Franca Raimondi

Franca Raimondi was an Italian singer. She is best known for representing in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956 with the song "Aprite le finestre".

Biography

Born in Monopoli, Province of Bari, Apulia, Raimondi studied operatic singing and foreign languages. In 1955, Raimondi was among the winners of a RAI contest of new voices and got the chance to perform at the 1956 edition of the Sanremo Music Festival, which she eventually won with the song "Aprite le finestre". That same year she represented in the first Eurovision Song Contest with the same song, alongside Tonina Torrielli with "Amami se vuoi".
Between 1956 and 1958 Raimondi was leading vocalist in the Gian Stellari Orchestra. In 1960 she entered the competition at the Festival di Napoli with "Canzone all'antica". In the later years she slowed her activities, focusing her career on live performances. She died from cancer on 28 August 1988, at the age of 56.