Into the 50s on the Eurovision Top 100 list, and “Piove (Ciao, Ciao Bambina)” from Italy is the latest addition at number 59.
The irony is that number 59 is a song from 1959. As for its singer, Domenico Modugno is a name which, on this website, you will hear surrounded by a lot of favor. We have already established that his 1958 song, “Nel blu, dipinto di blu,” got utterly shafted by the juries. However, he would be back for more on other occasions. While his 1959 entry, which we had in second place in our rankings from that year, was not the ground-breaker that his 1958 song was, it was still plenty good.
Vital Information: “Piove (Ciao, Ciao Bambina)”
| Song | Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina) |
| English Translation | It’s raining (bye, bye little girl) |
| Performed By | Domenico Modugno |
| Written By | Domenico Modugno & Dino Verde |
| Country | Italy |
| Year | 1959 |
| Language(s) Performed In | Italian |
| How It Fared | T-6th Place (9 Points) |
| Was It Fair? | Too low |
What I Liked
The introduction to the song by the orchestra was quite nice with how they used the violins. It had this wistful character to it, kind of like you’re out in a calm rain (as the song title might suggest). From there, Domenico took the ball and ran with it. When he wanted to belt it out, Modugno had this unsurpassed ability to command a stage. I will also say that in general, I love being sung to in Italian. You could read an instruction manual to me in Italian and I might give it douze points (kidding, kind of).
I saw some similarities as well in how Domenico delivered the chorus lines “Ciao, ciao bambina” and “Volare” in his two songs. Similar energy and it worked.
Finally, I appreciated the big finish, which sealed its high spot.
Other Facts
- Domenico appeared at Eurovision three times. This was his second entry into the contest. His first was in 1958 and his third was in 1966.
- He won the Sanremo Music Festival alongside Johnny Dorelli in 1959 with this song, earning the right to perform at Eurovision. Domenico participated in the contest 12 times and won it on four occasions; he was one of its most notable victors.
- In the 1959 contest, Italy went third in the running order.
- Domenico received jury votes from Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Monaco, and France.
“Piove (Ciao, Ciao Bambina)” – Yes, There’s Video
And if you go to YouTube, you can watch Domenico’s performance from 1959.
