Gigliola Cinquetti, born Giliola Cinquetti on December 20, 1947, in Verona, Italy, is a celebrated singer, songwriter, and television presenter. Coming from an affluent family, she developed a passion for music early in life, taking piano lessons and studying music theory from ages 9 to 13. Her artistic talents also extend to painting.
Cinquetti's professional singing career launched at the young age of 16 when she won the prestigious Sanremo Music Festival in 1964 with her iconic song "Non ho l'età" ("I'm not old enough"), penned by Nicola Salerno and composed by Mario Panzeri. This victory led her to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest the same year, where she made history by becoming the youngest winner to date, securing Italy's inaugural win with her heartfelt performance.
The song achieved remarkable commercial success, remaining on the UK Singles Chart for 17 weeks and selling over three million copies worldwide, earning a platinum certification in 1964. In 1966, she captured audiences once again with "Dio, come ti amo" ("God, How I Love You").
Cinquetti returned to Eurovision in 1974 with "Sì," where she placed second, narrowly missing the top spot to ABBA's "Waterloo." Despite the Italian broadcaster RAI censoring her performance due to its perceived political implications, the song still found success, particularly in English as "Go (Before You Break My Heart)."
Beyond her musical accomplishments, Cinquetti graduated from the Salerno art school and has a fulfilling family life, marrying Luciano Teodori in 1979 and raising two sons, Giovanni and Costantino.
