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Franca Raimondi

Franca Raimondi
Raimondi at the Sanremo Music Festival 1956
Raimondi at the Sanremo Music Festival 1956
Background information
Born(1932-07-08)8 July 1932
Monopoli, Bari, Kingdom of Italy
Died28 August 1988(1988-08-28) (aged 56)
Monopoli, Bari, Italy
GenresTraditional pop
OccupationSinger
Years active1955–1988

Franca Raimondi (8 July 1932 – 28 August 1988) was an Italian singer. She is best known for representing Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956 with the song "Aprite le finestre".

Biography

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Born in Monopoli, Province of Bari, Apulia, Raimondi studied operatic singing and foreign languages.[1] In 1955, Raimondi was among the winners of a RAI contest of new voices and got the chance to perform at the 1956 edition of the Sanremo Music Festival, which she eventually won with the song "Aprite le finestre".[1] That same year she represented Italy in the first Eurovision Song Contest with the same song,[1] alongside Tonina Torrielli with "Amami se vuoi".

Franca Raimondi with Walt Disney in Hollywood during her tour in North America (November 1957); pictured on the cover of TV Sorrisi e Canzoni
Raimondi awarded by the mayor of Monopoli in 1983

Between 1956 and 1958 Raimondi was leading vocalist in the Gian Stellari Orchestra.[1] In 1960 she entered the competition at the Festival di Napoli with "Canzone all'antica" ("Old-style song").[1] In the later years she slowed her activities, focusing her career on live performances.[1] She died from cancer[2] on 28 August 1988, at the age of 56.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Anselmi, Eddy (2009). "Franca Raimondi". Festival di Sanremo: almanacco illustrato della canzone italiana (in Italian). Panini Comics. ISBN 978-8863462296.
  2. ^ Carbonara, Stefano (2 February 2022). "Franca Raimondi, cantante vincitrice Festival di Sanremo". Monopoli Tre Rose (in Italian).
  3. ^ Leoci, Lella (August 1988). "Ciao Franca, grazie". PortaNuova – Trimestrale monopolitano (in Italian). VII (18): 29–31. Photographs of the excerpt published on: Carbonara, Stefano (13 February 2024). "Ciao Lella. Con te va via una donna buona, colta, speciale". Monopoli Tre Rose (in Italian).
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Preceded by
N/A
 Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest
1956
(with Tonina Torrielli) 		Succeeded by


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