Rocco Granata

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Rocco Granata , born in Calabria , in southern Italy in Figline Vegliaturo the16 August 1938Is a singer - songwriter Italian naturalized Belgian , also a music producer . His hoarse voice is characteristic.

The parents of Rocco Granata immigrate to Belgium when he is ten years old. Rocco's father is minor in a colliery of Waterschei . Very early, Granata is passionate about music and plays the accordion. He made several tours in Belgium with his band, The International Quintet. In 1959 he released the song Manuela on a single whose face -B-, Marina , became an international success after being number 1 in Belgium then in Europe. In Germany alone, it sells more than one million copies. Success stretches to the United States where Granata receives a golden record. Several artists will resume his successes as Willy Alberti ,

After the success of Marina , Granata visits the world, and passes to the Carnegie Hall . A feature film entitled Marina was dedicated to him in 1960. He also appeared in Italy at the Sanremo Festival in 1961.

Rocco Granata is married in 1968 with Rosa Roeland, daughter of a village doctor in Aaigem .

Later, Granata became a record producer. He owned the record companies Cardinal Records  (nl) and Granata Records, and produced Marva , Louis Neefs , Miel Cools and De Elegasten  (nl) .

In 1989, Granata commissioned a dance remix from Marina , which once again led the Belgian charts as well as those of Italy and Germany. He is regularly on Belgian television and has been a member of the 2002 Flemish pre-selection jury for the Eurovision Song Contest . In March 2000, he received the ZAMU Lifetime Achievement Award from the Belgian music industry.

Granata has released about 65 albums during his career.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9-AtHiVHPo

"Marina" is a 1959 Italian song by Rocco Granata, his first international hit and best known song. Originally released in 1959 as the B-side of "Manuela", the B-side became more played than the A-side, and by 30 January "Marina" interrupted "Oh! Carol" by Neil Sedaka for one week at the No.1 spot of Hitkrant's List of European number-one hits of 1960. It was #1 in Belgium, #31 in the US,[1] and #1 in Germany.[2] It was the No.2 jukebox play of the whole year in Automaten-Markt's records after "Seemann" by Lolita.[3][4]

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Marina