Toto Cutugno, “the real Italian” turns 80 today

ORtoday, Friday 7 July, Toto Cutugno turns 80. The singer-songwriter is one of the most famous Italian artists in the world. And his is a career that has taken him to perform in every part of the globe, thanks to his songs. First of all The Italiana song that made him the most played Italian artist abroad.

Toto Cutugno: a career of 15 Sanremo Festivals

Let me sing with guitar in hand, let me sing I’m an Italian…, sang Toto Cutugno way back in 1983. With The ItalianToto Cutugno – now eighty years old – participated in the 33rd edition of the Sanremo Festival. That year Tiziana Rivale won with Whatever will be, will be And Cutugno finished only fifth. But the most important success of that year was the piece by Cutugno, which sold out over 100 million copies worldwide. Furthermore, it was translated into numerous languages, including Finnish and Chinese.

That edition of the Italian Song Festival is also famous for being that of playbacks. In fact, almost all artists resorted to playback. Only Cutugno, Gianni Morandi, Fiordaliso, Gianni Nazzaro and Amii Stewart decided to perform live, out of respect for the connected viewers. In his career Toto Cutugno has participated in 15 Sanremo Festivals (solo, couple or together with a group). And she only won in 1980 with Only U.S.

History of The Italian: from the concert in Canada to Celentano’s refusal

In a 2019 interview at Rolling StoneToto Cutugno had told the genesis of his most famous song. «I was in concert in Canada, in the largest theater in Toronto. I asked if we could please turn on the lights in the hall. There were 3,500 spectators with Italian faces. They recognize themselves among millions of people. I just said this: “F**k, I want to make a song for you, for you Italians who live abroad, who live on nostalgia. I promise you I do».

And so it was. «Then I went to eat in a restaurant, where we enjoyed strumming the guitar. I put my hand on an A minor, and it comes naturally to hum Let me sing with guitar in hand. I took a piece of paper and jotted down the melody… Do do do do do it. I arrive in Milan, I go to Popy and tell him that I have written a piece with the title With that Italian face. He tells me: “No, it’s too long. Call her The Italian stop”. After three days the text makes me feel that it is a masterpiece, I did an audition and I wanted to give it to Celentano, it was a piece for Adriano».

But, apparently, Molleggiato would not have particularly appreciated it. “He was filming at the time The tamed curmudgeon, with Ornella Muti. Let’s go to Celentano’s, in a studio. There was me, Popy and Miki Del Prete (lyricist and producer, ed) because the piece read I’m Adriano, a true Italian. He listens to it, looks at me and says: “Guys, I’ll never do this song”. We are dead. That song of hers was his».

Toto Cutugno: birthday as an icon of Italian music

After that moment, Toto Cutugno thought of having Gigi Sabani sing it in Sanremo, who imitated Celentano. «But Ravera listens to it and says that I had to sing it. I didn’t feel like going back to the Festival because I had won in 80 with Only U.S. Ravera calls me, tells me that this song is a show, convinces me, i go to the festival and from there it all blew up».

Moreover, Toto Cutugno is one of the three Italian artists to have triumphed at the Eurovision Song Contest. Only before him Gigliola Cinquetti with I’m not old enough (to love you) in 1964 and after him only i Maneskin with Shut up and good in 2021. Cutugno, on the other hand, won in 1990 with the song Together: 1992.

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