Who Is Raffaella Carrà

Raffaella Carrà (Raffaella Maria Roberta Pelloni; Bologna, 18 June 1943 – Rome, 5 July 2021) was an Italian singer, dancer, actress and television presenter. For decades she was one of the most recognizable faces of European entertainment, and in Italy she was often called the “queen of television”.

According to available sources, she released 25 studio albums in 37 countries across Europe and Latin America and sold more than 60 million records. She sang in Italian, Spanish, English and French. Among her best-known songs are “Tuca Tuca”, “A far l’amore comincia tu”, “Fiesta”, “Forte forte forte”, “Pedro” and “Tanti auguri”.

Besides music, Raffaella Carrà hosted some of the most-watched shows on Italian and Spanish television. Especially important are Canzonissima, Pronto, Raffaella?, Buonasera Raffaella, Carràmba! Che sorpresa and the Spanish ¡Hola Raffaella!. Because of her free-spirited performances and open support for the LGBT community, she remained a symbol of the modernization of public life in Italy and Spain.

Early Life and Childhood

Family and Origins

Raffaella Carrà was born on 18 June 1943 in Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna. Most sources give Bologna as her birthplace, while some mention Rimini. Her parents were Raffaele Pelloni and Angela Iris Dell’Utri, who was of Sicilian descent. She also had a brother, Vincenzo, known as Enzo, who died in 2001 (some sources call him Renzo).

Her parents separated soon after their wedding. Sources differ on whom she grew up with. Most say she lived with her mother, who ran a café in Bellaria, while some mention that she moved with her father to the Rimini Riviera. Her father came from Romagna and was connected to the hospitality trade.

Childhood in Bellaria

She spent most of her early childhood in Bellaria-Igea Marina, a small seaside town in the province of Rimini. She divided her days between her mother’s café and a nearby ice cream shop. There she watched the television show Il Musichiere and learned by heart the titles, dance steps and refrains of the songs performed on it.

That early love of television and music shaped her path in life. At only eight years old she left the Riviera to continue her schooling in Rome.

Education

In Rome, Raffaella Carrà studied at the National Dance Academy (Accademia Nazionale di Danza), founded by Jia Ruskaja [CHECK]. According to some sources, she left ballet around the age of fourteen.

She then enrolled at the Experimental Center of Cinematography (Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia), a prestigious Italian film school, where she graduated in 1960. This training in dance and acting prepared her for a career that combined film, music and television.

Early Career

First Film Roles

She first appeared before the camera at the age of nine. While walking through Rome with her mother, she met director Mario Bonnard through a family friend. He gave her the role of Graziella in the film Tormento del passato (1952), in which she was credited as Raffaella Pelloni.

She made her debut as a recognized actress in 1960 in the film La lunga notte del ’43. Roles in historical epics and comedies followed, including Maciste nella terra dei ciclopi, other peplum films of the era, and 5 marines per 100 ragazze (1961). In 1963 she appeared in Mario Monicelli’s I compagni (The Organizer), which also starred Marcello Mastroianni. That same year she made the French film La chance et l’amour with Michel Piccoli.

Hollywood and “Von Ryan’s Express”

In 1965 she signed a contract with 20th Century Fox and went to Hollywood, following several Italian actresses before her. She appeared in the war film Von Ryan’s Express (1965) alongside Frank Sinatra, directed by Mark Robson. In 1966 she guest-starred in an episode of the American series I Spy.

Life in Los Angeles did not suit her. By 1966 she had returned to Italy, where she continued to make Italian and French films, among them Le Saint prend l’affût (1966) and Il vostro superagente Flit (1966).

Origin of Her Stage Name

The name Carrà came about in the mid-1960s. Director Dante Guardamagna [CHECK], a lover of painting, combined her first name, which reminded him of the painter Raphael, with the surname of the painter Carlo Carrà. That is how Raffaella Pelloni became Raffaella Carrà.

Rise to Fame

The real turning point in her career came with television variety shows. In 1970 she appeared as a guest on Io, Agata e tu, and RAI then hired her to host Canzonissima 70, a Saturday-night show in which she sang, danced and acted at the same time. Beside her, the show was hosted by Corrado Mantoni, known simply as Corrado.

She hosted Canzonissima again in 1971 and 1974. On that show she also began performing songs written by author Gianni Boncompagni, her longtime collaborator. Their work created a recognizable blend of simple refrains, choreography and cheerful show business. In 1974 she also co-hosted Milleluci with singer Mina.

Tuca Tuca and the Scandal on State Television

The best-known moment of Raffaella Carrà’s early years is tied to Canzonissima. According to several sources, she was the first woman to show her navel on state television. Sources differ on the exact broadcast: some link the event to the opening theme “Ma che musica maestro” in 1970, others to 1971.

