Salvatore Cutugno

Salvatore "Toto" Cutugno was born in Fosdinovo, Tuscany, and raised in La Spezia, Liguria. He began his musical career as a drummer before writing songs for international superstars including Joe Dassin ("L'Été indien"), Mireille Mathieu, Dalida, and Adriano Celentano ("Soli").

In 1980, Cutugno won the prestigious Sanremo Music Festival with "Solo noi." In 1983, he unveiled "L'Italiano" at Sanremo; though it finished fifth in official festival voting, its proud chorus ("Lasciatemi cantare con la chitarra in mano...") struck an emotional chord with millions of Italians and emigrants worldwide, becoming one of the most recognizable Italian melodies in history. In 1990 in Zagreb, Cutugno won the Eurovision Song Contest representing Italy with "Insieme: 1992," celebrating European unification ahead of the Maastricht Treaty. He sold more than 100 million records globally.