Alberto Rabagliati

Description

Alberto Rabagliati (26 June 1906 - 7 March 1974) was an Italian singer.<p>Rabagliati was born in Milan.<p>In 1927 he moved to Hollywood as the winner of a Rudolph Valentino look-alike contest. He later recalled: "For someone like me, who had seen no more than Lake Como or Monza cathedral so far, finding myself on board a luxury steamer with three cases full of clothes, a few rolls of dollars, granduchesses and countesses flirting with me was something extraordinary".<p>He remained four years in America, but his career as an actor never took off. During his stay he had however the opportunity to get to know new musical genres such as jazz, swing, scat.<p>Back in Europe he became a singer. After a brief experience with Pippo Barzizza's orchestra, he joined the Lecuona Cuban Boys, a Cuban band. He performed with his face painted black and made a hit with the song "Maria la O".<p>While with the Lecuona Cuban Boys he met Giovanni D'Anzi who proposed him an audition with Italian state radio station EIAR....