Cutugno, whose birth name was Salvatore, died at around 4pm in Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital “after a long illness, which had become more serious in the last few months”, Mancuso said.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni led the nation’s tributes, posting on social media: “Goodbye to Toto Cutugno, a true Italian”, echoing the chorus of his biggest hit.
Fellow singer songwriter Angelo Branduardi called him “an artist who really represented Italy”, while singer Pupo said “farewell dear and beloved friend”, and TV host Fabio Fazio said “his passing leaves a great void”.
Born in Tuscany to a Sicilian father, Cutugno also won the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Insieme: 1992, a ballad that celebrated European political integration and the establishment of the European Union.
The second Italian victory in the Eurovision Song Contest, the following year when the event was held in Rome saw Cutugno helping out with hosting duties.
He won the Sanremo Song Festival only once, with Solo noi in 1980, but took part 15 times.
Cutugno’s signature track might never have been, given it was actually originally intended for fellow singer Adriano Celentano, who declined to sing L’italiano.
The track’s summarising of some of Italy’s most popular social traits, made the song particularly popular with Italian immigrants living in Australia, the United States and South America.
While the song only finished fifth in Sanremo, it went on to become his biggest international hit.
In 2019 a group of Ukrainian musicians tried to stop him performing in Kyiv, saying he was a Russian sympathiser like fellow veteran southern Italian star, Al Bano.
ANSA
