Ines Taddio Carussello Italiano

INES TADDIO : Carusello Italiano

Signore, Salute Cin-Cin, Capitano D'Amore - already the headlines of her hits indicate that the interpreter can actually only come from 'Bella Italia'. Even if you may not see it for the blond Ines Taddio at first glance, it is true.

On 28 December 1928 - under the sign of the Capricorn - she was born in the small northern Italian town of Enemonzo near Udine. Already as a young girl she attracts attention for the first time, because in a regional beauty competition, a preliminary round for the 'Miss Venetia Julia', she is chosen as 'Miss Carnia'. That gives her a little film reel next to Marcello Mastroianni.

But her parents, who own a small business, attach importance to a solid professional education and enable Ines to study, because she - just like her two sisters - should become a teacher. After graduating, she goes to Salzburg, because it is her father's wish that she learns German. And here, things are taking their course. At first she is busy studying vocabulary and grammar rules and is making good progress due to her linguistic talent.

Her German teacher, who works at Österreichischer Rundfunk, is not only taken with her eagerness to learn, but even more with her voice and keeps urging her to audition at Radio Salzburg. Since Ines, as an Italian, naturally has music in her blood, she finally lets herself be persuaded. Jo Balke, the studio boss, is immediately enthusiastic and so 1955 some radio recordings are produced.

"These were later included in the Italian radio programme", the singer says, "and thereupon they offered me an annual contract. Of course I said yes."

So she's going to Rome. From now on, she will stand in front of the studio microphone regularly and will also take part in many of the station's public events.

Ines Taddio not only has a talent for singing: blonde, long-legged and equipped with a dream figure, she is also a stunning appearance. Marilyn Monroe is what they call her in musical circles. No wonder that the men she works with always want to be in close contact with each other and are looking for fleeting adventures. But that is out of the question for the singer. When the constant approaches of the hot-blooded southerners become too much for her, she goes back to Salzburg and soon becomes a busy vocal interpreter for the ORF.

Her vital voice with the unmistakable Italian accent was well received by the listeners and in 1956 the first records were released by Austroton. Then, as a representative of Austria, she appeared several times in the then popular radio programme 'Musik kennt keine Grenzen', which was also broadcast by German radio stations. The well-known composer and producer Heinz Gietz listens to her there and immediately signs her up for the Hamburg Polydor.

Since 1959 singles have been regularly produced with her in Cologne. She makes her television debut in Germany in the programme 'In Hamburg geht man gern a Land' and the programme guides bring detailed reports about the new pop star from Italy on this occasion.

But they have also long been noticed in neighbouring countries. In the summer of 1959 she was engaged alongside Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour for the supporting programme of the Knokke Festival.

"Being announced on a poster together with such famous stars is of course a great thing and I was incredibly proud of it back then," reveals Ines Taddio, and her eyes are still shining today when she talks about it.

Within a short period of time, she managed to make a quite respectable career in Germany, even though she did not achieve more than respectable successes in her records at first. However, appearances and radio broadcasts are increasing and she collaborates with all renowned orchestra conductors such as Erwin Lehn, Franz Thon, Werner Müller, Alfred Hause, Cedric Dumont and Willi Berking. Not least because of her international contacts, many of her German recordings are also recorded in Italian or French.

1961 it goes further upward. Initially, she took part in the Swiss preliminary round of the 'Grand Prix', which was also broadcast on television.

Afterwards she was engaged with her current single Carusello Italiano, composed by Heinz Gietz, for the music film 'Und du mein Schatz bleibst hier'.

With 'Our great aunts' another film project follows. The white seagull is the title she presents here. But she is not only allowed to sing but also to give a small taste of her acting talent. The script provides that she, together with Vivi Bach and Evi Kent, will turn upside down a strictly run boarding school for girls with higher daughters. The young ladies are strongly supported by colleagues such as Gus Backus and Bill Ramsey, who mainly wear women's clothes. The film, which is fully geared to Klamauk, was a box-office hit at the time and is still appearing in the programmes of private television stations today.

Just at the time when the sales figures of their records were steadily rising, Heinz Gietz left Polydor and switched to Electrola. Some artists - especially those who owe much of their success to his compositional ideas - follow him. This includes Bill Ramsey and Ines Taddio.

"I don't know if this decision was right," she says today, "because the Polydor didn't have a big female star at the time and had a lot to do with me." Nevertheless, it gives priority to further cooperation with Gietz.