Umberto Marcato

Umberto Marcato, born on January 5, 1930 in Padua, died on August 22, 2024 in Padua, was a well-known Italian singer who was particularly successful in the 1950s and 1960s. He began his musical career in various orchestras in his home region, where he established himself as a singer of melodic pieces. In the early years, his popularity was limited to a local audience.

Towards the end of the 1950s, however, he made his breakthrough, mainly through his live performances, which brought him recognition both in Italy and abroad. His performances were particularly popular with Italians abroad. This period also saw his first recordings, which were particularly successful in South America.

Marcato experienced the high point of his international career in 1964 when he performed a duet with the Swedish singer Siw Malmkvist recorded the song Sole sole sole. This song was originally presented by Laura Villa at the Sanremo Festival under the title Sole sole sole. On the B-side of the record, Marcato and Malmkvist sang the song Sabato sera by Bruno Filippini. This duet was a great success, especially in the Nordic countries, and made Marcato a household name there too.

In the 1970s, Marcato continued his career by recording new songs of his own as well as reinterpreting well-known hits by other artists. Some of his new songs were written in Venetian dialect and dedicated to his homeland. One particularly well-known song from this period was Ma quando torno a Padova, which became a real classic in his region.

In the 1980s, Umberto Marcato signed a contract with Gala Records, a label distributed by Ricordi. He released several albums during this time. In 1984, a collection of Christmas songs was released, which he recorded together with the singer Cristina Paltrinieri. This was followed a year later by the album Romantico italiano, which contained only his own compositions. The album sold well and cemented his reputation as a versatile performer.

Another highlight of his career was the release of the album 20 successi italiani in 1986, on which Marcato presented his own interpretations of classic Italian songs such as Parlami d’amore Mariù, Arrivederci Roma and Nel blu dipinto di blu. These pieces contributed significantly to establishing him as an interpreter of the classic Italian repertoire.

After his collaboration with Gala Records, Umberto Marcato moved to Dischi Ricordi and in 1990 to Columbia Records. He continued to release albums with these labels, on which he interpreted well-known melodic pieces from the Italian tradition as well as some new songs. Numerous of his works, both albums and singles, were released abroad in particular, earning him an international fan base.

One of the most extraordinary moments in his career came in 2000, when the punk band Mannaz from Padua recorded a new interpretation of his song Ma quando torno a Padova. This unusual version of his regional hit drew Marcato’s attention again, this time in a completely different musical context.

Studio albums by Umberto Marcato

• 1976 Ma quando torno a Padova (UMRecords, MRLP 102)
• 1977 A Venezia (UMRecords, MRLP 103)
• 1978 Doman ze festa (UMRecords, MRLP 106)
• 1983 Canzoni d’amore (Gala Records)
• 1984 Canta Natale (Gala Records-Dischi Ricordi – Orizzonte, ORL 8736; con Cristina Paltrinieri)
• 1985 Romantico italiano (Gala Records, GLLP 91004)
• 1986 20 successi italiani (Gala Records, GLLP 8001)
• 1987 Quanti momenti (Dischi Ricordi, SMRL 6373)
• 1989 Rose (Dischi Ricordi, SMRL 6407)
• 1990 Saluti da Italia (K-tel, SI-7160; SI-8160)
• 1992 I miei successi (Columbia 472784; reincisioni di canzoni del precedente repertorio con alcuni inediti)
• 1995 Cominciamo ad amarci (Columbia)
• 1999 Le più belle canzoni vol. 1 (Gala Records; raccolta dei brani incisi nella prima metà degli anni ’80)
• 2005 Canzoni popolari venete (2005 Duck Records)
• 2007 Songs for the mood forever (2007 UNIVERSAL n.06025)