RIP Lucia Mannucci

RIP Lucia Mannucci of the Quartetto Cetra

Lucia Mannucci, the female voice of the Quartetto Cetra, died last night at 91. Born in Bologna May 18, 1920, she was the last component of the famous quartet: three years ago she lost her husband, Virgilio Savona. The other two members of the quartet Felice Chiusano and Tata Giacobetti, died respectively, in 1990 and 1988.

Lucia Mannucci was also a musical actress and presenter of television programs and along with her husband spent years researching folk music. But thanks to television, it was mainly with the Quartet, which won her greatest popularity. Her musical training started in the forties, and she was known for processing a great love of vocal jazz and swing and sometimes humorous lyrics which often anticipated trends and genres of music (1957 she recorded an Italian version of Rock Around the Clock, entitled The Crazy Clock, she was among the first in Italy to promote Rock 'n' Roll). With TV programs such as Studio One and “Don’t Sing, Shoot” (1968) she was part of the history of Italian television. Among the quartet’s most famous songs were “Che centrattacco” (Sanremo 1954), “Il Visconte di Castelfombrone”,  “Un disco dei Platters”, “Che centrattacco!” and “Nella vecchia fattoria”.

 YouTube link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nvrfdlBot8