ITALIAN EUROSTARS AND SANREMO 1: MIA MARTINI

Late Mia Martini (born Domenica Berté) entered Sanremo only 1982 after having had already a lot of success in the 1970's, winning Festivalbar twice in a row with Piccolo uomo (1972) and Minuetto (1973). In 1977 she is selected for Eurovision thanks to all her success and sings Libera (13th). Her Sanremo debut comes in 1982 with E non finisce mica il cielo, that becomes a huge success afterwards and is a classic today. To compensate her lack of success in festival's scoreboard a special award is created Premio della Critica (renamed after her death Premio Mia Martini) for her. But things turn sour after that. Among the entertainment business there's a rumor she brings bad luck and many doors close for her for festivals and TV and some people refuse to work with her.

But in 1989 she's back in Sanremo against all odds with another success and classic, Almeno tu nell'iniverso (9th) and she wins again this critic's award as happens the year after when she sings La nevicata del '56 while the song doesn't hit the top places in the festival this time either. In 1992 she finally gets Italians to vote for her and is runner up with Gli uomini non cambiano and also gets the ticket to Malmö 1992 Eurovision where she brings Rapsodia and scores a well deserved 4th place. She also gets some extra media fuss in Sweden being the sister of Loredana Berté, then wife of tennis legend Björn Borg. The sisters had a troubled relationship, both being artists with some temper but they united for Sanremo 1993 with Stiamo come stiamo (14th). Finally her career going nicely, apparently peace made with sister, family and show biz she was found dead two years later in her apartment. The cause of death has never been certified and she had been dead already for two days before she was found. A tragic end for a troubled life of a true artist and talent that Eurovision had a joy and priviledge to have twice on its stage. Born September 20, 1947 she would have been 66 today.

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Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

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