
Il cielo è diventato color fuoco.
Il sogno mio si spegne, borgo antico!
The song "Borgo antico" by Claudio Villa, which translates to "Ancient Village," is a melancholic reflection on lost love and the passing of time. The singer calls upon the village with its grey rooftops and subdued sky, and reminisces about how it was once immortalized by a poet. He thinks back to a time when he was young and in love, and how the village held the memory of that love. He yearns for the village to listen to him once again, and tells a new story of heartache and pain.
The lyrics address the heart, which understands the pain of lost love and the struggles of life. The singer confesses that he has turned to drinking and has become one of the many men who have lost themselves to the game of love. He has lost hope and feels as if his song has been lost in the valley along with his happiness. The passage of time is evident when he asks the village if it is too late for him to seek redemption for his past mistakes.
Overall, "Borgo antico" speaks to the universal human condition of love and loss. It reflects upon the fleeting nature of time and how it can distort one's perception of joy and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh borgo, vecchio borgo degli amanti
Oh village, old village of lovers
Che il poeta immortalò
Which the poet immortalized
E ch'io ripenso pallidi e tremanti
And that I remember, pale and trembling
Come amore li avvinghiò,
How love entwined them
Borgo ascolta, questa volta,
Village listen, this time,
La nuova istoria che narrar ti vo.
The new story that I want to tell you.
Borgo antico,
Old village,
Dai tetti grigi sotto il cielo opaco
With gray roofs under the bleak sky
Io t'invoco
I call you
Ma per le strade tue si perde l'eco
But your streets lose the echo
Che dice cuore, cuor,
That says heart, heart,
Se spasimi con me, sopporta il mio dolore.
If I suffer, bear my pain.
Cuore,
Heart,
Tu sai perché
You know why
Non bevo
I don't drink
E sono ubriaco,
And I'm drunk,
Non gioco
I don't play
E perdo al giuoco dell'amor.
And I lose at the game of love.
Ho perso in mezzo a queste rose gialle
I lost among these yellow roses
La speranza di un chissà
The hope of who knows what
E la canzone mia si perde a valle
And my song gets lost in the valley
Con la mia felicità.
With my happiness.
Ora nona, suona, suona
Now bell, ring, ring
E dimmi ancora è tardi, non verrà.
And tell me again it's late, she won't come.
Il cielo è diventato color fuoco.
The sky has turned into the color of fire.
Il sogno mio si spegne, borgo antico!
My dream fades, old village!
Contributed by Levi R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mariaaglioti784
GRANDISSIMO IL MIO CLAUDIO
@mariaaglioti784
sei unico al mondo
@lucianosquizzato938
Che. Voce. Grande. Canzone
@vittoriocavina6200
Grande canzone di una volta... ma anche grande interpretazione di Claudio, non ci sono più cantanti così...
È sempre bello riascoltare e emozionarsi ancora , ricordi di tempi lontani...😢❤❤❤
@antoniabagnasco2030
Caro Claudio volevo dirti che quando ti ho conosciuto a Palermo nel 64 sono stata molto contenta anche perché sono riuscita a salutarti in camerino ricordo con tanto piacere e sono sempre una tua fan riposa in pace ciao e grazie per avermi mandato una cartolina di auguri di natale che conservo ancora con tanto piacere ancora grazie per avermela scritta ti mando un abbraccio riposa in pace ciao
@cesarenapoleoni847
Antiche melodie,grande il Reuccio
@robertopau3939
Unico !! Purtroppo non nascerà più un altro Claudio Villa
@giuseppedicandia8405
E' tanto tanto che gioia
.
@domenicolauriola8404
Claudio sei stato grande e rimarrai sempre er me io.Tanti anni fa ebbi il piacere di conoscere il grande CLAUDIO grazie a mio cugino GIGI ORTUSO annunciatore televisivo,e presentatore del discopolo, ebbene di fronte al grande CLAUDIO rimasi senza parole, allora mi dedicò solo per te una strofa della canzone.
@kirakira3748
Grande Claudio Dio gli aveva dato un grande dono. Ora che è lassù con Lui spero dica grazie.grande Claudio