Gigliola Cinquetti

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Gigliola Cinquetti
Cinquetti in 1966
Cinquetti in 1966
Background information
Birth nameGiliola Cinquetti
Born (1947-12-20) 20 December 1947 (age 76)
Verona, Italy
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • television personality
Years active1963–present

Gigliola Cinquetti (Italian pronunciation: [dʒiʎˈʎɔːla tʃiŋˈkwetti]; born Giliola Cinquetti[1] on 20 December 1947)[2] is an Italian singer, songwriter, and television presenter.

Life and career[edit]

Gigliola Cinquetti was born into a wealthy family in Verona, Italy. From the ages of 9 to 13, she studied and took piano lessons, taking exams in music theory. She loves painting and art. Her career as a professional singer began when she was 16.

At the age of 16 she won the Sanremo Music Festival in 1964 singing "Non ho l'età" ("I'm not old enough"), with music composed by Mario Panzeri and lyrics by Nicola Salerno. Her win enabled her to represent Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 1964 in Copenhagen with the same song, where she claimed her country's first ever victory in the event. Cinquetti became the youngest winner of the contest, aged 16 years and 92 days. Only one younger artist has triumphed since: Sandra Kim in 1986.[3]

The song became an international success, even spending 17 weeks in the UK Singles Chart[4] and ending the year as the 88th best-selling single in the U.K. in 1964,[5] something highly unusual for Italian-language material. It sold over three million copies, and was awarded a platinum disc in August 1964.[6] In 1966, she recorded "Dio, come ti amo" ("God, How I Love You"), which became another international hit.[citation needed]

One of her other songs, "Alle porte del sole" (released in 1973), was re-recorded in both English (as "To the Door of the Sun") and Italian by Al Martino, two years after its initial release; "To the Door of the Sun" reached No. 17 on Billboard's Hot 100 in the United States. Cinquetti's own English version of the song was released as a single by CBS Records in August 1974, with her original 1973 Italian version on the B-side.

Cinquetti returned in the Eurovision Song Contest 1974, held in Brighton, where she again represented Italy. Performing the song "" ("Yes"), the music and lyrics of which were written by Mario Panzeri, Daniele Pace, Lorenzo Pilat and Carrado Conti, she came second with 18 points after "Waterloo", sung by Sweden's ABBA, who won with 24 points. The live telecast of her song was banned in her home country by the Italian national broadcaster RAI, as the event partially coincided with the campaigning for the 1974 Italian divorce referendum which was to be held a month later in May.[7] RAI censored the song because of concerns that the name and lyrics of the song (which constantly repeated the word 'Sì') could be accused of being a subliminal message and a form of propaganda to influence the Italian voting public to vote 'Yes' in the referendum.[8] The song remained censored on most Italian state TV and radio stations for over a month. Cinquetti later recorded versions of the song in English ("Go (Before You Break My Heart)"), French ("Lui"), German ("Ja") and Spanish ("Sí"). The English-language version reached number 8 in the UK Singles Chart in June 1974.[4][9][10]

She graduated from the art school of Salerno, also obtaining the qualification to teach. She married Luciano Teodori in 1979, and they have two children together — Giovanni and Costantino. She has a sister named Rosabianca. Her parents are Luigi and Sara.

In the 1990s, Cinquetti became a professional journalist and TV presenter, and among others she hosted the current affairs programme Italia Rai on RAI International. She later co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 1991 with Toto Cutugno, who had brought the event to Italy with his victory in Zagreb the previous year – the country's first win in the contest since her own twenty-six years earlier.

In 2008, Cinquetti received an award as a tribute to her career in Italy and around the world. She published an autobiography in 2014.

Cinquetti returned to the Eurovision stage to perform "Non ho l'età" as an interval act during the final of the 2022 contest in Turin.

