Marina
The text and melody for this famous Belgian song were written in 1958 by the Belgian singer and songwriter of the Italian origin Rocco Granata (1938).
Rocco had been only 10 years old when he moved together with his mother and sister to Belgium, in order to join his father, who was working there in the coal mines. As the young boy had a big interest in music, his parents offered him musical lessons, and his father bought him an accordion, insisting though that Rocco never would become a professional musician. Nevertheless, as Rocco Granata was not interested in regular lessons, he did quit school soon, found himself a job and started his own band "The International Quintet". This band allowed him to earn some money, though in a way that was not allowed by the Belgian government: a professional's card was needed for playing music in public, a card that was refused him by the government, as not being from Belgian origin. It was only with his first hit that he finally was handed the card. |
In the meantime, however, Rocco Granata did not let prevent him from playing music, he even started to write his own songs. It was with one of these songs, E Primavera, that in 1958 he took part in the song contest "La Rondinella d'Oro" in Liège, which he won, together with a local singer. That evening Rocco had to play and sing for an exuberant audience, and it was on that evening that the basis for "Marina" was performed for the first time.
Only a couple of days later, Rocco and his band were playing in a cafe, where a kiss dance was on the programme. Rocco did not like that habit, and decided to play something else, in a rhythm that could be stepped on. The tune he played some days before came to his mind again, he only had to invent a text for the song. On the wall of the cafe a poster was hanging, advertising for the cigarette brand "Marina", thus the name of a world hit emerged. At that moment the text was nothing more than improvising, but his audience seemed to like the song.
During the same period, due to his employer of that time, Rocco Granata was allowed to make a recording of one of his songs. For him this was a great opportunity, as he had often been asked for recordings, and for this occasion he chose the song "Manuela", that was written by the Italian duo Enzo Bonagura and Tarcisio Fusco. Yet it occurred to him soon that a record has two sides, which did mean that he needed another song more for making the creation of his first record possible. |
Rocco Granata performs Marina
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The recording of the song "Marina" became a chaotic event: the lyrics were not ready yet, and during the recording itself Rocco did add words, or he changed them, this all to the big dissatisfaction of the producer who regarded that as a pure loss of time. Yet within two hours only, those two songs, "Manuela" and "Marina" were recorded. Only three hundred copies were pressed, and at first the young singer was the only responsible for the distribution. On this purpose he visited all cafes in the area, trying to sell his recording, or to have it played in the local jukeboxes. As soon it became clear that the public did choose for the B-side of the recording, the song "Marina" was being promoted as being the hit, instead of "Manuela". Rocco's way of promoting the single also appeared to become a success. The publishing family Van Hooghte got interested, and agreed to release the song, in exchange Granata had to surrender part of the proceeds. Rocco agreed, but up till now he is persuaded that this was the biggest mistake he could ever make. Anyhow, when in 1970 the publisher got ill, Rocco was able to buy the publishing rights on the song again.
In the summer of 1959 "Marina" was rated first in the Belgian hit parade. In the meantime the Dutch singer Willy Alberti also had recorded the song. Through a pilot of the Dutch airlines it reached the USA, where it was released in Alberti's version. Yet, as the publisher Van Hooghte owed a publishing house in the USA, also Rocco's version of "Marina" was released, and already in November of 1959 it reached the twelfth place in the Cash Box Top 100. In various countries, "Marina" was given the label evergreen afterwards. In his memoirs about President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the cook of the White House wrote that the President regularly whistled "Marina" when he was good-humored. In the biography of a prominent cyclist Fausto Coppi we read that on the day he was buried, Coppi's favorite song "Marina" was played on the Italian radio during the whole morning.
In 1960 a fist film about "Marina" was recorded without Rocco Granata`s voice, starring Rex Gildo, Silvio Francesco and the operetta star Renate Holm. This film would be the start of a whole series of successes in Germany. Throughout the years "Marina" was and remained a big hit, but Rocco wanted to try out something new. Exactly thirty years after its first release, in 1989, the singer got a number one hit again with the same song, but that time it appeared in a new beat version. It was still the same singer that was to be heard, |
the same accordeon, but the rhythm had been ajusted, and again the song became a world hit, to begin with in Belgium. On the twenty-fourth of June, Rocco was one in the BRT Top Thirty. From Belgium it went over Germany and Austria, across Mexico, Chile and Argentina to Italy, where the single was listed on one for nine weeks. This success encouraged Rocco to release the album "That's amore", an album that was available even in Brazil and Russia.
