Salvatore "Toto" Cutugno (Italian pronunciation: [ˈtɔːto kuˈtuɲɲo]; 7 July … Read Full Bio ↴Salvatore "Toto" Cutugno (Italian pronunciation: [ˈtɔːto kuˈtuɲɲo]; 7 July 1943 – 22 August 2023) was an Italian pop singer-songwriter and musician. He was best known for his worldwide hit song, "L'Italiano", released on his 1983 album of the same title. Cutugno also won the Eurovision Song Contest 1990 held in Zagreb, SFR Yugoslavia, with the song "Insieme: 1992", for which he wrote both the lyrics and music. He has been described as "one of the most popular singers in Italy and a symbol of Italian melody abroad", as well as "one of the most popular Italian performers on a global scale" and "one of the most successful Italian songwriters of all time", selling over 100 million records worldwide.

Cutugno was born in Fosdinovo, northern Tuscany.

He began his musical career as a drummer, but later formed a band that performed his own songs. He also had written for popular French-American singer Joe Dassin, contributing some of his most famous songs, including "L'été indien", "Et si tu n'existais pas" and Le Jardin du Luxembourg (written with Vito Pallavicini).

In 1976 Cutugno participated first time in San Remo Music Festival coming with his band Albatros in 3rd place. He then won in 1980 with the song "Solo noi" ("Only us", in Italian), and subsequently finished second in six editions: in 1984 with the song "Serenata" ("Serenade"), in 1987 with "Figli" ("Sons"), in 1988 with "Emozioni" ("Emotions"), in 1989 with the song "Le mamme" ("The Mamas"), in 1990 with Ray Charles with the song "Gli amori" ("Loves", but entitled "Good Love Gone Bad in Charles' version) and in 2005 with Annalisa Minetti with the song "Come noi nessuno al mondo" ("No One Else in the World Like Us). In total Cutugno participated in the festival 13 times.

He won Eurovision Song Contest in 1990 with his own composition "Insieme: 1992" ("Together: 1992"), a ballad which celebrated European political integration. Along with Gigliola Cinquetti, Italy's only other Eurovision winner from 1964, he presented the 1991 contest, which was staged in Rome as a consequence of his victory. However, when the scoring ended with a tie for first place the event descended into a degree of chaos, partly due to confusion over how the scoring system worked.

His work in Spanish Versions is greatly appreciated in the Latin-American Music Industry. At this point it's a little difficult to summarize all his hits, since some Record Companies may already disappeared. Some samples of his music En Español can be found in You Tube.

His very famous Italian Version of "Donna, Donna Mia"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofWsDKmIu0I

and his Spanish Version...."MIA"....AWESOME!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu7zYxpA80o
http://www.youtube.com/LocutorMysterio

Song: Enamorados (In Love)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVI2n1KsELU&feature=related

Song: El Italiano (The Italian)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o40z0qJIOvM&feature=related

Vivo
Toto Cutugno Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Vivo... vivo...
Lei dorme qui sul mio cuscino
Per un sorriso e il pianto di un bambino
Grazie amore mio per questa gioia che mi dai

Vivo... vivo...
Per la parola di un amico vero
Che legge fino in fondo al mio pensiero

Grazie amico mio per questa tua sincerita

Ed e per questo chi amo
Ed e per questo chi amo
Ed e per questo chi amo
Una canzone nascera
Ed e per questo chi amo
Fino a che il cuore ce la fa
Ce la fa

Vivo... vivo...
Graze cielo mio
Se tutto questo ci sara
Ed e per questo chi amo
Ed e per questo chi amo
Ed e per questo chi amo
Fino a che il cuore ce la fa
Ed e per questo chi amo
Ogni stagione, la sua eta

Vivo... vivo...
Il pane caldo e gia mattino

Un cane randagio lungo il mio cammino
Vivo...vivo...vivo...

Overall Meaning

In the song, "Vivo" by Toto Cutugno, he expresses his gratitude for the joys that his loved ones and friends bring into his life. He expresses his love for his partner who sleeps beside him and thanks her for the happiness she brings, both through the smiles and tears of their child. Similarly, he expresses his appreciation for his true friend who understands him fully and is always sincere with him. Toto Cutugno emphasizes that it is the love and support of his loved ones that help him write songs like this, and his heart will continue to beat as long as he has them by his side.

The lyrics of the song deliver the message of the value of relationships and how they have a significant impact on one's life. Toto Cutugno speaks to the importance of appreciation for the little things in life, describing the pleasure of walking down the street and seeing a stray dog, or the satisfaction of having freshly baked bread for breakfast.

Line by Line Meaning

Vivo... vivo...
I'm alive and thriving in this moment

Lei dorme qui sul mio cuscino
She sleeps here on my pillow, a reminder of the joy and pain of raising a child

Per un sorriso e il pianto di un bambino
For the smiles and tears of a child, I thank you my love for giving me happiness

Grazie amore mio per questa gioia che mi dai
Thank you, my love, for the joy you bring me

Per la parola di un amico vero
For the genuine words of a true friend

Che legge fino in fondo al mio pensiero
Who understands the depth of my thoughts

Grazie amico mio per questa tua sincerita
Thank you, my friend, for your honesty

Ed e per questo chi amo
And it's for this that I love

Una canzone nascera
A song will be born

Fino a che il cuore ce la fa
As long as my heart can take it

Graze cielo mio
Thank you, my heaven