Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Italy took its well deserved third victory - finally! - at the Eurovision song contest 2021. Over the years several other Italian entries would have been worthy winners. In this series I will go through all of them from the worst ranking to the winners.  First however, the two unplaced debuting entries from 1956 as a warming up. Enjoy!  Aprite le finestre (Open the windows) was the Sanremo 1956 winner sung by Franca Raimondi (1932-1988). Like Tonina Torrielli Franca's career didn't last for many years and she recorded just one EP and handful of singles and this happy little ode to spring being the one people remember today.

Out of 32 Italian Eurovision performers only six have been female soloists before Nina Zilli who now becomes the seventh. That's against 17 male soloists, two groups and six duets! Some consolation comes from the fact that two of these six ladies have done it twice. It all started with the first Eurovision in 1956 where Italy, like the other six countries, sent two songs by two female artists who were also the top-2 of Sanremo festival. Franca Raimondi (1932-1988) won Sanremo with Aprite le finestre while Tonina Torrielli came second with Amami se vuoi . Both ladies soon left the show business and Torrielli officially stopped singing in 1965, but has made occasional appearances in nostalgic shows since 2008! Five years later it was time for Betty Curtis (1936-2006), that year's Sanremo winner with Al di là . She remained some what active in the music business until late 1970's and was also seen in nostalgic variety shows on TV in the 2000's.  Three yea...