Renato Rascel

Renato Rascel
Background Information
Origin	Turin, Italy
Birth date	27 April 1912
Death date	2 January 1991
Age	78
Eurovision Song Contest
Country	Italy
Year	1960
Song	Romantica
Semi Position	--
Semi Points	--
Final Position	8th
Final Points	5

Renato Ranucci, better known as his stage name Renato Rascel, was an Italian actor, comedian, songwriter and dancer. He represented his homeland at the Eurovision Song Contest 1960 with the song Romantica which came 8th with 5 points.

About

Renato Rascel was born in Turin on 27 April 1912. Left by his parents to an aunt, because of their work that forced them to constantly move, Renato grew up in Rome, in the ancient district of Borgo, together with his sister Giuseppina (who died at only seventeen years old). He attended the Pontifical School Pius IX, run by the Brothers of Our Lady of Mercy, who in addition to imparting school teaching, organized courses in singing, music and acting. Already during the participation in these activities Renato showed the signs of his precocious talent, to the point of being pushed to be a part of the Choir of the White Voices of the Sistine Chapel.

A short time later he made his debut in the theater alongside his father, who became director of the philodrama "Fortitudo", in the popular drama "Più che monelli", where he played the part of a boy who dies because of a stone thrown at him by a playmate.

Aware of the fact that the artistic career is not among the easiest and most profitable, his father tries to encourage Renato to work safer and more profitable jobs. Renato was only thirteen years old when he was hired on a permanent basis as a musician by the owner of the local "La Bomboniera"; later he would play at the "Sala Bruscolotti", a well-known meeting place in the capital. At the age of fifteen he joined the musical group "Arcobaleno". The Neapolitan theatrical impresario Luigi Vitolo, noting his exuberance, pushes him to improvise in the intervals of the orchestra numbers of dance and various art that receive hilarity and success from the public.

Eurovision and Sanremo

In 1960 he participated in the Sanremo Festival with the winning song Romantica, composed by him and with the lyrics made by Dino Verde. The victory, however, will not be left without controversy, as Rascel will be accused of copying the music. The song would perform at the Eurovision Song Contest 1960. After 1960 he continued to work in the theaters, becoming quite popular.

Last Appearances

In 1986 he made his last appearance in the theater, alongside his friend Walter Chiari with whom he played Finale di partita by Samuel Beckett. His last public appearance is linked to the initiatives related to the football world championship of the summer of 1990, held in Italy, where Rascel sang some of his songs including Arrivederci Roma.

He died in Rome in the Villa Alexia clinic on the night between 2 and 3 January 1991, due to an irreversible arteriosclerosis from which he had been suffering for eight months.