Beloved Italian singer Milva dies in Milan aged 81

MILVA, one of Italy’s most popular singers in the 1960s and 70s who was also beloved by many fans abroad, has died at her home in Milan at the age of 81.

Italy’s culture minister Dario Franceschini said Milva’s versatile voice “stirred deep emotions in entire generations”.

No cause of death was given.

Milva also starred as a stage actress, with a repertoire heavily based on the works of German playwright Bertolt Brecht.

She often worked with Milan theatre director Giorgio Strehler, who directed her in one of Brecht’s signature works, The Threepenny Opera, a musical drama. Born in 1939 as Maria Ilva Biolcati in Goro, a Po River delta town, she adopted the one-word stage name Milva. Along with Italian singers Ornella Vanoni and Mina, another performer who used a first name only, Milva was considered one of the greatest Italian popular female singers. She sold some 80 million records, the LaPresse news agency said, and recorded 173 albums. She was nicknamed “Milva the Red” for her voluminous red hair, as well as “the Panther of Goro” for her vitality. Germany, France and Italy all honoured her with national awards. Milva also had a following of fans in Asia, particularly in South Korea.

She appeared 15 times at the San Remo festival, the annual contest to promote Italian songs, joking after her 12th time that she never would win. One of her hits was the song Alexander Platz. Composed by Italian songwriter Franco Battiato in 1982, it explored love in divided Berlin during Cold War times.