While I am not a gigantic fan of the new Italian film Nuovo Olimpo although the performances of leads Damiano Gavino and Andrea Di Luigi are lovely — (the plot is predictable, its execution dull, and the ending falls flat) — there is one thing that stood out for me by the time it was done.
That utterly gorgeous Italian song that plays in the final scene, and over the end credits.
That song is Italian singer Mina’s ‘Povero amore’ (or ‘Poor love‘) and, hell, if a song ever gave a powerful ending to a film that didn’t have one, this song is it.
Who is Mina and when did she release ‘Povero amore‘?
Italian singer Mina, aka Mina Anna Maria Mazzini, was a famous, somewhat iconic singer in Europe in the 60s and 70s.
Some of the things that make the Italian singer and her career fascinating are:
- She sold a massive number of albums and singles in Italy, became popular in Japan, and made worldwide news when her music was banned from Italian radio stations in 1963 because she was single, pregnant and the father was a married actor. Yes, the morality police in Europe had more power back then than they do now.
- Mina was so popular, the ban had no impact on her record sales and those pushing for Mina’s continual ban had to eventually back down.
- Finally tired of performing, Mina stopped giving live concerts or any other public appearance in the late 1970s.
- In the 40 years since that decision, the singer has still released a massive number of albums and singles, recorded duet singles and albums with some of Italy’s most famous artists, and done a remarkable job at keeping a thriving music career even though she is rarely in the public eye.
- Now-83-year-old Mina’s latest release ‘Un briciolo di allegria‘, which is an astounding duet with 20-year-old rapper Blano, came out this year, and shot to #1 in Italy.
Mina’s ‘Povero amore‘ is also a recent release, coming out on her Ti amo come un pazzo album in April this year.
It is a song you cannot listen to just once, as that husky and downright sexy voice that sounds as if it is carrying a lifetime of heartbreak is impossible to forget.
Listen to Mina’s ‘Povero amore’ from the Nuovo Olimpo end credits in the video, and via Mina’s Ti amo come un pazzo album on Spotify.
Nuovo Olimpo, of course, is now streaming on Netflix.