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This month, the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles closed the curtain on their successful Pinocchio exhibit and debuted their newest exhibit Louis Prima: Rediscovering a Musical Icon set to run through October 2024. The exhibition is produced by the IAMLA in collaboration with the Gia Maione Prima Foundation that explores the life and legacy of...

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Louis Prima: Rediscovering a Musical Icon is a new exhibition produced by the IAMLA in collaboration with the Gia Maione Prima Foundation that explores the life and legacy of Louis Prima (1910 -1978), a skilled jazzman, prolific songwriter, and extraordinary performer. Prima’s music is omnipresent, from film and television to viral TikTok videos, D...

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The atmosphere was electric at Union Station. Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians (a.k.a. Lombardo’s brothers: Carmen, Victor, and Lambert—the band was a family affair) were touring to New Orleans for the first time, for a two-week engagement, and on May 3, 1934, a throng of welcomers assembled in anticipation of their train’s arrival. Despite bei...

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Italian-Americans have shaped and contributed to many aspects of American life. Our people historically have been a dominant force in the entertainment industry. From singers to musicians to actors, Italian-Americans have entertained and brought happiness to millions of people not only in America, but around the world. It is interesting to look at...

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Louis Prima was a very talented Italian American jazz singer, trumpet player and bandleader. Fans knew Prima as a polite and friendly celebrity. He always signed autographs or posed for pictures with a smile. He was born in New Orleans on December 7, 1910. His father, Anthony Prima, was the son of Sicilian immigrants from Salaparuta. His mother, An...

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Those who’ve seen Disney’s 1967 animated movie, The Jungle Book, will recognize Louis Prima’s husky, elastic voice, even if they’re not remotely familiar with his name or face. Then 57, Prima was cast as the zany orangutan, King Louie, who delivered one of the movie’s most memorable songs in the shape of “I Wanna Be Like You.” Given his long histor...

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Louis Prima (1910-1978) represents, for me, the epitome of the joyful fun side of jazz and swing. If Prima and the other musicians in the band weren’t so accomplished and the standard of musicianship wasn’t so high then many of these arrangements would risk sounding seriously cheesy. Because the actual sound and swing of these guys is so huge, the...

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Throughout his long career, Louis Prima was a New Orleans-based trumpeter, a good-humored singer, and a lovable personality. While his wide-ranging career can easily be divided into three periods, Prima’s image was always consistent. He both celebrated and made fun of his Italian heritage, displayed the influence of Louis Armstrong in both his sing...

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This interview with Charles Marsala, who is bringing great news to the world of the Italian American community in New Orleans and throughout the South East, was done right before the coronavirus pandemic broke out in Italy, and then a couple of weeks before it also arrived in the United States. It is therefore a picture of the world before the coro...

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Saturday at 11:30am in conjunction with the Italian American Sports Banquet we are dedicating the first of two Sicilian Heritage Markers. This marker celebrates Sicilian contributions to Music in Jazz, Swing, and Rock 'n Roll. It mentions Nick LaRocca, Louis Prima, and Cosimo Matassa.  It contains a QR link to  a free tour app of Sicilian Heritage...

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