Tuesday, June 25, 2013

A la memoria Alberto Rabagliati y los Lecuonan Cuban Boys


Alberto Rabafliati nacio en Milan . En los veinte viajo a Los Angeles , California. En aquellos tiempos era facil poder entrar de extra en los estudios. Su primer papel fue en la pelicula del director  Frank Borzage " Street Angel" en el elenco estelar actuaba la joven Janet Gaynor y el reconocido actor Charles Farrell .El papel que que intrepretaba es el de un agente de la policia.  A principio de los treinta y gracias a su bellisima voz logra acaparar la atencion del compositor cubano Ernesto Lecuona y del pianista Armando Orefiche, juntos comienzan varias giras todas ellas plagadas de grandes exitos. 



In 1927 he moved to Hollywood as the winner of a Rudolph Valentino look-alike contest. He later recalled: "For someone like me, who had seen no more than Lake Como or Monza cathedral so far, finding myself on board a luxury steamer with three cases full of clothes, a few rolls of dollars, gran-duchesses and countesses flirting with me was something extraordinary".[citation needed]
He remained four years in America, but his career as an actor never took off. During his stay he had however the opportunity to get to know new musical genres such as jazzswing,scat singing.
Back in Europe he became a singer. After a brief experience with Pippo Barzizza's orchestra, he joined the Lecuona Cuban Boys, a Cuban band. He performed with his face painted black and made a hit with the song "Maria la O".
While with the Lecuona Cuban Boys he met Giovanni D'Anzi who proposed him an audition with Italian state radio station EIAR. Rabagliati soon became a radio star, and in 1941 had his own radio show. Every Monday night EIAR aired Canta Rabagliati ("Rabagliati sings"), with the singer presenting his most famous songs such as "Ma l'amore no", "Mattinata fiorentina", "Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccina", "Silenzioso slow", "Bambina innamorata".
He was so popular that his name was sung in the lyrics of La famiglia canterinaQuando canta RabagliatiQuando la radio. At a time when anything foreign was banned, the idol Rabagliati was allowed to maintain his American-influenced style. Indeed, the Fascist  government decided to make use of his popularity by choosing his song "Sposi (c'è una casetta piccina)" ("Wed (there's a little home)") as their demographic campaign anthem.

His fame as a singer helped his acting career restart. From 1940 to 1965 he starred in some twenty movies, including The Barefoot ContessaMontecarlo and Il vedovo. In 1966, he starred in The Christmas That Almost Wasn't.
Rabagliati was active also on the stage until the mid-1950s. He performed in musical revues and comedies by Garinei and Giovannini.
His last public appearance was in 1974 as a guest in the TV show Milleluci hosted by Mina and Raffaella Carrà. Soon afterward he died of cerebral thrombosis.
    1966The Birds, the Bees and the Italians
    Commend. Galeazzo Casellato
    1964Biblioteca di Studio Uno: Al Grand Hotel (TV movie)
    Secondo affarista
    1962Jessica
    Pietro Masudino
    1959La cento chilometri
    The Plump Friend of Corsetti
    1957Susanna tutta panna
    Il commendatore Botta
    1956Monte Carlo
    Albert, the Portiere
    1955Quando tramonta il sole
    L'impresario milanese
    1954Scuola elementare
    Adalberto Bonfanti
    1954The Barefoot Contessa
    Proprietor
    1954Crossed Swords
    Gennarelli
    1953The Story of William Tell (short)
    Gabrelle the Glove Maker
    1947Natale al campo 119
    Alberto, il milanese
    1946Partenza ore 7
    Giorgio
    1944In cerca di felicità
    Massimo
    1943La vita è bella
    Il conte Alberto Morandi
    1943Lascia cantare il cuore
    Antonio Gaspari
    1941La scuola dei timidi
    Alberto Morandi
    1941Una famiglia impossibile
    Il cantante della radio
    1930Sei tu l'amore
    Mario
    1928Street Angel
    Policeman