This book review evaluates Rachel Haworth’s monograph, The Many Meanings of Mina: Popular Music Stardom in Post-war Italy (2022), which represents the first English-language academic book dedicated to the iconic Italian singer Mina. Operating within the fields of star studies and celebrity culture, Haworth utilizes the concept of intermediality to analyze how Mina's public persona was constructed through the intersections of television, cinema, the recording industry, and the popular press. The review outlines the book's chronological and thematic exploration of Mina's career, including her early days as an urlatrice, her acting roles in musicarelli films, the media framing of her private life, her impact on consumerism through television advertisements, and the visual iconography of her LP covers following her withdrawal from the public stage. Ultimately, the review highlights how Haworth successfully connects Mina's multifaceted stardom to the socio-cultural evolution and modernization of post-war Italy, praising the volume's rich research into contemporary press sources despite minor limitations in its textual musical analysis.
The Many Meanings of Mina: Popular Music Stardom in Post-War Italy, Rachel Haworth (2022)
MOSCONI ELENA
2024-01-01
Abstract
This book review evaluates Rachel Haworth’s monograph, The Many Meanings of Mina: Popular Music Stardom in Post-war Italy (2022), which represents the first English-language academic book dedicated to the iconic Italian singer Mina. Operating within the fields of star studies and celebrity culture, Haworth utilizes the concept of intermediality to analyze how Mina's public persona was constructed through the intersections of television, cinema, the recording industry, and the popular press. The review outlines the book's chronological and thematic exploration of Mina's career, including her early days as an urlatrice, her acting roles in musicarelli films, the media framing of her private life, her impact on consumerism through television advertisements, and the visual iconography of her LP covers following her withdrawal from the public stage. Ultimately, the review highlights how Haworth successfully connects Mina's multifaceted stardom to the socio-cultural evolution and modernization of post-war Italy, praising the volume's rich research into contemporary press sources despite minor limitations in its textual musical analysis.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
