Mia Martini

Mia Martini
Background Information
Origin	Calabria, Italy
Birth date	20 September 1947
Death date	12 May 1995
Age	47
Eurovision Song Contest - 1st Entry
Year	1977
Country	Italy
Song	Libera
Semi Position	--
Semi Points	--
Final Position	13th
Final Points	33
Eurovision Song Contest - 2nd Entry
Year	1992
Country	Italy
Song	Rapsodia
Semi Position	--
Semi Points	--
Final Position	4th
Final Points	111

Domenica Bertè, better known by her stage name Mia Martini, was an Italian singer. She released numerous albums and singles in Italian, but never actually had any decent success neither in the country or internationally. She represented her country twice in the Eurovision Song Contest; in 1977 and 1992.

Developing an interest in music since she was a child, Domenica convinced her mother to let her go to Milan for an audition in 1962. She recorded her first songs as Mimì Bertè with varied success, as Carlo Alberto Rossi wanted to fit her into the mold of ye-ye music, but she herself was more interested in soul. When in Rome, Mimi started a trio with her sister Loredana (who would also become a famous singer) and her friend, Renato Fiacchini, also with limited success.

In the 1970s, she chose the stage name Mia Martini, aiming at the international market. Her debut album, released in 1971, received rave reviews and is considered one of the best female-sung albums in Italian history.

After winning the 1972 Festivalbar, her profile rose substantially, getting invited to a number of television shows and festivals. One of her singles, Donna sola, came in second in the International Exhibition of Light Music in Venice, but became a major commercial hit. Many other singles followed, and she was the bestselling female artist in 1973. Throughout the middle of the decade, she garnered more international success, even getting noticed by Charles Aznavour.

Mia was internally selected for the Eurovision Song Contest 1977 in London with the song Libera, which came in 13th place. However, it garnered some success within Europe.

During the late seventies and early eighties, Mia underwent multiple changes, from her record label to a more androgynous look, and began work as a songwriter. She participated in the Sanremo Festival for the first time in 1982, but withdrew from music in 1983 due to a cloud of rumors around her.

In 1989, Mia returned to the Sanremo Festival, and to music, with the song Almeno Tu Nell'universo. Despite coming in second, it received wide acclaim and has continued to be an Italian classic to this day.

She also placed second in Sanremo in 1992 with the song Gli uomo non cambiano, which also became a hit. This also got her internally selected for a second time to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 1992 with the song Rapsodia. It placed 4th overall, making it the highest-placed non-English entry that year, and remains a fan-favorite to this day.

She was proclaimed dead in her apartment in Milan in 1995 as a result of a cocaine overdose.

The critics' award at the San Remo Festival is named in her honor.