In 2012 the Belgian film director Stijn Coninx started the recordings for a film about Rocco Granata's life and in which the song "Marina" would
also play a crucial role. Only one year later the film would premiere in the Belgian cinemas. And again "Marina" became a great success.
In 2012 the Belgian film director Stijn Coninx started the recordings for a film about Rocco Granata's life and in which the song "Marina" would
also play a crucial role. Only one year later the film would premiere in the Belgian cinemas. And again "Marina" became a great success.
Other performers: Willy Alberti, Dalida, Matteo Simoni, Dean Martin, Caterina Valente, Chico & The Gypsies, Francesco Napoli, Andre Rieu, Sergio Mauri, Garagatze (punk cover), Nikolai Baskov, Vladislav Kosarev and others. According to Wikipedia, even the famous Louis Armstrong
Since its birth the song has become an accordion hit, performed by accordion players all over the world.
Since its birth the song has become an accordion hit, performed by accordion players all over the world.
Original Text (Italian):
Mi sono innamorato di Marina Una ragazza mora ma carina. Ma le non vuol saperne del mio amore Cosa faro per conquistarle il cuor. Un giorno l'ho incontrata sola sola, Il cuore mi batteva mille all'ora. Quando le dissi che la volevo amare Mi diede un bacio e l'amor sboccio. Marina, Marina, Marina Ti voglio al piu presto sposar. Marina, Marina, Marina Ti voglio al piu presto sposar. O mia bella mora no, non mi lasciare Non mi devi rovinare Oh! no, no, no, no, no... Coro: O mia bella mora No non mi lasciare Non mi devi rovinare Oh! no, no, no, no, no... |
German text:
Bei Tag und Nacht denk' ich an dich, Marina, Du kleine zauberhafte Ballerina. Oh wärst du mein, du süße cara mia Aber du gehst ganz kalt an mir vorbei. Doch eines Tages traf ich sie im Mondschein, Ich lud sie ein zu einem Glase Rotwein. Und wie ich frage: „Liebling, willst du mein sein?“ Gab sie mir einen Kuss, und das hieß „ja“. Marina, Marina, Marina, Dein Chic und dein Charme, der gefällt. Marina, Marina, Marina, Du bist ja die Schönste der Welt. Wunderbares Mädchen, Bald sind wir ein Pärchen. Komm und lass mich nie alleine, Oh no, no, no, no, no! Marina, Marina, Marina, Dein Chic und dein Charme, der gefällt. Marina, Marina, Marina, Du bist ja die Schönste der Welt. Wunderbares Mädchen, Bald sind wir ein Pärchen. Komm und lass mich nie alleine, Oh no, no, no, no, no! |
Russian (by Leonid Derbenev):
Не думал о любви я, но влюбился, Зачем, не знаю сам я, но влюбился, И что ни говори теперь, влюбился - Вздыхаю я, не ем я и не сплю. Но до сих пор сказать я не решился, Пытался много раз, но не решился, И даже намекнуть ей не решился, Что я ее без памяти люблю. Припев: Марина, Марина, Марина, - Твержу я и ночью и днем. Марина, Марина, Марина, - Одна ты на шаре земном. Что же ты, Марина, Молча ходишь мимо? Любовь к тебе, Марина, Растет день ото дня. Я брожу по Риму, Я твержу: Марина, Скажи скорей, Марина, Что любишь ты меня. Как лилия весной, она прекрасна, И все вокруг твердят: она прекрасна, Но как скажу ей, что она прекрасна, Что мой она нарушила покой! Смотрю ей в след и мучаюсь ужасно, И день, и ночь страдаю я ужасно, И только одного боюсь ужасно, Что вдруг ей скажет кто-нибудь другой |
Sources:
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_(lied); https://www.roccogranata.be/nl/biografie/; https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Граната,_Рокко
https://vivavlaanderen.radio2.be/rocco-granata/artikel/01-01-1956/265; https://vivavlaanderen.radio2.be/rocco-granata/biografie
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_(lied); https://www.roccogranata.be/nl/biografie/; https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Граната,_Рокко
https://vivavlaanderen.radio2.be/rocco-granata/artikel/01-01-1956/265; https://vivavlaanderen.radio2.be/rocco-granata/biografie