Ditta Zusa Einzinger
Encyclopedia
Lolita née Edith Zuser, was an Austrian
pop
singer who recorded
under the stage name
Lolita.
She began singing in local clubs while working as a kindergarten teacher. Discovered in 1956, she began her recording career in 1957. Early recordings typically were songs with a Latin American, South Sea Island, or similar 'exotic' theme. In December, 1959, she recorded what would become her only gold record
, "Seemann, deine Heimat ist das Meer
" ("Sailor, Your Home is the Sea"), which was a hit single
in the United States
, peaking at number five, and in Japan
as well as in German
-speaking Europe
in 1960. It was one of a handful of records sung in a language other than English
, to have been successful in the mainstream American market.
Translated to English as "Sailor
", the song was later covered
by Petula Clark
, The Andrews Sisters
and Anne Shelton, both of whom had hits with it in the UK Singles Chart
. Clark also took the song to # 1 of the French and UK charts in 1961; its French recording "Marin (Enfant du voyage)".
She continued recording maritime and South Seas titles and in later years, her recordings were more typically Austrian and German folk
songs, including yodels
.
, aged 79, from cancer
, Lolita lived in Großgmain
. Twice divorce
d, she was survived by two children.
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
singer who recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
under the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Lolita.
She began singing in local clubs while working as a kindergarten teacher. Discovered in 1956, she began her recording career in 1957. Early recordings typically were songs with a Latin American, South Sea Island, or similar 'exotic' theme. In December, 1959, she recorded what would become her only gold record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
, "Seemann, deine Heimat ist das Meer
Sailor (Song)
Sailor is a song written by Werner Scharfenberger and Fini Busch which via a 1960 recording by Lolita became an international hit, with its #5 peak on the Hot 100 chart in Billboard making "Sailor" the most successful American hit sung in German until 99 Luftballons by Nena in 1984.With English...
" ("Sailor, Your Home is the Sea"), which was a hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, peaking at number five, and in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as well as in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
-speaking Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in 1960. It was one of a handful of records sung in a language other than English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, to have been successful in the mainstream American market.
Translated to English as "Sailor
Sailor (Song)
Sailor is a song written by Werner Scharfenberger and Fini Busch which via a 1960 recording by Lolita became an international hit, with its #5 peak on the Hot 100 chart in Billboard making "Sailor" the most successful American hit sung in German until 99 Luftballons by Nena in 1984.With English...
", the song was later covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
, The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews , soprano Maxene Angelyn Andrews , and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" Andrews...
and Anne Shelton, both of whom had hits with it in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Clark also took the song to # 1 of the French and UK charts in 1961; its French recording "Marin (Enfant du voyage)".
She continued recording maritime and South Seas titles and in later years, her recordings were more typically Austrian and German folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
songs, including yodels
Yodeling
Yodeling is a form of singing that involves singing an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch from the vocal or chest register to the falsetto/head register; making a high-low-high-low sound.The English word yodel is derived from a German word jodeln meaning "to...
.
Death
Before her death in SalzburgSalzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, aged 79, from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, Lolita lived in Großgmain
Großgmain
Großgmain is a municipality in the district of Salzburg-Umgebung in the state of Salzburg in Austria.-References:...
. Twice divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d, she was survived by two children.