MANAMANA or Mah Nà Mah Nà was written by Piero Umiliani, an Italian composer of film scores. It originally appeared in the Italian film Sweden: Heaven and Hell (Svezia, inferno e paradiso). It was a minor radio hit in the U.S. and in Britain, but became better known internationally for its use by The Muppets in 1969. Sesame Street producer Joan Ganz Cooney heard the track on the radio and decided both it and a shaggy puppeteer named Jim Henson would be perfect additions to the show. First performed by Jim Henson, Frank Oz and Loretta Long on the fourteenth episode in November, 1969, the song entered the public consciousness of the latter half of Baby Boomer children. The following Sunday when Henson and His Muppets performed the song on the Ed Sullivan Show it became an instant classic.
Here’s the first appearance of the song from the street we all wished we grew up on.
https://youtu.be/gsjcb7w1Y-w
