Tonina Torrielli

Tonina Torrielli
Background Information
Origin	Serravalle Scrivia, Italy
Birth date	22 March 1934
Death date	N/A
Age	90
Eurovision Song Contest
Country	Italy
Year	1956
Song	Amami se vuoi
Semi Position	--
Semi Points	--
Final Position	2nd
Final Points	--

Tonina Torrielli is an Italian singer who was the second artist to represent her home country in the very first Eurovision Song Contest in Lugano, Switzerland after Franca Raimondi who performed earlier that night. She was also the last singer of the night.

About

The singer was born in Serravalle Scrivia, Italy on 22 March 1934. She worked in the Novi confectionery factory in Novi Ligure, being nicknamed "the Candy of Novi Ligure".

In 1960 she married Mario Maschio, then drummer of the Orchestra of Maestro Cinico Angelini. In Turin, the city where she lives, the singer along with her husband were the owners of a record and musical instrument shop located in Piazza Castello 43 for many years, which closed in 2003, after more than forty years of activity.

Eurovision and Fame

She enrolled in the New Voices Competition in 1955, winning it. This gave her the right to access the Sanremo Festival in the following year. Although the victory went to Franca Raimondi, Torrielli got the second place and was considered the revelation of the year. Also at the Sanremo festival in 1956 she entered the final with the songs Il cantico del cielo and Il bosco innamorato.

Also in 1956, Torrielli participated in the first Eurovision Song Contest with the same song, alongside Franca Raimondi which performed her song Aprite le finestre

In 1958, Torrielli was taking part in Sanremo with her song L'ivy. The modern arrangement and her less melodramatic interpretation certainly contributed to placing second, behind the unexpected victory of Domenico Modugno with the song Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu. Also in 1958, at the Sanremo festival, she entered the final with the song "Mille volte", performing with the singer Cristina Jorio.

The following year, she got overwhelmed by the success once again. In the same year she participated in the musical film Destinazione Sanremo, directed by Domenico Paolella. In the same year she participated in the third Zurich festival with two melodic songs: "Love Is The Greatest Ideal" and "The Globetrotter".

Partly because of the decline of the traditional melodic genre, but above all of the desire to devote herself full time to the family, she left the stage in 1965, at only thirty-one years of age.