Los TNT
Encyclopedia
Los TNT were an Italian
-Uruguay
an rock 'n' roll
band, popular in the sixties
. The band consisted of two brothers and a sister from Udine
, Italy
: Edelweiss "Tim" Croatto (born 1936), Hermes "Tony" Croatto
(born 1939), and Argentina "Nelly" Croatto (born 1941). The acronym
and word play
"TNT" comes from their nicknames. They and their parents emigrated to La Paz, Uruguay
in 1946, and in 1953 they moved to Montevideo
, where they started to sing.
In 1959 they moved to Buenos Aires
, and they were discovered and hired by the Argentine
record label RCA Victor in 1960. Their first single was "Eso", which sold more than 100,000 copies in Argentina
and became a success also in Mexico
and most South America
n countries. Their first album, "Los Fabulosos TNT", was published late in 1960. The second album, "La Gira Triunfal por Latinoamérica de los TNT" was published right after a tour through Venezuela
, Colombia
, Peru
and Chile
, in 1961.
In 1962 they moved to Spain
to work with the record label Belter, and in 1964 they were chosen by broadcaster TVE
to represent the country (as Nelly, Tim & Tony) at the 9th Eurovision Song Contest
in Copenhagen
, Denmark
. With the song "Caracola
", they placed 12th in a field of 16.
Nevertheless, in Spain they were not as successful as in Latin America
and they went back to Argentina. In 1965 they recorded their last single with RCA, which included the songs "Yo No Me Marcho de Aquí" and "Llévame, Llévame".
In 1966 the band dissolved as Tim decided to leave to establish his own record label. Nelly and Tony continued to sing together, as "Nelly y Tony" or "Los Vénetos", first established in Argentina and from 1970 in Puerto Rico
. In 1974, Nelly got married and dissolved the duo; meanwhile Tony Croatto
continued to work as an entertainer in Puerto Rico until his death in 2005.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an rock 'n' roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band, popular in the sixties
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
. The band consisted of two brothers and a sister from Udine
Udine
Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: Edelweiss "Tim" Croatto (born 1936), Hermes "Tony" Croatto
Tony Croatto
Hermes Davide Fastino Croatto Martinis, better known as Tony Croatto was an Italian singer and composer best known for his interpretations of Puerto Rican folk music. He was also a television presenter.-Biography:Born in Attimis, a comune in the province of Udine, Italy...
(born 1939), and Argentina "Nelly" Croatto (born 1941). The acronym
Acronym and initialism
Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. These components may be individual letters or parts of words . There is no universal agreement on the precise definition of the various terms , nor on written usage...
and word play
Word play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
"TNT" comes from their nicknames. They and their parents emigrated to La Paz, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
in 1946, and in 1953 they moved to Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, where they started to sing.
In 1959 they moved to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, and they were discovered and hired by the Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
record label RCA Victor in 1960. Their first single was "Eso", which sold more than 100,000 copies in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and became a success also in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and most South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n countries. Their first album, "Los Fabulosos TNT", was published late in 1960. The second album, "La Gira Triunfal por Latinoamérica de los TNT" was published right after a tour through Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, in 1961.
In 1962 they moved to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to work with the record label Belter, and in 1964 they were chosen by broadcaster TVE
Televisión Española
Televisión Española is the national state-owned public-service television broadcaster in Spain. TVE's activities were previously financed by a combination of advertising revenue and subsidies from the national government, but since it's been supported by subsidies only.TVE belongs to the RTVE...
to represent the country (as Nelly, Tim & Tony) at the 9th Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1964
The Eurovision Song Contest 1964 was the ninth Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark after the Danish victory the previous year. Sweden did not participate because of a boycott by singers. They did however broadcast it...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. With the song "Caracola
Caracola (song)
"Caracola" was the Spanish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1964, performed in Spanish by the trio Tim, Nelly & Tony, better known as Los TNT....
", they placed 12th in a field of 16.
Nevertheless, in Spain they were not as successful as in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and they went back to Argentina. In 1965 they recorded their last single with RCA, which included the songs "Yo No Me Marcho de Aquí" and "Llévame, Llévame".
In 1966 the band dissolved as Tim decided to leave to establish his own record label. Nelly and Tony continued to sing together, as "Nelly y Tony" or "Los Vénetos", first established in Argentina and from 1970 in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. In 1974, Nelly got married and dissolved the duo; meanwhile Tony Croatto
Tony Croatto
Hermes Davide Fastino Croatto Martinis, better known as Tony Croatto was an Italian singer and composer best known for his interpretations of Puerto Rican folk music. He was also a television presenter.-Biography:Born in Attimis, a comune in the province of Udine, Italy...
continued to work as an entertainer in Puerto Rico until his death in 2005.