Ornella Vanoni, the Great Interpreter of Italian Music, Dies at 91

Ornella Vanoni, the renowned Italian singer, passed away on Friday night at the age of 91 at her home in Milan due to cardiac arrest, as reported by the newspaper Corriere della Sera. Vanoni was one of the most prolific singers in the Italian music scene, achieving her greatest successes in the 1960s and 1970s with songs like 'Senza fine' (Endless), released in 1961, and 'Domani è un altro giorno' (Tomorrow is Another Day) from 1971. However, her most significant commercial success was 'L'appuntamento' (The Appointment), the Italian version of the Brazilian song 'Sentado à beira do caminho' by Erasmo and Roberto Carlos. Originally released in 1970, it gained worldwide recognition when it appeared in the soundtrack of Steven Soderbergh's 2004 film 'Ocean's Twelve', expanding its success far beyond Italian borders.

Iconic for her style and recognizable by her curly red hair, Vanoni became the first singer in the history of the San Remo Festival to receive an honorary award for her entire career. "She has marked the history of Italian music, leaving an artistic legacy that will forever remain in the hearts of all," stated Lorenzo Fontana, President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, this Sunday.

Vanoni would become a prominent voice in Italian music and one of the country's most beloved artists. Her career spanned over seven decades, during which she sold more than 55 million records and released around 40 studio albums. Her songs, which inspired several generations of artists, explored themes of love, loss, and femininity, as well as prisons, crime, social exclusion, and the poverty of the suburbs.

As fashions and customs changed in Italy, Vanoni's intimate and charming voice remained a symbol of emotional authenticity in the country's music. Elegant and fiercely independent, she recently stated on the television program Che Tempo Che Fa regarding her funeral plans: "The coffin should be cheap because I want to be cremated. Then, throw me into the sea, perhaps in Venice." Her funeral will be held this Monday.

Born in 1934 into a wealthy Milanese family, her father was a pharmaceutical entrepreneur. This allowed her family to send her to a convent school in Italy and then to universities in Switzerland, Britain, and France, where she learned German, English, and French. She mentioned that her mother used to tell her that a good girl should always leave the house well-dressed, with "some heels and a bit of makeup."

Initially working as an actress under the guidance of director Giorgio Strehler at the Piccolo Teatro, she later devoted herself to music. Vanoni explored different musical genres. Her early folk songs about Milan's criminal underworld earned her the nickname 'Cantante della mala'. She later became an interpreter of works by prominent Italian singer-songwriters and collaborated with Brazilian artists Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes, as well as jazz musicians.

A close friend of fashion designer Gianni Versace, who passed away in 1997, she also inspired renowned designers like Giorgio Armani and Valentino to create their garments.

Vanoni had a relationship with the director of the Piccolo Teatro, Giorgio Strehler, and with Italian singer-songwriter Gino Paoli, with whom she collaborated, and was married to Lucio Ardenzi from 1960 to 1972. The couple had a son, Cristiano. In an interview with 'Gazzetta dello Sport' in 2024, Vanoni stated that she never loved her husband but thought: "Sooner or later, one has to get married."

In her later years, Vanoni remained a prominent figure in the artistic world, collaborating with young Italian artists. In interviews, she spoke candidly about aging, loneliness, and creativity, sharing her thoughts on politics and news, displaying a lively sense of humour.