Zwei Kleine Italiener
Encyclopedia
"Zwei kleine Italiener" was the German
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1962
, performed in German
by Conny Froboess.
The song was performed seventh on the night, following Sweden
's Inger Berggren
with "Sol och vår
" and preceding the Netherlands
' De Spelbrekers
with "Katinka". At the close of voting, it had received 9 points, placing 6th in a field of 16.
The song (with lyrics by Georg Buschor and music by Christian Bruhn) is a moderately up-tempo number in the schlager
genre, with Froboess describing the plight of two gastarbeiter
s from Italy
who wish to return to their homeland to be with their girlfriends, Tina and Marina. She contrasts this situation with that of the rest of German society (at the time undergoing the Wirtschaftswunder
largely as a result of immigrant labour), for whom "a journey to the South is something chic and fine". The two Italians, it seems, despair of ever returning to Naples
. This unusual subject matter marks the first time that a social issue was described in a Contest entry.
Despite its middle-of-the-table finish, the song has become a minor favourite among Contest fans. Froboess herself recorded versions of the song in English (as "Gino"), Dutch
("Twee kleine Italianen") and Italian
("Un bacio all'italiana"). Of these, only the Dutch version relates to the same topic. The English version is a love song to a man named Gino, while the Italian version describes her preference for lovers from that country.
The song was also widely covered throughout Europe and the rest of the world in a number of other languages; in Spanish as "Los dos italianitos", in the francophone
countries as "Cheveux fous et lèvres roses", in Scandinavia
in Danish, Norwegian and Swedish under the title "Tina & Marina" (in Sweden with lyrics by future ABBA
manager Stig Anderson
), in Finland as "Tina ja Marina" and in the United States Connie Francis
subsequently covered Froboess' Italian version of the song, "Un bacio all'italiana".
It was succeeded as German representative
at the 1963 contest
by Heidi Brühl
with "Marcel
".
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1962
Eurovision Song Contest 1962
The Eurovision Song Contest 1962 was the seventh in the series. France's win was their third and marked the first time a country had won three contests. Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, and Spain all scored "null points" for the first time....
, performed in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
by Conny Froboess.
The song was performed seventh on the night, following Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
's Inger Berggren
Inger Berggren
Inger Berggren is a Swedish singer who began singing in Thore Swanerud's orchestra, and later sang with Thore Ehrling, Simon Brehm, and Göte Wilhelmsson. Her biggest hits were "The Sun and the Spring" and "Elisabeth Serenade", both in 1962...
with "Sol och vår
Sol och vår
"Sol och vår" is a song by Swedish singer Inger Berggren, that represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 1962, performed in Swedish. The title literally translates as "Sun and Spring", but the Swedish expression 'Att sol och våra någon', 'sun and spring'-ing somebody, means tricking a...
" and preceding the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
' De Spelbrekers
De Spelbrekers
De Spelbrekers were a Dutch singing duo, known for their participation in the 1962 Eurovision Song Contest.- 1940s and 1950s :...
with "Katinka". At the close of voting, it had received 9 points, placing 6th in a field of 16.
The song (with lyrics by Georg Buschor and music by Christian Bruhn) is a moderately up-tempo number in the schlager
Schlager
Schlager music is a style of popular music prevalent in Central and Northern Europe and the Balkans and also in France and Poland. In Portugal, it was adapted and became pimba music...
genre, with Froboess describing the plight of two gastarbeiter
Gastarbeiter
Gastarbeiter is German for "guest worker." It refers to migrant workers who had moved to West Germany mainly in the 1960s and 70s, seeking work as part of a formal guest worker programme...
s from 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...
who wish to return to their homeland to be with their girlfriends, Tina and Marina. She contrasts this situation with that of the rest of German society (at the time undergoing the Wirtschaftswunder
Wirtschaftswunder
The term describes the rapid reconstruction and development of the economies of West Germany and Austria after World War II . The expression was used by The Times in 1950...
largely as a result of immigrant labour), for whom "a journey to the South is something chic and fine". The two Italians, it seems, despair of ever returning to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. This unusual subject matter marks the first time that a social issue was described in a Contest entry.
Despite its middle-of-the-table finish, the song has become a minor favourite among Contest fans. Froboess herself recorded versions of the song in English (as "Gino"), Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
("Twee kleine Italianen") and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
("Un bacio all'italiana"). Of these, only the Dutch version relates to the same topic. The English version is a love song to a man named Gino, while the Italian version describes her preference for lovers from that country.
The song was also widely covered throughout Europe and the rest of the world in a number of other languages; in Spanish as "Los dos italianitos", in the francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
countries as "Cheveux fous et lèvres roses", in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
in Danish, Norwegian and Swedish under the title "Tina & Marina" (in Sweden with lyrics by future ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
manager Stig Anderson
Stig Anderson
Stig 'Stikkan' Erik Leopold Anderson was born in Hova, Sweden, and is best known as the manager of the pop group ABBA.- Polar Music:Anderson was the founder of the Polar Music record label in 1963...
), in Finland as "Tina ja Marina" and in the United States Connie Francis
Connie Francis
Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
subsequently covered Froboess' Italian version of the song, "Un bacio all'italiana".
It was succeeded as German representative
Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest
Germany has participated in every Eurovision Song Contest since its beginning in 1956, although its entry in 1996 did not qualify past the pre‐selection round, and therefore was not seen in the broadcast final. No other country has been represented as often. France and the United Kingdom come in a...
at the 1963 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1963
The Eurovision Song Contest 1963 was the 8th Eurovision Song Contest. France had won the contest in 1962 but were incapable of hosting in 1963, as was their right, due to financial shortcomings. As was the case in 1960 - and as would become a tradition when smaller broadcasters could not afford to...
by Heidi Brühl
Heidi Brühl
Heidi Rosemarie Brühl was a German singer and actress who came to prominence as a young teenager and had a prolific career in film and television...
with "Marcel
Marcel (song)
"Marcel" was the German entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1963, performed in German by Heidi Brühl.The song was performed third on the night, following the Netherlands' Annie Palmen with "Een speeldoos" and preceding Austria's Carmela Corren with "Vielleicht geschieht ein Wunder"...
".