Granata was born in Figline Vegliaturo, Calabria, southern Italy; but his parents immigrated to Belgium when he was ten. Rocco's father was a coal miner, but after briefly working in the coal mines, Granata pursued music instead. He played accordion and toured Belgium with his band, "The International Quintet". He then released the song "Manuela" b/w "Marina" as a single in 1959; the B-side became an international smash hit, hitting #1 in Belgium as well as charting across Europe and in America. The song went on to sell tens of millions of copies worldwide, and has been covered many times by artists such as Marino Marini, Dalida and Louis Armstrong.
After the success of "Marina", Granata toured the world, including dates at Carnegie Hall. A feature film entitled Marina was released in 1960, which set the stage for a string of German hits from Granata. He also appeared in Italy at the Sanremo Festival in 1961.
Granata later became a successful record producer. He owned the labels Cardinal Records and Granata Records, and has produced artists such as Marva, Louis Neefs, Miel Cools, De Elegasten, and others.
In 1989, Granata commissioned a dance remix of Marina, which again topped the Belgian charts as well as those of Italy and Germany.
Granata has appeared regularly on Belgian television, and served as a jury member for the 2002 Flemish preliminaries for the Eurovision Song Contest. In March 2000 he was awarded the ZAMU Lifetime Achievement Award by the Belgian music industry.
Granata has released some 65 albums over the course of his career
La Bella
Rocco Granata Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
E calabrisella mia
Te voglio bene
Pure che tu nun vuoi fare l'amore
Nun stare a'sentere
Sempe a ta pace
L'antichita nun la devi ascoltare
Si mu muderni e
Ciavi mu e maritare
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
Nun stare a'sentere
Sempe a tapace
Che te consiglia a te godere la pace
L'antichita nun la devi ascoltare
Si mu muderni e
Ciavi mu inzuraghe
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
The lyrics to Rocco Granata's "La Bella" tell a story of a Calabrian woman, who the singer professes his love to. Despite her reluctance to engage in physical intimacy, the singer expresses his desire for her to "enjoy the peace", and not to listen to the outdated advice of the past. The chorus of "la la la's" that repeat throughout the song add to the carefree and joyful nature of the song.
The lyrics reflect a traditional Italian view of courtship, where men would often pursue women with grand gestures of affection and devotion. It also highlights the societal expectations and pressures placed on women to conform to traditional gender roles, with the suggestion that the woman should focus on enjoying her own company rather than giving in to unwanted advances.
Overall, "La Bella" is a light-hearted and romantic song, capturing the essence of Italian culture and courting traditions.
Line by Line Meaning
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
The repetition of this phrase serves as a musical interlude.
E calabrisella mia
Oh my beloved girl from Calabria,
Te voglio bene
I love you,
Pure che tu nun vuoi fare l'amore
Even though you do not want to make love,
Nun stare a'sentere
Do not listen to,
Sempe a ta pace
Always at your own pace,
Che te consiglia a te godere la pace
Which advises you to enjoy your peace of mind.
L'antichita nun la devi ascoltare
You must not listen to the past,
Si mu muderni e
If things change and modernize,
Ciavi mu e maritare
Get married and start a new chapter in life.
Nun stare a'sentere
Do not listen to,
Sempe a ta pace
Always at your own pace,
Che te consiglia a te godere la pace
Which advises you to enjoy your peace of mind.
L'antichita nun la devi ascoltare
You must not listen to the past,
Si mu muderni e
If things change and modernize,
Ciavi mu inzuraghe
Encourage yourself and take a risk.
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
The repetition of this phrase serves as a musical interlude.
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
The repetition of this phrase serves as a musical interlude.
Contributed by Lucy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@649walton
super,danke fürs hochladen,Daumen hoch!
@pietappel2683
habe tot gespield in de jaren 60 in avegno tessin bin nun 76 jahr uralt fgg
@henkmartens2569
Oconisch portret van de 60er jaren in de mijnstreek in de Kempen.
@jankman48
after Marina his best song..thx for posting
@tinakroon3504
Bellaaaaa
@dahooliii
One of his best songs.
@pieterappel9702
sie
si