"Giamaica" (also known as "Jamaica") is a song written by T. A. Valli. In late 1950s and 1960s it was recorded by a number of Italian artists: Luciano Virgili, Giorgio Consolini, 13-year-old Robertino Loretti.

Composition

Robertino Loretti characterizes the song as "bright and fresh". The lyrics go like this:

Popularity in the Soviet Union

In the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Robertino Loretti's version of the song became immensely popular when around 1962 his record containing it was released in the country. Together with his rendition of " Santa Lucia", "Giamaica" could be heard from every window. The song was since translated into Russian.

Other covers

In 1961 the song was covered by Danish singer

Birthe Wilke Birthe Wilke (born 19 March 1936) is a Danish singer. She grew up in a musical family in Copenhagen's Vesterbro area. Career When Wilke was in her teens, she won a talent competition at the National Scala Theatre in Copenhagen, sang as sol ...

. Her version was released as a single, with "Pepito" on the other side.

Track listings

Luciano Virgili "Giamaica" (single)

7-inch (45 RPM) single La Voce Del Padrone 7MQ 1498 (1958, Italy) : A. "Giamaica" :: (T. A. Valli) : B. "Ti desidero" :: (Guarino, Pluto)

Giorgio Consolini "Giamaica" (single)

7-inch (45 RPM) single Parlophon QMSP 16269 (1959, Italy) : A. "Giamaica" :: (Valli) : AA. "Rimpiangimi" :: (Testoni, Piubeni)

Robertino "Jamaica / Pappagallo" (single)

7-inch (45 RPM) single (1959, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, etc.) : A. "Jamaica" :: Robertino with the Otto Franckers Orchestra : AA. "Pappagallo" :: Robertino with the Otto Franckers Orchestra

Robertino "Jamaica" (EP)

7-inch EP (45 RPM) Triola TEP 31 (1961, Sweden, Switzerland, etc.) : A1. "Jamaica" : A2. "Pappagallo" : B1. "'Anema e core" : B2. "Papaveri e papere"

Birthe Wilke "Pepito / Jamaica" (single)

7-inch (45 RPM) single Philips 355 247 PF (1961, Denmark) : A. "Pepito" : B. "Jamaica"

References

{{Reflist Italian songs Songs in Italian Songs about Jamaica 1958 singles 1959 singles 1961 singles Year of song missing