Issue XXII - Italic Institute of America

Warren (continued from p.17)Warren's rags-to-riches story stands as an inspirationto aspiring, young talent everywhere, and is surely worthyof everyone's admiration. But the question rises: did hisethnic background have any significant influence on or connectionto his success? And if so, did Warren, himself,recognize it? The composer bad liUle to say about most things,and even less about his personal life.Sadly enough for cultural preservationists, neitherWarren nor the late Henry Mancini, nor the thousands of otherfrrst and second generation Italian American musicians whowere exposed to or nunured on the fluid melodies and exquisitehannonies of Italian music, lost any time deserting it infavorofsuchall-American genres as Swing or Jazz. While themusical traditions of other ethnic groups have thrived or beenrevived (witness me renaissance of Jewish music), there is aweak, often misconceived representation ofitalian music thatcontinues to exist in !his country today.In Warren's case, me severence could hardly havebeen more complete. At best there's only a slight nod in threeof his hundreds of published songs: the innocuous So This IsVenice ( 1923), the broken English-titledW here Do You Worka,Joh!t? (1926) and the pseudo-Neapolitan That's Amore,written for the 1953 Dean Martin- Jerry Lewis film The Caddy,all of which might just have easily been penned by a Dutchmanora Swede.The trum, then, is thaL Salvatore Guaragna left behindmore man a discarded set of syllables when he became HarryWarren. Like any of us, he was under no obligation of loyaltyto his Italian roots, and the reduction of his ancestry to anincidental footnote, for whatever reason, was his consciousand deliberate decision. In homage to that background, insimply recognizing from whence he came, scarcely a drop ofWarren's ample supply of talent and creativity was expended.That, of course, takes nothing away from his deserved status ashaving been one of America's most remarkably gifted songwriters.But amidst the ongoing erosion of our ethnic heritage,culturally-minded Italian Americans can be excused for feelinga trace of regret over Warren's chojce to not look back.****(718) 428-011 0est. 1960bbayside travel bureaucorporate and leisure travel consultantsBARBARA NICHUALSPresident42-36 Bell Blvd.Bayside, NY 11361~--- The ltalzc Way28xxn. 1994