In November 1971 she performed the song “Tuca Tuca”, written by Gianni Boncompagni and Franco Pisano. The song was a dance number, and the touching of head, shoulders and hips struck the public of the time as far too daring. She performed it with dancer Enzo Paolo Turchi. The Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano judged it overly provocative, and RAI temporarily censored the dance.

The situation was turned around by actor Alberto Sordi, one of the greatest stars of Italian cinema. As a guest on the show on 27 November 1971, he asked to dance “Tuca Tuca” with Raffaella Carrà. That performance lifted the censorship, and the song became a mass phenomenon.

Music Career and Worldwide Hits

During the 1970s Raffaella Carrà increasingly focused on music. Her records succeeded in Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Greece and especially in Latin America.

One of her biggest songs is “A far l’amore comincia tu”. Its English version reached ninth place on the UK singles chart, and the song also brought several gold and platinum records around the world. The album Forte forte forte (1976) was released in 36 countries and earned a gold certification in Canada. It was followed by the album Fiesta (1977), with Eurodisco tracks. The title song is still regarded as a symbol of her career.

In 1980 she released the album Mi spendo tutto, which contains “Pedro”, one of her biggest hits. The albums Raffaella Carrà 82, Fatalità (1983) and Bolero (1984) followed. In 2011 French DJ Bob Sinclar remixed “A far l’amore comincia tu”, and that remix was later used in Paolo Sorrentino’s film The Great Beauty (La grande bellezza).

Success in Spain and Latin America

She first appeared in Spain in 1975 on the show ¡Señoras y señores! on TVE. The following year TVE hired her to host four episodes of La hora de…. She appeared on Spanish television only a year after the death of Francisco Franco, so in Spain she is often seen as a symbol of freer expression after the dictatorship.

In 1978 she released “Hay que venir al sur”, the Spanish version of “Tanti auguri”, which became one of her biggest hits. She appeared on the Chilean show Sábado gigante, and in 1982 she was guest of honor at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival. In 1980 she made the film Bárbara in Argentina, her last leading role in a feature film.

Between 1992 and 1995 she hosted the Spanish format ¡Hola Raffaella! on TVE, for which she won a TP de Oro award, and she also hosted A las 8 con Raffaella. In 1994 she moved to Telecinco with the show En casa con Raffaella. Overall she became so beloved in Spain that Madrid later named a square after her.

Queen of Television in the 1980s

Pronto, Raffaella?

In 1981 she hosted Millemilioni, the first experiment in international television cooperation, with five specials filmed in Buenos Aires, Mexico City, London, Rome and Moscow. In 1982 she then hosted Fantastico 3 with Corrado, and the opening song “Ballo ballo” became a hit.

From 1983 to 1985 she hosted Pronto, Raffaella?, RAI’s first midday program. The show was a great success, and her interview with Mother Teresa of Calcutta drew more than 14 million viewers. For this work she received the title of “female television personality at European level” in 1984 from the European TV Magazines Association.

Buonasera Raffaella and Appearances in America

In the 1985–86 season she hosted the big show Buonasera Raffaella. The first ten episodes were broadcast from Rome and the last five live from RAI’s studios in New York. Among the guests were Henry Kissinger, Joe Cocker, Riccardo Cocciante, Patty Pravo, Stevie Wonder, Ginger Rogers and Sammy Davis Jr.

The show also sparked controversy because of its high costs, especially the episodes transmitted by satellite from the United States. Even so, it drew the attention of American television, and she appeared on well-known talk shows there.

Domenica in and Fininvest

In 1984 the renewal of her contract with RAI caused a sharp dispute with the then prime minister, Bettino Craxi, who called the size of her fee immoral. In the 1986–87 season she hosted the program Domenica in. In 1987 she signed a two-year contract with Fininvest and hosted Raffaella Carrà Show (1988) and Il principe azzurro (1989) on Canale 5.

Her mother died in 1987. On one episode of Domenica in, Raffaella Carrà dedicated a song to her, “Grazie la vita” (given in sources as “I thank you life”).

The 1990s and 2000s

After Fininvest she returned to RAI and in early 1990 hosted the show Raffaella Venerdì, Sabato e Domenica… E saranno famosi, followed by Ricomincio da due. In June 1990 she hosted the joint RAI–TVE program Cuando calienta el sol, broadcast simultaneously from Italy and Spain. In 1991 she hosted Fantastico 12 with Johnny Dorelli.

At the end of 1995 she returned to RAI 1 with Carràmba! Che sorpresa, the Italian version of the British format Surprise Surprise. Carràmba! Che fortuna, 40 minuti con Raffaella, Centoventitré and I fantastici di Raffaella followed. In 1997 she starred in the RAI miniseries Una mamma per caso, directed by Sergio Martino, which was her last role in a scripted series.

