Remembering "Il Re"

Legendary singer Claudio Villa immortalized in exhibit

For everybody, he was the "Little King," a passionate and indisputable icon of the Roman spirit and art. He was a bold and boastful king with no sceptre and no crown, but beloved by his subjects. His fans cheered him everywhere, from Russia to Japan, because Claudio Villa (whose real last name was Pica) gave them all he had, his fierce character notwithstanding.
Sixteen years after his death Rome remembers this great singer with an exhibition entitled Il romanzo di una voce ("The Novel of a Voice"). The exhibition has been prepared by Giancarlo Governi and City of Rome's councillor Gianni Borgna, on the downtown premises of Rome Museum in Trastevere, Villa's preferred neighbourhood. There he was born on January 1, 1926, to Pietro Pica (cobbler) and Ulpia Urbani (seamstress).
Until February 9, 2003, the exhibition will display documents, photographs, stage costumes, his beloved motorcycles, numerous letters from his admirers, his first contracts, the posters of his concerts abroad, and publicity stills from his movies (not appreciated by the critics).
The Roman exhibition owes much to Villa's second wife, Patrizia Baldi. "I'm glad that Rome remembers one of its sons, even though many years have passed," she explains. "Claudio represented the Roman spirit in the world. He was loved not only in Italy but also abroad. The Russians and Japanese liked him for his talent and singing skill. Very often, after his concerts, members of the audience stayed and chatted, asking him questions about his secrets, curiosities, and deep reasons of his art. The story was different in countries such as the United States and Canada, where many Italian emigrants formed his audience. To them, Claudio embodied the memories of a land they had left but never forgotten. In those cheers, in their enthusiasm he perceived a different passion and fervour that was unparalleled in other theatres."
But who was Claudio Villa? Retracing his life is like opening a book of Italy's recent past. The first stage was the street, in particular the country roads around Rome. An old friend of his once said that "Every once in a while he gave us a show. He put an empty can on top of a stick and said that it was a microphone. Then he began singing." Despite initial difficulties, dreams seemed to come true for young Claudio. At 18 he won a contest for "new voices" held at the Ambra Jovinelli Theatre, where Ettore Petrolini and Totò had begun their careers. Side by side with comedians, soubrettes and cabaret actors, he became the "Roman singer" par excellence.
In the foreword to the catalogue, Giancarlo Governi quotes Alberto Sordi who said "That was after the war. But another war, a cold one, was already coming. Light, gas, and heating were all rationed. It was so cold that we never took our overcoats off. We assembled around a burner and listened to the radio. Radio was then what TV is today, we listened sitting in front of it as if we were in a theatre."
In 1955 Claudio Villa won the first edition of the Sanremo Festival, broadcast on TV, with Buongiorno tristezza. He repeated the success the following year with Corde della mia chitarra and two more times after that: in 1962, singing Addio addio with Domenico Modugno, and in 1967 with Non pensare a me.
His death was eventually announced from the same stage, on February 7, 1987, by Pippo Baudo. Baudo's opinion about Villa: "Claudio Villa? You ether loved him or hated him. He was a sincere man, a great protagonist of entertainment, who never did anything to ingratiate sympathies or soften his harshness."
In spite of this, fans club were formed, fanzines were founded, and women loved and adored him. He married twice, with Miranda Bonansea and Patrizia Baldi, who was 30 years younger than the singer. The couple had four children: Mauro, Andrea Celeste, and Aurora. "In private he was a totally different persona," remembers Baldi. "He was a very attentive father. He adored his daughters, and would often take my place. He cared for them, got out of bed at night if they needed something, he brought them to school. Maybe he felt that the happiness would not last for long, and he wished to enjoy it as much as possible."
Do she harbour any regrets, or secret wishes? "I was a lucky woman. I lived with a great man, who left me an important legacy. I want him to be remembered. The exhibition in Rome is just the beginning... I hope to bring it abroad," she concludes. "It would be a gift to all Italians living abroad, whom my husband loved to sing for."

Publication Date: 2002-12-01
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=2059