Story of the Great Song.

Appassionante - Viva la pappa col pomodoro 

It all began, as it should be in a story about pasta, in sunny Italy, where in 1964 Italian filmmaker, scriptwriter and playwright Lina Wertmüller filmed the children's television series "Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca" for Italian television.

Lina Werthmüller worked as assistant director Federico Fellini in his films "La Dolce Vita" and "Eight and a Half", and was also the first woman nominee for the Oscar for Best Director.  Rita Pavone appeared and sang in this children's series. 

Rita Pavone is an Italian actress and singer known in the 60s of the last century. In Spain, she released a number of hits - both ballads and rock-style songs - and became so popular in that country that a documentary was made about her, which was rare for a foreigners in Spain.

The composer Nino Rota, already famous at that time, composed the song "Viva la pappa col pomodoro" for Rita Pavone, starring in the television series "Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca. The text was written by Lina Wertmüller.

Viva La Pappa Col Pomodoro - RITA PAVONE 1965.

The song become very popular and started its march around the world. In 1965 it was performed, already in French, by Dalida (real name Yolanda Christina Gillotti) - the famous French singer and actress of Italian origin, born and raised in Egypt.

Dalida 1965 

 In 1968, the song reached the Soviet Union. The Russian text was written by young then, but already not in fevore   (therefore it was often published under the pseudonym of Y. Mikhailov) poet and bard Yuli Kim. Apparently, the macaroni was closer to his body and soul than the tomatoes, and maybe, at that time,  the dissidents were sitting  in Moscow kitchens not behind the bowl of tomato soup, but plate of pasta, after all .  No matter what, Emil Horovets (in the 60s years still in favor ) performed a song about pasta in the Soviet Union.

Эмиль Горовец - Люблю я макароны

Whether due to the “tasty” text by Yuli Kim or the simple but pleasant melody of Nino Roth, or smooth baritone of Emil Horovets or maybe simply due to the fact that other products in the Soviet Union were in constant shortage, this song firmly bumped into our memory.

The song about macaroni (or about tomatoes, as you please) is still loved and performed both in its historic homeland and in the vast territory of the former USSR. Andrei Makarevich, in the New Year program “Old songs about the main thing”, reminded us of this hit.

А.Макаревич "Люблю я макароны"