Kirsty Mckenzie
SINGER, dancer and actor Raffaella Carrà has died at the age of 78.
Her long-term partner, Sergio Iapino, announced her death on Monday, with the words: “Raffaella has left us. She has gone to a better world, where her humanity, her unmistakable laugh and her extraordinary talent will shine forever.”
Carra was born Raffaella Pelloni on June 18, 1943 in Rimini, Italy but her talents were celebrated all over the world and she was particularly beloved in Spain and Latin America.
She appeared in dozens of films between 1960 and 1970, including 1965’s Von Ryan’s Express with Frank Sinatra. That same year Carra performed in the musical comedy Scaramouche.
She later returned to Italy and became a host on the television variety show Canzonissima, which frequently featured song-and-dance numbers performed by her, including the theme song “Chissà se Va.”
She released 25 studio albums during her career, most recently Ogni volta che e Natale in 2018 and last year, a Spanish musical based around her songs, Explota Explota made its debut.
Tributes for the star have poured in from all over Spain. PM Pedro Sanchez took to Twitter to say that “Raffaella Carrà was a woman who inspired several generations with happiness, courage and commitment. Her music made our hearts happy.”
Culture minister José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, added: “We have lost a television star, a great artist, a woman who was part of the daily life of several generations of Spaniards. I was a child when she debuted on TVE. We will always remember her: her joy, her songs and her beautiful Italian accent.”
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