Iva Zanicchi

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Iva Zanicchi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈiːva ddzaˈnikki]) (born in Ligonchio, Reggio Emilia on January 18, 1940) is an Italian pop singer and politician.

Iva Zanicchi has a powerful, soulful, mezzo-soprano voice that evokes comparisons to early American rhythm-and-blues music pioneers and her style reflects her uncompromising approach to both her music and career.

Iva Zanicchi's career began in 1962 at the Castrocaro Music Festival, where she earned third place. She won the Sanremo song festival in 1967 with Non pensare a me, in 1969 with Zingara and again in 1974 with Ciao cara, come stai?. Zanicchi remains the only woman singer to have won that festival's prize three times. In 1969, she represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest in Madrid with Due Grosse Lacrime Bianche, where she finished 13th. A concert at the Paris Olympia and a tour (United States, Canada, South America and the Soviet Union) followed. Iva later also toured Australia and Japan. Has worked with Mikis Theodorakis and Charles Aznavour and has made numerous recordings. Has performed at Madison Square Gardens, New York (1974) and the Teatro Regio (Parma). In total, Iva released 14 albums during the Seventies, including a Christmas-themed, Neapolitan and Spanish language recordings.