This Is Italy
Toto Cutugno, also known as L'italiano vero (the true Italian, after his most famous song), has passed away at the age of 80. His musical talent and charisma were loved both in Italy and abroad. After a long illness, the singer-songwriter passed away on August 22 at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, This is reported by the Italian news agency ANSA.
Born on July 7, 1943, Cutugno has made his mark on the Italian music scene, bringing the sounds of Italy to faraway places. His number Italian grew into a kind of national anthem.
With 15 entries to the Sanremo festival, including a historic performance in 1990 with Ray Charles, and beloved hits such as Il tempo se ne va, My music en Only U.S, Cutugno was a versatile artist who moved effortlessly between singing and presenting on Italian television.
Eurovision winner
Cutugno won with the song Together: 1992 the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest. It was the second time that Italy won the Eurovision Song Contest and the last time for Moonlight did it again in 2021.
Together: 1992 became a modest hit in Europe. In the Netherlands, the song reached number 15 in the hit parade, in Belgium it reached position 8. With more than 100 million albums sold, Cutugno was one of the most successful artists in Italy.
Cutugno was born in Tuscany and grew up in Liguria. At a young age he founded the band Toto e Tati and performed his own songs live. His breakthrough came in 1975 with the great success of L'ete' Indie in France, recorded by Joe Dassin, which brought him international recognition. This opened the doors to requests to write songs for celebrities such as Mireille Mathieu, Dalida, Johnny Hallyday, Michel Sardou, Claude Francois and Herve' Vilard.
Numerous musical highlights
Cutugno's highlights were many. He wrote the first hit for the famous Adriano Celentano, Salt, and achieved with his debut album Voglio l'anima great successes in 1979. His fame grew steadily, and he composed hits such as Only U.S, which won the Sanremo festival in 1980, and Il tempo se ne va for Adriano Celentano.
Although Italian in 1983 only reached fifth place at the Sanremo festival, it sold millions of copies and made Cutugno world famous, even in countries such as Israel, Iran and South Korea. His relationship with Sanremo's festival was deep-rooted, with numerous recurring appearances as a performer, songwriter and guest of honor.
Toto Cutugno's legacy extends beyond music. He was a proud representative of Italy and was known for his love of the festival. His influence and dedication remained unparalleled, even in the face of adversity, and his musical journey continued with the same fire and passion.
Funeral ceremonies for Toto Cutugno will take place on August 24 at 11.00 a.m. at the Basilica Parrocchia dei Santi Nereo e Achilleo at 56 Viale Argonne in Milan. This news was disclosed to ANSA by its manager Danilo Mancuso, along with the artist's family.
Source: ANSA
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