TO represent Italy a Eurovision 2023 is Marco Mengoni with Two lives. Our country’s first time at Song Contest it dates back to 1956, the year of the first edition. Three victories in total: in 1964 with Gigliola Cinquetti e I’m not old enough (to love you)in 1990 with Toto Cutugno and Together: 1992 and in 2021 with i Maneskin And Shut up and good. Italy is also part of the Big Fiveor rather of the five founding countries of the event, which access the final by right. But who are all the Italian singers who participated in Eurovision?
Eurovision Song Contest, all the Italian singers in history
The first to participate in Eurovision are Franca Raimondi with Open the windows and Tonina Torrielli with Love me if you want in 1956, followed in 1957 by Nuncio Gallus with Strings of my guitar. In 1958 Domenico Modugno arrivesthat with his In the blue painted blue (Fly) ranks third.
In the following years Renato Rascel, Betty Curtis and Emilio Pericoli followed one another, until 1964. It was the year of the first Italian victory thanks to Gigliola Cinquetti, who was only sixteen at the time. For the second victory we will have to wait for 1990, but in the meantime the biggest names in Italian discography have passed from Eurovision. Meanwhile Cinquetti also returns in 1974 with Yesranking second.
The 60s continue with Bobby Solo, Domenico Modugno (the Italian singer with the most appearances), Claudio Villa, Sergio Endrigo and Iva Zanicchiwhich participates with Two big white tears. The Seventies open with Gianni Morandi and his Girl’s eyes, followed by Massimo Ranieri twice and Nicola di Bari.
In 1974 the aforementioned Cinquetti, then Wess and Dori Ghezzi, Al Bano and Romina – the first to bring to Italy a song half in Italian and half in English, entitled We’ll live it all again –, Mia Martini, Rich and Poor, Matia Bazar.
Gigliola Cinquetti guest of Eurovision 2022. (Getty Images)
Toto Cutugno’s victory in 1990 with Together: 1992 and the 13-year stop
In the eighties the waning phase begins. After Alan Sorrenti in 1980, Italy returns in 1983 with Richard Sheetswhich they follow Alice and Franco Battiato, again Al Bano and Romina, Umberto Tozzi and Raf, Luca Barbarossa and Anna Oxa and Fausto Leali. In 1990 comes the second victory, thanks to Toto Cutugno with Together: 1992.
They then follow Peppino di Capri, Mia Martini, Enrico Ruggeri and, in 1997, i Jalisse with Rivers of words, the song with which they won the Sanremo Festival. So it comes a stop that lasts 13 years. Italy returned to competition only in 2011 with Raphael Gualazzi And Madness of love.
Mahmood and Blanco at Eurovision in Turin. (Getty Images)
In 2012 Nina Zilli ranks ninth with Love is female (Out of love)While in 2013 Marco Mengoni arrives seventh with The essentialthe song with which he triumphed in Sanremo in the same year. In 2014 Emma participates with My cityfinishing 21st, while in 2015 Il Volo conquers the third place with Great love.
Eurovision, from Francesco Gabbani to the triumph of Måneskin
In 2016 the Italian comeback begins with No degree of separation Of Francesca MichielinEnglish version of No degree of separation (second in Sanremo). Francesca takes part in place of Stadio, who give up the event. In 2017 Francesco Gabbani makes dance with Westerners Karmataking sixth place, while in 2018 Ermal Meta and Fabrizio Moro finish fifth with You have done nothing to me.
The Måneskin, winners of Eurovision 2021 with Shut up and good “. (Getty Images)
In 2019 Mahmood takes second place with Moneywhich obtains gold and platinum discs also abroadespecially France, Greece, Poland and Spain. In 2020 it’s Diodato’s turn with the song Make noise. It is the year of the pandemic, of the lockdown and the Eurovision competition is cancelled, to be replaced by video contributions sent by the participants of the various countries.
2021 is the year of Italy’s third victory with the triumph of the Måneskin. Shut up and good gets the Rotterdam Ahoy dancing and kicks off their international careers. In 2022 Eurovision moves to Turin and Mahmood and Blanco take the stage with Chills, who come in sixth place. And now back to Marco Mengoni with Two lives.
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