When Tonina Torrielli represented Italy within the Eurovision tune contest in Lugano, Switzerland, in Might 1956, not solely did she by no means uncover how effectively her tune carried out, as simply the winner was introduced after a secret vote, however she was not even conscious she was participating within the first version of what was to turn into the largest music competitors on this planet.
“They packed me off, identical to a parcel, to Lugano, with out saying what it was for,” mentioned Torrielli, who lives in Turin, the place the 66th Eurovision tune contest is happening. “So I went and sang and that was that, I didn’t comprehend it was the primary European tune contest as no person was speaking about it.”
Her profession singing in music competitions lasted till the mid-Sixties when she opened a music store known as Maschio on Piazza Castello within the centre of Turin together with her late husband, Mario Maschio, who was a drummer.
The store additionally grew to become well-known, and for the subsequent 4 a long time was the place to go for music aficionados. “Even as we speak, folks come and ask: ‘The place is Maschio?’” mentioned Shpetim Xhani, a concierge on the constructing subsequent door. “It was very well-known; folks got here from all over the place as you possibly can discover each type of music there.”
Maschio could also be gone – a garments store has changed it – however music fever may be very a lot within the air as Piazza Castello and different squares and parks round Turin fill with buskers and native musical acts within the leadup to the Eurovision grand last on Saturday.
“There’s a very beautiful ambiance,” mentioned Dino Ricchiuti, who was taking part in his saxophone steps away from Maschio, the place he used to buy musical gear. “After two years of the pandemic, which precipitated loads of bands to cease working, Turin has sprung again to life.”
Italy is internet hosting Eurovision for the primary time in 31 years after the glam pop band Måneskin received the 2021 version with a showstopping efficiency of Zitti e buoni. The band from Rome have loved phenomenal success since, together with supporting the Rolling Stones at a live performance within the US in November.
Måneskin’s victory, together with the truth that Italy is that this 12 months’s host, has helped revive the competition in a rustic that has withdrawn from the occasion on quite a few events over the past 66 years, citing lack of curiosity.
In 1974, Rai, the state broadcaster, censored the competitors over fears that the title of Italy’s tune, Si, sung by Gigliola Cinquetti, who was Italy’s first Eurovision winner in 1964, might need given a nod to the general public to vote sure in assist of a forthcoming referendum on divorce. Italy final withdrew from the competitors in 1997, returning in 2011.
Now the nation is probably the most profitable among the many “huge 5” automated qualifiers, together with France, Germany, Spain and the UK, after ending within the prime 10 in eight of the final 10 contests. Mahmood, who got here second in 2019, is once more competing this 12 months, singing Brividi, a traditional Italian ballad, in duet with Blanco.
“It’s laborious to match this contest with the final one, though we’re very glad to be representing Italy on house soil,” mentioned Mahmood. “We’re actually prepared for it, and hope to present it our greatest in order that our music will get higher recognized overseas.”
Torrielli received her huge break singing competitively within the Sanremo music competition, which started a couple of years earlier and was the inspiration behind the Eurovision tune contest. Nonetheless wildly in style in Italy as we speak, whoever wins Sanremo goes on to sing for the nation at Eurovision.
Torrielli, nicknamed “Sweet Woman” as a result of she labored in a candy manufacturing unit, grew to become an in a single day sensation when she beat greater than 6,400 hopefuls from throughout Italy to earn a spot among the many 15 who competed within the Sanremo competition in March 1956.
“The proprietor of the manufacturing unit would hear me singing opera songs, and so pushed me to participate,” mentioned Torrielli, 88. Her tune, Amami se vuoi, got here second, however as a result of the primary Eurovision allowed two songs for every of the seven international locations that participated, Torrielli represented Italy together with that 12 months’s Sanremo winner, Franca Raimondi.
Torrielli once more competed in Sanremo, coming third in 1957 and second in 1958, and travelled the world to participate in different music festivals.
Federico Capitoni, a journalist and music critic, mentioned Eurovision had turn into extra modern in Italy, principally because of Måneskin, however Sanremo nonetheless dominated the roost. “If you concentrate on who’s participated at Eurovision previously, no person remembers who they’re,” he mentioned.
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Not fairly true. Torrielli, who spoke from hospital, the place she had had an operation after a current accident, nonetheless receives fan mail. There may be additionally a web page devoted to her on Fb, the place supporters share clips of her songs.
Surprisingly, nevertheless, she is just not such a giant fan of her personal music. “When you requested me the lyrics to my very own songs, I wouldn’t keep in mind,” she mentioned. “However ask me to sing the likes of Mi chiamano mimi [by Puccini], I do know all of them by coronary heart as opera is the music I like.”
