Lara Saint Paul.

The daughter of an Italian father and an Eritrean mother, Lara Saint Paul was born Silvana Areggasc Savorelli on April 30, 1945 in Asmara, Eritrea. She moved to Italy as a young girl and studied singing under Prof. Tina Brini, a teacher who had performed at La Scala in Milan. At sixteen, she attended the Sanremo Festival, which sparked her music career.

Her first public performance was in 1962 at the Sanremo Music Festival under the name Tania, singing I Colori Della Felicitá. The breakthrough came in 1968 when she returned to Sanremo with Mi va di cantare performed alongside Louis Armstrong and Lionel Hampton. A return in 1972 brought Se non fosse tra queste mie braccia lo inventerei and in 1973 she sang Una Casa Grande, becoming a three-time finalist. In 1973, American producer Quincy Jones produced her songs Non preoccuparti and Adesso ricomincerei.

In 1977, she released the album Saffo Music, recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Leon Ware, featuring The Pointer Sisters on backing vocals, Ray Parker Jr. on guitar, and Chuck Rainey on bass. She worked with Ray Charles, Roberta Flack, Frank Sinatra, and Stevie Wonder. In 1982, she introduced aerobics to Italy, collaborating with actress Jane Fonda. The program Aerobic Aerobica included a video, book, music album, and single AAA Aerobica, winning a Gold Record in Italy.

In 1988, she was a producer and conductor for the Sanremo Music Festival at the Casino di Sanremo. In 1992, her television special Lara Superspecial featured Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Harry Belafonte, and Luciano Pavarotti, and won a special prize from the Italian television critics. She also co-produced and wrote the 1995 documentary The Best is Yet to Come about Luciano Pavarotti.

Lara Saint Paul married Pier Quinto Cariaggi, a manager and industrialist who became her husband and professional partner. They had two daughters, Manuela and Guendalina. Cariaggi organized Frank Sinatra’s return to Italy in 1986 and his 1987 Italian tour, and Sinatra and his wife Barbara were personal friends of the couple.

Her career included introducing aerobics to Italy in 1982, which earned a Gold Record and cult status. The 1992 television special Lara Superspecial broadcast in 19 countries and won a special prize. She was a three-time Sanremo finalist and collaborated with Louis Armstrong and Quincy Jones. She also co-produced Viva Hollywood, an annual awards show that brought Hollywood stars to Italy from 1988 onward.