That same year she declined to host the Sanremo Music Festival, but in 2001 she did host it, together with Piero Chiambretti, Enrico Papi, Megan Gale and Massimo Ceccherini. She herself admitted she had erred in choosing a format that was more musical than televisual. In 2006 she hosted the charity show Amore, devoted to long-distance adoptions, which brought nearly 150,000 adoptions. In 2008 the show Carràmba! Che fortuna reached an average of around five million viewers a day.

Final Years of Her Career

In 2011 RAI chose her to comment from Italy on the Eurovision final and announce the jury and televoting scores. She then served as a coach on The Voice of Italy (2013, 2014 and 2016), alongside colleagues such as Noemi, Piero Pelù and Riccardo Cocciante. In 2013 she released the single “Replay” and then the album Replay (The Album), her first studio album in seventeen years.

Her last album, the Christmas record Ogni volta che è Natale, came out in 2018. In spring 2019 she hosted the interview show A raccontare comincia tu on RAI 3. In 2020 she made a cameo in the Spanish film Explota Explota (in its Italian version Ballo ballo), based on her songs. After her death in 2021, RAI director Stefano Coletta revealed there had been a plan to offer her the hosting of Eurovision 2022 and the Sanremo Festival.

Greatest Achievements

• more than 60 million records sold and 25 studio albums released in 37 countries
• the hits “Tuca Tuca”, “A far l’amore comincia tu”, “Fiesta”, “Pedro”, “Hay que venir al sur” and “Tanti auguri”
• ninth place on the UK singles chart with the English version of “A far l’amore comincia tu”
• the television programs Canzonissima, Pronto, Raffaella?, Buonasera Raffaella, Carràmba! Che sorpresa and ¡Hola Raffaella!
• success in Spain and Latin America, where she was a genuine star
• an international film career, including Von Ryan’s Express with Frank Sinatra

Private Life

Relationships and Family

Raffaella Carrà never married, and she said she did not believe in marriage. According to sources, she had a ten-year relationship with television author Gianni Boncompagni, who wrote her biggest musical hits. She then met Sergio Japino, a choreographer on the shows Pronto, Raffaella? and Fantastico 3. The relationship ended in the 1990s, but they remained close collaborators and friends.

She had no biological children, although she wanted them. Instead, she supported long-distance adoptions of children. According to media reports from 2026, she later adopted her longtime collaborator Gian Luca Pelloni Bulzoni. Her family also includes her nephew and niece, Matteo and Federica Pelloni, the children of her brother.

She was very attached to Monte Argentario in Tuscany, where she lived for many years. Her villa in Cala Piccola also inspired the name of the show Carràmba! Che sorpresa. She was also a big fan of the football club Juventus.

Illness and Death

Raffaella Carrà died on 5 July 2021 in Rome, aged 78, of lung cancer. Few people knew about her illness, because she guarded her privacy to the end. News of her death was announced by Sergio Japino, who said that Raffaella had left them.

Farewell and Resting Place

Her coffin lay in state at Rome’s City Hall on the Capitoline Hill, where citizens paid their respects. The funeral was held on 9 July 2021 at the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli in Rome. In keeping with her wishes, she was cremated, and her ashes were taken to the places dearest to her, including Porto Santo Stefano and San Giovanni Rotondo. The ashes are kept in the church of the municipal cemetery in Porto Santo Stefano.

Fun Facts

• Her real name was Raffaella Maria Roberta Pelloni, and she took the surname Carrà from the painter Carlo Carrà.
• Her platinum bob with straight bangs became her trademark.
• Singer Tiziano Ferro dedicated the song “E Raffaella è mia” to her, and she appeared in the video.
• She was the face of advertising campaigns for Scavolini and TIM, in which she played Queen Isabella I of Castile.
• A square in Madrid bears her name, opened on 6 July 2022.
• A documentary series about her life, Raffa, was released in 2023.

Awards and Honors

• twelve Telegatto awards, including for the show Domenica in (1987), as female personality of the year (1991 and 1998), and for the variety show Carràmba! Che fortuna (1996 and 1999)
• TP de Oro awards in Spain (sources give two or three, so the figures differ)
• the title of “female television personality at European level” (1984)
• recognition as a “global gay icon” at WorldPride Madrid (2017)
• Dame of the Spanish Order of Civil Merit (2018), awarded by King Felipe VI
• the posthumous Sorriso Diverso Venezia Award at the 78th Venice Film Festival (2021)

Legacy and Influence

Raffaella Carrà is remembered as an artist who pushed boundaries. At a time when women on Italian state television were strictly supervised, she performed freely and joyfully. For that reason she is often called a pioneer of women’s freedom in the entertainment industry in the European public eye, and she left her mark on Spanish television in the years after Franco’s dictatorship.

Her style, from the platinum hairstyle to the striking costumes, remained a model of fashion and pop culture. In the LGBT community she was considered an icon, and her songs and dances are still performed at pride parades and in many countries. After her death she was described as a phenomenon that crosses generations. A square in Madrid bears her name, and her hits have returned in film and television, among them The Great Beauty.