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Caterina Valente at the famous "Olympia" Theater in Paris 1976

Caterina Valente (born January 14, 1931 in Paris) is an Italian-born singer, dancer, and actress. She comes from an Italian artist family; her father Giuseppe was a well-known accordion player, her mother, Maria Valente, a musical clown. She had three siblings, of whom Silvio Francesco was also active in show business.

In 1952 she married juggler Erik van Aro (Gerd Eric Horst Scholz). He recognized her talent and accompanied her in her initial years of worldwide success, although they later divorced. In 1953, she made her first recordings with Kurt Edelhagen. Soon afterwards she achieved great success with songs such as "Malagueña", "The Breeze and I", and "Dreh dich nicht um" with the Werner Müller orchestra. In 1955 she was featured on the "Colgate Comedy Hour" with Gordon MacRae. In the mid-1960s, Caterina worked with the legendary Claus Ogerman and recorded material in both Italian and English that he arranged/conducted and/or composed on the Decca[1] and London[2] labels. Between 1966 and 1972 she was a frequent guest on the Dean Martin Show. In 1972, she married the British pianist Roy Budd; they had a son, Alexander, but they divorced in 1979.

In Germany she was a major performer of Schlager music. There she recorded Cole Porter's "I love Paris" i.e. "Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe", which sold more than 500,000 copies in (1954.)

Over the years, she has recorded or performed with many international stars, including Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Buddy Rich, Sy Oliver, Claus Ogerman, and Chet Baker. In 1959 she was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Valente was a regular on the short-lived CBS variety series The Entertainers (1964-65).

In 2001, she released a new album Girltalk with harpist Catherine Michel. She is also the mother of singer Eric van Aro, Jr.

Valente is a true world citizen and a polyglot, having sung in twelve different languages. After her first musical successes, she acted in the movie Mannequins for Rio (1954) and has performed in fourteen additional films. She also plays the guitar.

• 1961 Bravo Otto Bravo Category „Female singers“ Gold (also 1960, 1962 and 1963 in Silver)
• 1964 "Europremio" European TV Award, Venice,Italy
• 1965 „O Globo“ (Brazil) best foreign singer of Latin American music
• 1965 "FAME Award" American TV Award, USA
• 1968 Bundesverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse "1st class cross of merit" Germany
• 1972 "Officier de l'êducation artistique" Officer of artistic education, Paris, France
• 1986 „Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland“ Great cross of merit, Germany
• 1966 Goldene Kamera Germany
• 1990 Bambi Germany
• 1991 Goldene Europa „Lifetime-Award“ in Saarbrücken, Germany
• 1995 Bambi „Lifetime-Award“ Germany
• 1998 Platin Romy Lifetime Award, Austria
• 2002 Echo „Lifetime-Award“ Germany
• 2004 "Premio GABARDI" Lifetime Milano, Italy
• 2005 Bambi Honorary-Bambi Germany

The two faces of Caterina Valente: lady and tomboy. This single, a cha-cha-cha entitled "Ich weiß ja alles von dir" ("Love Is With Me Tonight") from the movie Du bist wunderbar, was published in 1959.

• The Hi-Fi Nightingale, 1956
• Olé Caterina, 1957, (Decca DL-8436)
• Plenty Valente!, 1957, (Decca DL 8440)
• A Toast To the Girls, (Decca DL 8755)
• Schlagerparade, (Decca DL 8852)
• More Schlagerparade, (Decca DL 4035)
• À La Carte - Caterina Valente Sings In French, (Decca DL 4050)
• Arriba!, 1959
• The Greatest... in Any Language!, (Decca DL 4052)
• Golden Favorites, (Decca DL-4504)
• Rendezvous with Caterina, (Decca)

• Caterina Valente & Edmundo Ros Orchestra: Fire & Frenzy, 1960
• Classics with a Chaser, 1960, (RCA Victor LPM-2119)
• Super-Fonics, (RCA LSP-2241)
• Great Continental Hits, 1962. Decca
• South Of The Border, 1963.
• Valente In Swingtime, 1963. Teldec
• Caterina Valente's Greatest Hits, 1965. Decca
• The Intimate Valente, 1966. Decca
• Strictly U.S.A., (London LL 3307)
• Songs I've Sung on the Perry Como Show
• I Happen To Like New York, (London LL 3362)
• Valente & Violins, 1964. (London 3363)
• Sweet Beat, (London PS 536)
• Valente on T.V.

