On May 5, 1990 Italy won its second Eurovision Song Contest. Toto Cutugno triumphed in Zagreb, in the then Yugoslavia, with “Insieme: 1992”.
The song celebrated the importance of being together, two years before the Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community, furthering the process of European integration.
Today more than ever, in a delicate period for our continent as well as the whole world, safeguarding the concept of togetherness is fundamental. Senhit understands that music is one of the most useful means to achieve this.
Senhit covers “Insieme: 1992” by Toto Cutugno
Last Friday Senhit, who was due to represent San Marino at Eurovision 2020, was among the guests of Eurovision Home Concerts, the YouTube series in which artists from several editions perform from their homes.
In addition to singing her song “Freaky!”, she also performed a cover. Fans all over the world were asked to choose between “L’essenziale” by Marco Mengoni and “Insieme: 1992” by Toto Cutugno. The preference went to the former.
The Italian singer of Eritrean origin also wanted to record the second cover, making it available on her social networks on May 5, exactly thirty years after Italy’s victory.
Insieme: 1992 by Toto Cutugno. 🎵 This song, 30 years ago, won Eurovision. Nowadays, after all this time, this song is still meaningful. 💫 It is a song to celebrate the hopes for the future and the value of being together. 🙏🏾 Today, we know, it’s a difficult time for all of us but we’ll make it through. We are all the same, under the same sky, full of dreams. 🎈 Insieme, together, united Europe! That’s why I decided to sing it for you. Hope you like it. ❤️
It’s a heartfelt tribute, with a careful work on the arrangement, and the same sensitivity that has always distinguished Senhit. With her clear voice she manages to convey all the emotions of the lyrics, which feel contemporary and appropriate.
The video — directed by Luca Tommassini, who provides creative oversight for all of her projects — opens with a little boy, dressed as Superman, flanked by his dad wearing the Spiderman costume, whispering from a balcony some words of the song: “Under the same sky, without borders, a thousand violins, loves without borders”. Words repeated also at the end of the clip, by several people from their homes.
Senhit sings the touching song, holding a heart-shaped balloon, right on a balcony adorned with candles and the accompaniment of a violinist in the background.
It’s not a randomly chosen location. Many fellow Italians chose to sing on their balconies at the beginning of the lockdown. Restrictions have only been loosened in recent days, as the government brought in new measures.
Do you like Senhit’s cover of “Insieme: 1992”? Would you like to see her competing at Eurovision 2021? Let us know in the comment section down below!
Such a nice song selection from Senhit. Not the most obvious choice but then so perfect in terms of lyric, sentiment, arrangement and language. I remember Toto so clearly: he was truly a surprise winner in the days when the contest was much more unpredictable. At the reprise he walked into the audience with hair dye dripping into his white jacket causing utter chaos for guests, journalists and camera crew – maybe giving us a first glimpse of his hosting style a year later. If you’ve not seen Eurovision 1991 I’d use some of the remaining lockdown time to watch… Read more »
What’s the common consensus on this song? I’m not super familiar with it, but have the idea it’s a disliked/underserving winner.
Nice cover though
Underserving winner? Why? Only Italy, Spain, France, Israel and Yugoslavia had good songs that year. The rest was quite lame (Ireland and Iceland were frankly overrated). So no, I don’t think this was an underserving winner.
Great version
When “Grande amore” lost we, Italian fans, said we would never win again, then “Occidentali’s karma” came, failed, and we said we would never win again, then “Non mi avete fatto niente” was on the televote podium, then there was “Soldi” and after the 2nd place we still say we will never win again. But here’s some proofs that there’s always something to hope for 😀
Maybe it’s better to have songs who reach almost every year top 5 than winning a year and being trapped in the right board the years after… Italy, even having never won since its comeback in 2011, still a solid country not only as a Big 5 Member, but in Eurovision overall. You can be pround of your country !
Lol the start sounds exactly like Under Pressure by David Bowie
beautiful video
I can’t believe that this song was a surprise winner.