Italian pop singer-songwriter prominent in the 1980s, known for international success (especially in Eastern Europe) and for songs such as "L'italiano"; noted for melodicism and a voice often compared to Adriano Celentano.

Started career in the early 1970s; solo breakthrough in 1978 with hits including "Donna Donna Mia"; best known for the 1983 song/album "L'italiano"; enjoyed strong popularity among Italian expatriates and in Eastern Europe; often associated in reviews with a Mediterranean image and melodic, radio-friendly arrangements.

Two DeBaser reviews discuss Toto Cutugno's 1980s Italian pop legacy, his melodic strengths and popular image. Reviewers note hits like "L'italiano", "Flash" and "La mia musica", and his popularity among expatriates and in Eastern Europe. The overall view is affectionate but critical of retro clichés.

For:Fans of Italian pop, 1980s music, and cultural nostalgia

 Toto is one of the most well-known singers of Italian pop in the '80s, no longer as popular here, but still very famous in all of Eastern Europe, where he found himself, willingly or not, as an ambassador of our music, with all the perks that come with that: perhaps because his melodicism, his powerful voice reminiscent of a tuneful Celentano, and his physical appearance have an unmistakable Mediterranean imprint that stirs exotic thoughts linked to the land of blooming lemons in the people of the East.

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 he is a good songwriter with a disarming naivety, populism, and communicativity; which borders on genius, as demonstrated by the truly global success of some of his songs, especially among Italian expatriates, Latin and Slavic peoples.

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