She was born in Goro, province of Ferrara.
In 1959 Milva won a contest for new voices, and was named the overall winner from more than seven thousand participants. In 1960 she recorded her first 7" single with Cetra records: Édith Piaf's song "Milord". Her real debut was on the stage of the Sanremo Music Festival in 1961, where she took third place. She competed many times at the Festival (14 times in total, the last time in 1993). The highest position she has reached is second place in 1962, but she has never won to date.
In 1965, a fortunate meeting led to a definitiive change in her career: Italo-German actor, dramatist and director Giorgo Strehler helped to develop her skills in staging and singing in Italian theatres (especially the Piccolo Teatro in Milan) and she began to perform a more committed repertoire (songs of Italian resistance movement, songs from Bertold Brecht's pieces, etc.). In the following years she alternated success in singing (especially in Germany where she won platinum and gold records for top sales) and success in theatre, where a remarkable 1973 edition of The Threepenny Opera met with success all over Europe.
In 1962 Milva was the first singer to successfully sing Édith Piaf's repertoire at the prestigious Olympia theatre in Paris. In 1983 she performed again and again received a real ovation by the public and the French press, very surprised how a non-French artist could interpret with such a feeling and energy the songs of their most beloved French singer.
She was a highly eclectic artist, performing everything from pop music to opera (with Luciano Berio), from comedy theatre to committed theatre (she is the first non-German actress to achieve a huge success in Bertold Brecht plays, putting in a shadow the former actresses of the same roles), TV shows (Al Paradise in 1981 won the Rose d'Or at the Montreaux Festival) and musicals. She also occasionally appeared in some Italian movies of the 1960s, like The beautiful Ippolita with Gina Lollobrigida.
Her singing career has become more complex and various year by year, thanks to the collaboration with some of the most talented composers and musician in European scene: Ennio Morricone in 1965, Francis Lai in 1973, Mikis Theodorakis in 1978 (Was ich denke best selling album in Germany), Enzo Jannacci in 1980, Vangelis in 1981 and 1986, Franco Battiato in 1982 and 1986.
Her theatre career has also gone from success to success, touring the world's most prestigious theatres with Bertold Brecht's recitals and Luciano Berio's operas. She has performed in La Scala in Milan, in the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, in Paris Opera, in Royal Albert Hall in London, at the Los Angeles Olympic Games, at the Edinburgh Festival, and many others.
In 1984 she performed (with Ástor Piazzolla) the show El tango in the Les Bouffes du Nort Theatre in Paris. This was just the beginning of an important new collaboration, interpreting the tangos of revolutionary Piazzolla all over the world.
In the 1990s her mentor Giorgio Strehler died. She temporarily reduced her theatre activity and focused on music only. She received new inspiration collaborating with Thanos Mikroutsikos, James Last and Shinji Tanimura. She performed her tour number 14 in Japan.
In 2004 her last CD and tour was dedicated to set to music of the poetry of Milan poetress Alda Merini.
She had a relationship with actor Luigi Pistilli the ending of which contributed to his suicide.
She had a daughter named Martina, born after the marriage with Maurizio Corgnati in the early 1960s.
La Cucaracha
Milva Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pancho Villa sin camisa
Ya se van los carrancistas
Porque vienen los villistas.
Para sarapes, Saltillo
Chihuahua para soldados
Para mueres, Jalisco
La Cucaracha, la Cucaracha,
Ya no puede caminar
Porque no tienne, porque le falta
Marihuana que fumar.
Para sarapes, Saltillo
Chihuahua para soldados
Para mueres, Jalisco
Para amar, toditos lados
The first verse talks about the Mexican Revolution and the changing of power. Pancho Villa was a revolutionary and military strategist during the Mexican Revolution, who was also widely known for his unconventional tactics; one of which was not wearing a shirt, as mentioned in the lyrics. The Carrancistas were a political faction during the revolution and the Villistas were another faction. The lyrics suggest that the Carrancistas are leaving because they are being replaced by the Villistas.
The second verse lists different regions of Mexico and what they are known for. Saltillo is known for its sarapes, or decorative blankets. Chihuahua is known for its soldiers, possibly indicating the presence of military bases. Jalisco is known for its women, and the final line suggests that love can be found anywhere.
The chorus then speaks of a cockroach (the Cucaracha) who can no longer walk because it has no marijuana to smoke. This verse is likely a humorous addition as marijuana was not a well-known substance in Mexico during the time of the revolution, and the song was likely written well before marijuana became as widespread as it is today.
Overall, the song's lyrics can be interpreted as a witty take on the changing of power during the Mexican Revolution, with a humorous chorus thrown in for good measure.
Line by Line Meaning
Una cosa me da risa
There is one thing that makes me laugh
Pancho Villa sin camisa
Pancho Villa is without a shirt
Ya se van los carrancistas
The Carrancistas are leaving now
Porque vienen los villistas
Because the Villistas are coming
Para sarapes, Saltillo
For sarapes, go to Saltillo
Chihuahua para soldados
For soldiers, go to Chihuahua
Para mueres, Jalisco
For women, go to Jalisco
Para amar, toditos lados
To love, go to all places
La Cucaracha, la Cucaracha,
The Cockroach, the Cockroach,
Ya no puede caminar
Can't walk anymore
Porque no tiene, porque le falta
Because it doesn't have, because it needs
Marihuana que fumar.
Marijuana to smoke.
Contributed by Lauren F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@pattyitaly6413
Bravura ed eleganza all'ennesima potenza. Fantastica Milva! 🌹❤️
@vioricabalteanu8564
Favolosa come sempre, l'irraggiungibile Milva!
@ritaspadafora7660
UN'ARTISTA NON MUORE MAI!!!!!!!🌈
@olgainikolasusak6082
Era molto amata anche a Jugoslavia!
Bella ciao
Saluti da Belgrado
@oscarmuselli4979
@@olgainikolasusak6082 era amata e stimata in tutto il mondo . L'Italia ha perso una grandissima artista, eccezionale in tutti i suoi ruoli . Amica sorella maggiore che la terra ti sia lieve.....🙏😢💔
@oscarmuselli4979
Eccelsa .Sgomento per la sua scomparsa. Grazie amica per tutto quello che ci hai donato ....💔
@j.juanpaiz4391
Nella vita e nel universo noi i messicani non avrebbero sentito mai una versione cosí elegante di questa canzone populare! Insolito e da fascinare!
@vicrizzo7440
Ma Che bellezza una meraviglia 🌺🌺🌺🌺Rip 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
@andreabaini7492
Fabulous, fantastic. Merci celya
@brigittewohlleben5664
Für immer unvergesslich!