Caterina Valente
has sung 1,500 songs in thirteen languages—ranging from *Schlager* (pop hits) and *chansons* to swing and bossa nova—demonstrating an overwhelming stylistic range. Possessing immense talent, great skill, and extraordinary professionalism, she enjoyed worldwide success as an entertainer from the 1950s through the 1990s. Throughout her career, the Italian-born performer—who first took the stage at the age of five—wore what became her signature "Mona Lisa" smile, which seemed to say: "Why? It’s perfectly simple!" In 1969, the German newspaper *Die Zeit* wrote that she "effortlessly outshines all her competitors in the industry." In 1976, the Canadian *Spectator* dubbed her "Europe’s answer to Doris Day, Barbra Streisand, and Liza Minnelli." In Italy, she was known as *La Grande Caterina*; in Germany, as "Caterina the Great." Yet, despite being a queen of show business, Valente was never a "celebrity" in the modern sense—she was, in fact, the very opposite. Today, her son, the singer Eric van Aro Jr., shields her from the prying eyes of the media. In a 2016 interview with *Focus* magazine, he revealed three lessons she taught him: Be independent. Take nothing for granted. Laugh at yourself.

The petite singer, guitarist, dancer, and actress—who worked tirelessly on her craft with great tenacity and a strong will—remained independent throughout her journey, from the start of her career as a circus singer to her massive concert tours twenty or thirty years later.

After the war, the family moved to France, where Caterina met the singer Gilbert Bécaud. In 1952, the daughter of circus performers married the Berlin-based juggler Gerd Scholz (stage name: Erik van Aro) and obtained a German passport. Following a successful audition at Radio Zürich, she recorded a German version of Cole Porter’s “I Love Paris” in 1954 with the Kurt Edelhagen Orchestra; “Ganz Paris träumt von der Liebe” (“All of Paris Dreams of Love”) became her breakthrough as a singer in Germany.

She became a star of the Adenauer era, achieving cinematic success with the film *Liebe, Tanz und 1.000 Schlager* (“Love, Dance, and 1,000 Hits”). The newspaper *Der Tagesspiegel* described her—in an affectionate, diminutive way—as a “charming, uncomplicated young woman with tousled black hair. The vibrant, fast-paced side of her nature and her domestic, home-loving side are not at odds with one another.” (On her 80th birthday, the same paper would go on to call her “the greatest musical global star that Germany has produced since the war.”) With her *Schlager* (popular hits)—including songs about the currency reform—she gave the public exactly what they wanted from her at the time. “If I know that I can make millions of people happy with them, then I’m happy to sing such songs.” Yet, on her recording of “I’ll Remember April” with Chet Baker, Valente sounds like a blend of Astrud Gilberto and Peggy Lee. She also captured the critical *Zeitgeist* of post-war Germany in the *chanson* “Wir kamen in die Straße” (“We Came to the Street”), written by Kurt Feltz. Her 1957 LP *Plenty Valente*—a soulful excursion into swing—has been re-released on CD under the title *In New York*.

By the early 1960s, she had her own television show, *Bonsoir Kathrin*, which ran into the 1970s. During the same period, she also performed a month-long residency at the legendary Olympia concert hall in Paris. Through appearances on the TV shows of Perry Como, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and Louis Armstrong—and later on her own programs—she became a household name in the United States as well. For years, Valente received a veritable shower of international awards (in addition to many in Germany), ranging from Brazil’s *Globo* (for best foreign performer of Latin American music) to the U.S. *Fame Award*, a Grammy nomination, and the *Grand Prix National du Disque*, as well as the *Goldene Kamera*, the *Bambi*, and the *Echo*.

In 1985, she was awarded the Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; the following year, 16 million viewers tuned in to the TV special *Bravo Catrin*, which celebrated her 50th anniversary on stage. In 1990, she made another appearance as an actress in the television series *Hotel Paradies*. Her final performance in Europe took place in 1996 at the Leipzig Opera. Today, "Caterina the Great" resides in Switzerland and the United States.