Sanremo performances[edit]

In the following occasions, Gigliola Cinquetti performed at the Sanremo Music Festival:

  • 1964: "Non ho l'età (per amarti)" – with Patricia Carli
  • 1965: "Ho bisogno di vederti" – with Connie Francis
  • 1966: "Dio come ti amo" – with Domenico Modugno
  • 1968: "Sera" – with Giuliana Valci
  • 1969: "La pioggia" – with France Gall
  • 1970: "Romantico blues" with Bobby Solo
  • 1971: "Rose nel buio" – with Ray Conniff
  • 1972: "Gira l'amore (Caro bebè)"
  • 1973: "Mistero"
  • 1985: "Chiamalo amore"'
  • 1989: "Ciao"
  • 1995: "Giovane vecchio cuore"

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

  • Gigliola Cinquetti (1964)
  • La rosa nera (1967)
  • Gigliola per i più piccini (1967)
  • L'orage (1969)
  • Il treno dell'amore (1969)
  • Cantando con gli amici (1971)
  • ... E io le canto così (1972)
  • Fidèlement votre... (1972)
  • Su e giù per le montagne (1972)
  • Stasera ballo liscio (1973)
  • Bonjour Paris (1974)
  • Auf der Strasse der Sonne (1974)
  • Go (Before You Break My Heart) (1974)
  • Gigliola e la banda (1975)
  • Pensieri di donna (1978)
  • Il portoballo (1982)
  • Tuttintorno (1991)
  • Giovane vecchio cuore (1995)
  • I successi (1999)
  • 20.12 (2016)

Charting singles[edit]

Year Single Peak chart positions
IT
[11]
BE (FLA)
[12]
BE (WA)
[13]
FRA
[14]
GER
[15]
IRE
[16]
JAP NL
[17]
NOR
[18]
QUE
[19]
SA
[20]
SPA
[21]
UK
[22]
1964 "Non ho l'età" 1 1 1 1 3 4 2 3 4 17
"No tengo edad para amarte" (Spain-only release) [A] 1
"Il primo bacio che darò" 11 16 27
"El primer beso" (Spain-only release) [B] 4
"Oh warum" (Germany-only release) 31
1965 "Ho bisogno di vederti" 7
1966 "Dio come ti amo" 5 5
1967 "La rosa negra" 5
1968 "Sera" 9
"Giuseppe in Pennsylvania" 17
"Quelli erano giorni" 6
1969 "La pioggia" 2 7 5 6
"L'orage" [C] 7 4
"Il treno dell'amore" 25
"Hello Nadine"
"La pioggia" (Japanese version; Japan-only release) 61
"La lluvia" (Spain-only release) [D] 24
"Come una foglia" (Japan-only release) 94
1970 "Romantico blues" 14
"Volano le rondini" 14
1971 "La domenica andando alla messa" 25
"Le bateau-mouche" (Canada and France-only release) 48 78
"Rose nel buio" 9 32
"Amarti e poi morire" 18
"Qui comando io" 13
1972 "Gira l'amore" 10 90
"Un coin de terre, un olivier" (France-only release) 37
1973 "El domingo yendo a misa" (Spain-only release) [E] 19
"Tango delle capinere" 15
"La spagnola" 20
1974 "Alle porte del sole" 1 49
"Dernière histoire, premier amour" (France and Belgium-only release) [F] 49
"Si" 17 30 6 13
"Lui" (France and Belgium-only release) [G] 6
"A las puerto del cielo" (Spain-only release) [H] 15
"Go (Before You Break My Heart)" [I] 6 8
"Ja" (Germany-only release) [J] 45
"The Door of the Sun" [K] 6
1976 "La primavera" (France and Portugal-only release) 17 60
"Comment fait-elle, dis-moi?" b/w "La Joconde" (Canada-only release) 10
8
1985 "Chiamalo amore" 14
1986 "Una donna distante" 48
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Filmography[edit]

Films[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1964 Canzoni, bulli e pupe Herself Cameo appearance
1965 008: Operazione ritmo Gigliola
Questi pazzi, pazzi italiani
1966 Blockhead Angelina
Dio, come ti amo! Gigliola de Francesco
1968 Il professor Matusa e i suoi hippies Herself Cameo appearance
2001 The Knights of the Quest Superior Mother