• Love, 1972. (London Phase 4), Stereo

• Serenata d'Amore
• A Poliglota da CanÇão
• Caterina - A Cosmopolita, Polydor 46065
• Caterina Valente com Edmundo Ros

• Caterina Cherie, Polydor 46310

• Una Cita Con Caterina Valente (A Date With Caterina Valente), Polydor 24011, 10 inch LP
• Olé, Caterina!, (Polydor 25019)
• Un Brindis para las Muchachas, (Polydor 25048)
• Bueno... Clásico... y Popular! (Classics with a Chaser), (RCA Victor LPM-2119)
• Classics with a Chaser, (RCA Victor LPM-2119)

• Cosmopolitan Lady, (Polydor 46065)
• A Toast To The Girls, (Polydor 46074)

• Caterina Valente & Edmundo Ros: Nothing But Aces, Decca 4157
• Great Continental Hits, Decca LK 4508
• Valente In Swingtime, 1963. Decca SKL 4537
• I Happen To Like New York, Decca LK 4630
• Caterina Valente's Greatest Hits, 1965
• The World of Caterina Valente, 1971. Decca SPA 192

• I Happen To Like New York, World Record Club S/4384, 196?
• Great Continental Hits, World Record Club, 196?
• The Best of Caterina Valente, SUMMIT Karussell SRA 250-548 (on the cover)/2430 032 (on the label)

• Plenty Valente!, 1957. Polydor LPHM 43.037
• A Date With Caterina Valente, Polydor 45 517
• Olé Caterina!, Polydor 46 029 LPHM
• Weltschlager mit Caterina Valente, 1959. Polydor Sonderauflage Bertelsmann J 53503, 10 inch LP
• Ihre großen Erfolge
• Konzert für Frack und Petticoat - Classics with a Chaser, RCA LSP-2119
• Super-Fonics, RCA LSP-2241
• Caterina Valente & Edmundo Ros: Latein Amerikanische Rhythmen, DECCA BLK 16184-P
• Caterina on Tour, Decca BLK 16213-P
• Caterina Valente & Silvio Francesco: Deutsche Evergreens, Decca SLK 16 189 P
• Pariser Chic, Pariser Charme, Decca SLK 16266 P
• I Happen To Like New York, Decca SLK 16 290
• Wenn es Nacht wird in den Städten, 1965. Decca SLK 16 345
• Portrait in Music, Decca SLK 16 420-P
• Happy Caterina, Decca SLK 16485-P
• Die großen Erfolge (Decca ND 103, Stereo)
• Schlager, Lieder & Chansons, Decca ND 182
• Schlager, Lieder & Chansons 2, Decca ND 557
• Caterina Valente & Edmundo Ros: Olé Mambo, 1969. Decca 79 505
• Caterina Valente & Edmundo Ros: Latin together, Decca SLK 16849-P
• Ich wär' so gern bei Dir, Decca 6.22003
• The Best Of Caterina Valente, Polydor 184047
• Tanz mit Catrin, HÖR ZU TELDEC HZT 514
• Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe - Caterina Valente singt ihre Welterfolge, 1970.
• Bonjour Kathrin, 1965
• Bonjour Kathrin, Karussell 635 106

• Cosmopolitan Lady, 10 inch LP
• Caterina Latin Album, 1963
• De Luxe Latin Album, 1966

• Latein Amerikanische Rhythmen, 1960
• CATERINA VALENTE (10 inch) Du bist Musik--south africa 1956-45106 LPH)POLYDOR STERNCHEN

• official Caterina Valente Web Site
• official Caterina Valente mySpace profile
• All Music Guide Entry
• Discography
• German Single and EP covers
• Caterina Valente at the IMDb
• Short film from Google Video