An Italian generous with music and kisses: how Toto Cutugno was remembered

As befits a real Italian, Toto Cutugno often showed generosity. To beautiful melodies, to gallant manners, and finally to kisses, with which he did not deprive even annoying fans. The famous singer lived a long and completely boring life, leaving this world at the age of eighty, and leaving behind many songs and wonderful memories.

The broadcast on Soviet TV of the San Remo-84 competition opened up a completely different world to our public. It was inhabited by luxuriously dressed women and emotional men. And there were also songs incredibly close to us in terms of melody, but as if saturated with the Italian sun. One of the numbers shot Soviet women right in the heart. An imposing lord with a ticklish, hoarse voice sang the composition Serenata, and the melody, combined with the performer’s charisma, conquered the USSR without a fight.

Toto Cutugno took second place at that competition, but of course he immediately became number one in the popular hit parade. At the time of his correspondence acquaintance with the Soviet public, Cutugno was already a very successful composer and popular singer at the age of forty-one. He had sung his most important song, L’ Italiano, at the same place in San Remo the year before. The jury gave him fifth place, but the audience vote made him the undisputed winner.

Toto went to his victories for quite a long time, and despite the relaxed manner of playing music, the artist had to sweat. By and large, to start a musical career, Salvatore (as Cutugno was called on his passport) had nothing but a burning desire. One of four children in the family of a sailor and a housewife showed an interest in music quite early, but never studied it professionally. His father played the trumpet and even founded an amateur ensemble, which apparently provided the future star with an excellent atmosphere for realizing his passion for music.

At the age of seven, he sat at the drum kit in his father’s ensemble, at thirteen he entered the top three winners at a regional competition, and at twenty, already being an experienced musician, he founded his own group. Tight tours of Italy in those days did not bring a lot of money, but the young Cutugno, one might say, was lucky when he met a girl named Clara. To the tender feelings that covered the young couple, the well-being of Clara’s parents was very successfully added. As a result, Toto did not need to think about housing and daily bread when he decided to compose music on his own.

The further course of events can be fit into a typical show business scheme: you need to be at the right time in the right place. Even famous performers are struggling to find a new repertoire, and apparently being in such a search, the Frenchman Jacques Ple, who served as artistic director of the singer Joe Dassin’s team, drew attention to the Italian tandem, which consisted of the composer Toto Cutugno and the poet Vito Pallavicini.

French lyricists join the work, and Et Si Tu N’ Existais Pas, Salut, L’ Ete Indien appear in Cutugno’s composer portfolio. It was like a surprise win at the casino, and given that a year later Toto would write Ciao Bambino, Sorry for Mireille Mathieu, it might seem as if this Italian definitely knows some musical trick. Most likely, this is true, if we recall Amore No and Soli, written by Cutugno for Adriano Celentano, as well as many hits already for a solo career.

In 1985, a real Italian made his first appearance in the USSR. There were rumors that Mikhail Gorbachev himself invited him, and the facts include the fact that Cutugno gave three dozen concerts in Moscow and Leningrad, which it was absolutely impossible to get through. Since then, both Russia and the expanses of the former USSR have become a place where he could come at his first desire and count on huge success.

It seemed that Toto Cutugno just bathed in love and success. However, in a life not connected with music, he was much less lucky. After the abortion, which the musician’s wife did on the recommendation of doctors, Toto and Clara lost the opportunity to become parents. A great desire to pick up your child was one of the reasons for the romance on the side. And when a young flight attendant Christina Lanci gave birth to a 46-year-old artist son Niko, Cutugno returned to his wife and Carla managed to forgive him.

In 2008, the star was diagnosed with cancer. The operation was successful, but chemotherapy and rehabilitation after it almost put an end to her career. But, as relatives say, even in the most difficult moments he approached the piano, and as soon as the doctors allowed him, he went on stage and soon sang for the Russian-speaking audience.

“Your songs are so loved in Russia that you might think that you have unraveled the secret of the Russian soul. Can you tell us about it?” — asked the authors of the “Sound Track” in a personal conversation with Toto Kutun, which took place a few years ago. “Italian melodicism is simply impossible not to like,” Señor Cutugno remarked patriotically. But he immediately added: “I still have a special relationship with Russia. It has become my second home, and whenever I come to visit you, I feel happy.”

Millions of Russians will forever remember Toto’s songs and voice. At one time, he was one of those who fell in love with everything Italian, even those who knew about Italy only from geography textbooks. And for many years he remained for them a guide to the great musical culture, although he himself wrote only pop songs. Toto Kutunyu will no longer perform them himself, but will remain in every verse and chorus.

Ilya Legostaev