Maria Carta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maria Carta OMRI
Maria Carta
Background information
Born	(1934-06-24)24 June 1934 Siligo, Sardinia, Italy
Died	22 September 1994(1994-09-22) (aged 60) Rome, Italy
Genres	Pop folk musica leggera
Occupation(s)	Singer actress
Years active	1970–1994
Labels	RCA Records Polydor Records BMG Ricordi Fonit Cetra Le Chant du Monde Music of the World
Associated acts	Ennio Morricone Severino Gazzelloni Amália Rodrigues Angelo Branduardi Andrea Parodi Franco Simone

Maria Carta (born June 24, 1934 – died September 22, 1994) was a famous singer and songwriter from Sardinia, Italy. She was known for her folk music, which is traditional music from a specific region. Maria also acted in movies and plays. In 1975, she even wrote a book of poems called Canto rituale, meaning "Ritual Song."

For 25 years, Maria Carta shared the beautiful and varied music of Sardinia with the world. She sang many types of traditional songs, like lullabies for children (called ninne nanne) and old religious chants. She often added her own modern touch to these classic songs. Maria helped make Sardinian folk music popular not just in Italy, but also in other countries like France and the United States.

Maria Carta's Career Highlights

Maria Carta had an interesting career that started with a beauty contest!

Early Life and Music Studies

In 1957, Maria won the Miss Sardinia beauty contest. After that, she took part in the national Miss Italy competition.

Around 1960, she moved to Rome. There, she met Salvatore Laurani, who later became her husband. Maria studied at the National Academy of Santa Cecilia. At the same time, she did a lot of research into traditional music. She also worked on important music projects.

First Albums and TV Appearances

In 1971, Maria released two albums: Sardegna canta (Sardinia Sings) and Paradiso in re (Paradise in D). During this time, she also worked with Gavino Gabriel, an expert in traditional music.

The same year, a TV show called Incontro con Maria Carta (Meeting with Maria Carta) was broadcast. In this show, Maria sang and performed with Riccardo Cucciolla.

Stage and International Performances

In 1972, Maria performed in a play called Medea in Rome. That same year, she met Amália Rodrigues, a famous singer from Portugal. They performed a concert together. In 1973, Maria and Amália went on a tour in Sardinia.

In 1974, Maria took part in a popular Italian TV music show called Canzonissima. She sang a traditional Sardinian song, Ave Maria (also known as Deus ti salvet Maria). She reached the final round and came in second in the folk music group.

In 1975, she gave a big concert at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. From 1976 to 1981, Maria also served as a councilwoman for the city of Rome.

Global Recognition and Awards

Maria continued to perform around the world. In 1980, she was at the Festival d'Avignon in France. In 1987, she sang at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. The next year, in 1988, she performed at St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco.

Famous film directors also noticed Maria's talent. Francis Ford Coppola cast her in The Godfather Part II (1974). She played the mother of Vito Corleone. Later, Franco Zeffirelli chose her to play Martha in Jesus of Nazareth (1977).

In 1985, Maria Carta received the Targo Tenco award for her work in dialectal and regional music.

In her later years, Maria taught classes at the University of Bologna. She also helped students with their research papers, sharing her knowledge and experiences.

In 1991, the President of Italy, Francesco Cossiga, gave her a special honor. She was named a "Commendatore della Repubblica" (Knight of the Republic). This is a very high honor, similar to being a British CBE.

Maria Carta's Final Years

Maria Carta gave her last concert in Toulouse, France, on June 30, 1994. She was ill with cancer and passed away at her home in Rome on September 22, 1994. She was 60 years old.

Maria Carta's Music Albums

Maria Carta's Film and TV Roles

See also

In Spanish: Maria Carta para niños