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1965 Ciao Italia Singer Television film
1966 Io, Gigliola Herself/ Performer Special
1968 Le mie prigioni Zanze Miniseries (4 episodes)
Addio giovinezza! Dorina Television film
1972 Il bivio Lalla Miniseries (2 episodes)
1977 L'amico della notte Herself/ Presenter Musical program
1981–1982 Linea verde Herself/co-host Tourism program (season 1)
1981, 1986 Castrocaro Music Festival Herself/ Presenter Annual music festival
1987 Unomattina Herself/ Reporter Talk show (season 2)
1988–1989 Via Telauda 66 Herself/ Regular guest Variety show
1991 Eurovision Song Contest Herself/ Presenter Annual music festival
1991–1992 Festa di compleanno Herself/ Presenter Variety show
1995 Napoli prima e dopo Herself/ Presenter Special
1999–2002 Commesse Clara Massimi Main role (12 episodes)
2011 Attenti a quei due - La sfida Herself/ Judge Variety show (season 2)
2012 Tale e quale show Herself/ Contestant Talent show (season 2)
2022 Eurovision Song Contest Herself/ Singer (performing her winning song from 1964) Annual music festival

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "No tengo edad para amarte" is the Spanish-language version of "Non ho l'età".
  2. ^ "El primer beso" is the Spanish-language version of "Il primo bacio che darò".
  3. ^ "L'orage" is the French-language version of "La pioggia".
  4. ^ "La lluvia" is the Spanish-language version of "La pioggia"
  5. ^ "El domingo yendo a misa" is the Spanish-language version of "La domenica andando alla messa".
  6. ^ "Dernière histoire, premier amour" is the French-language version of "Alle porte del sole".
  7. ^ "Lui" is the French-language version of "Si".
  8. ^ "A las puerto del cielo" is the Spanish-language version of "Alle porte del sole"
  9. ^ "Go (Before You Break My Heart)" is the English-language version of "Sì".
  10. ^ "Ja" is the German-language version of "Si".
  11. ^ "The Door of the Sun" is the English-language version of "Alle porte del sole".

References[edit]

  1. ^ Casarini, Enrico (31 July 2021). "Gigliola Cinquetti: «La mia vita spericolata e il bisogno di normalità»". TV Sorrisi e Canzoni (in Italian). Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  2. ^ Blissmer, Robert H. (August 1988). Who's Who in Italy, 1988. Bernan Assoc. p. 454. ISBN 978-88-85246-08-9.
  3. ^ O'Connor, John Kennedy. The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official Celebration. Carlton Books, 2015. ISBN 978-1-78097-638-9. Pages 32-33
  4. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 107. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ^ "The 100 Best-Selling Singles of 1964 (in the UK)". Sixtiescity.net. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  6. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London, UK: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 173. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  7. ^ O'Connor, John Kennedy. The Eurovision Song Contest – The Official History. Carlton Books, UK. 2007 ISBN 978-1-84442-994-3
  8. ^ "Webmaster's Countdown". Keithm.utvinternet.ie. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  9. ^ "Gigliola Cinquetti". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ^ Roberts, David (2002). British Hit Singles (15th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 145. ISBN 0-85112-187-X.
  11. ^ Spinetoli, John Joseph. Artisti In Classifica: I Singoli: 1960-1999. Milano: Musica e dischi, 2000
  12. ^ "ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  13. ^ "ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  14. ^ "InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque Artiste commençant par C". www.infodisc.fr. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  15. ^ "Suche - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  16. ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  18. ^ "norwegiancharts.com - Norwegian charts portal". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  19. ^ "Compilation des succès par ordre alphabétique d'interprètes (chansons francophones)" (PDF). banq.qc.ca. pp. 441–442. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  20. ^ "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (C)". www.rock.co.za. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  21. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  22. ^ "GIGLIOLA CINQUETTI | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 5 July 2021.

External links[edit]

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest
1964
Succeeded by
Preceded by Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest
1964
Succeeded by
Preceded by Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest
1974
Succeeded by
Wess and Dori Ghezzi
with "Era"
Preceded by Eurovision Song Contest presenter
(with Toto Cutugno)
1991
Succeeded by