Entertainer. She was the creator, along with her husband Federico Caldura, of the children's character 'Topo Gigio,' a famous puppet who received considerable success both in Italy and in the world. In Italy there was an era of innovation with animated television and cinema, and it was then that Maria Perego introduced a new technique unknown until then, using puppets instead of cartoons, inspired by the Czech illustrator Jiří Trnka. In the 1950s he created various characters dedicated to young people. Before Topo Gigio, the most famous was Picchio Cannocchiale. For his creation, Maria Perego was inspired by an existing character, loved by children: Woody Woodpecker. She did the same with Topo Gigio, but this time she took Mickey Mouse as her inspiration. In 1959 Topo Gigio was born, a character that was immediately introduced in prime time, played by the voice of the Italian dubbing actor Peppino Mazzullo. In the late 1950s, Gigio was invited to appear on shows with high ratings such as Canzonissima (alongside Nino Manfredi and Delia Scala) and attracted not only children, but also adult audiences. In 1974 he co-hosted Canzionissima, accompanied by Raffaella Carrà and Cochi e Renato. Topo Gigio even did duets with the likes of Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra, and his creation has been broadcast around the whole world. Perego was the author of a musical piece performed by Memo Remigi (author of the music) and Topo Gigio, entitled 'Che tipo di topo.' She passed away in December 2019, and is buried along with her husband, who died in 1975.
Entertainer. She was the creator, along with her husband Federico Caldura, of the children's character 'Topo Gigio,' a famous puppet who received considerable success both in Italy and in the world. In Italy there was an era of innovation with animated television and cinema, and it was then that Maria Perego introduced a new technique unknown until then, using puppets instead of cartoons, inspired by the Czech illustrator Jiří Trnka. In the 1950s he created various characters dedicated to young people. Before Topo Gigio, the most famous was Picchio Cannocchiale. For his creation, Maria Perego was inspired by an existing character, loved by children: Woody Woodpecker. She did the same with Topo Gigio, but this time she took Mickey Mouse as her inspiration. In 1959 Topo Gigio was born, a character that was immediately introduced in prime time, played by the voice of the Italian dubbing actor Peppino Mazzullo. In the late 1950s, Gigio was invited to appear on shows with high ratings such as Canzonissima (alongside Nino Manfredi and Delia Scala) and attracted not only children, but also adult audiences. In 1974 he co-hosted Canzionissima, accompanied by Raffaella Carrà and Cochi e Renato. Topo Gigio even did duets with the likes of Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra, and his creation has been broadcast around the whole world. Perego was the author of a musical piece performed by Memo Remigi (author of the music) and Topo Gigio, entitled 'Che tipo di topo.' She passed away in December 2019, and is buried along with her husband, who died in 1975.
Bio by: Juanfe
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