Raffaele riefoli biography of christopher

Italy has had a love hate relationship with Eurovision throughout the years. After withdrawing in 1986, Italian Television (RAI) decided to send the duo of Umberto Tozzi and Raf with the song Gente Di Mare.

The singers recorded the duet, not specifically for Eurovision, but RAI, liked it and asked if they wouid head to Brussels, Belgium to perform the song at Eurovision 1987.

Performing 7th on 9 May 1987, as so often happens with Italian entries they either score well or score nothing with the juries. After 7 countries had voted they had 18 points. Portugal and Spain, back to back, awarded it Top marks. Turkey awarded it 8 points, and then it practically was ignored by the next 5 countries. Making a strong comeback towards the end, with maximum points from Germany, Ireland and Yugoslavia, the song ended with 103 points, and a third place.

The song went on to be a big hit in many European countries.

Gente Di Mare – opinions from fans

In order to find out what Eurovision fans today think of this Italian entry from 1987, we asked our Eurovision Fan Panel. It includes team members as well as fans from all over the world.

Michael O. – sometimes I wonder what juries hear. This was far and away the best song in the 1987 contest. No wonder Italy stared to give up, as they were also robbed three years earlier in 1984. A total piece of musical class, it hasn’t dated one bit in all those years, Yet another Italian masterpiece.

Christopher D. – What a journey down memory lane. Being a Maltese, neighbours of Italy, we hear a lot of Italian songs. Both Tozzi and Raf are two giant artists with great successes year after year. Gente di Mare remains a great song and one still gladly listens to it when it is playing either on radio stations or social media. Italy once again delivers high quality music.

Gunec G. – This masterpiece by these two legends is one of the most underrated entries in the history of the E

Laura Ann Branigan (July 3, 1952 – August 26, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress best known for her 1982 platinum-certified hit “Gloria” and for the top-5 single “Self Control”. Branigan is also remembered for the top-10 song “Solitaire”, and for the No. 1 Adult Contemporary (AC) hit “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”, as well as several other U.S. top-40 songs.

Branigan also contributed songs to notable motion picture and television soundtracks, including the Grammy and Academy Award-winning Flashdance soundtrack (1983), the Ghostbusters soundtrack (1984), and the Baywatch soundtrack (1994). Her signature song “Gloria” by Umberto Tozzi stayed on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 36 weeks, at the time a record for a female artist; the song holds a place in the top-100 singles of both 1982 and 1983.

Branigan died at her home in 2004 from a previously undiagnosed cerebral aneurysm.

Life and career

Early years

Branigan was born in Mount Kisco, New York, 4th of five children of Kathleen O’Hare-Branigan (1921-2006) and James H. Branigan, Sr. (1914-1984). 

Laura grew up and lived in Armonk, New York, where she attended Byram Hills High School in 1966-1970, starring in the high school musical The Pajama Game in her senior year. In 1970-1972 she attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Working as a waitress until in 1972 she met acoustic guitarist Walker Daniels and his future wife Sharon Storm and acoustic guitarist Chris Van Cleave, forming the folk-rock band Meadow (named as a good place for Paul McCartney’s band Wings to land in) with bass player Stephen Trees (Replaced by Bob Valdez 1973), which in 1973 released their debut album The Friend Ship, featuring the singles When You Were Young, and Cane and Able, which featured the hook line “Throw away your cane and you are able”. The record was not properly promoted and n

1984 single by Raf, later covered by Laura Branigan

"Self Control" is a song by Italian singer Raf, released in 1984. It was written by Giancarlo Bigazzi, Steve Piccolo and Raf, and arranged by Celso Valli. The track topped the charts in Italy and Switzerland, and started the explosion and dominance of Italo disco-style recordings in continental European charts during the 1980s.

That same year, "Self Control" was covered by American singer Laura Branigan, whose version reached No. 1 in countries such as Austria, Canada, Germany and Switzerland, as well as No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Both versions of the song were commercially successful across Europe during much of the summer of 1984 (at one point even swapping with one another at #1 in the Swiss charts), with Branigan's rendition becoming the most successful single of the year in Germany and Switzerland.

"Self Control" has become one of the defining songs of the 1980s, with a number of remakes recorded each year. Notable covers include Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin in 1993, a dance remake by Branigan in 2004, Royal Gigolos in 2005 and Danish dance group Infernal in 2006.

In 2024 German duo Fast Boy collabration with Italian singer Raf presents sampled (remaking) track Self Control (Renamed "Wave").

Raf version

Raf (born Raffaele Riefoli) co-wrote the song "Self Control" with Giancarlo Bigazzi and Steve Piccolo. His version of "Self Control" reached No. 1 in Italy for seven non-consecutive weeks. It also reached No. 1 in Switzerland, between runs at the top spot by Branigan's version of "Self Control", and peaked at No. 2 in Germany, No. 7 in Austria and No. 40 in France. Raf released an extended dance mix of the song, like Branigan, but Raf's version featured a rap (performed by two other rap vocalists), relatively rare for a white artist at the time.

He would release several more tracks in English and re-release his 19

American singer (1952–2004)

This article is about the singer. For her 1990 self-titled album, see Laura Branigan (album).

Laura Ann Branigan (July 3, 1952 – August 26, 2004) was an American singer. Her signature song, the platinum-certified 1982 single "Gloria", stayed on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 36 weeks, then a record for a female artist, peaking at No. 2. It also reached number one in Australia and Canada. Branigan's "Gloria" was a cover of a song written by Italian singer-songwriters Giancarlo Bigazzi and Umberto Tozzi. In 1984, she reached number one in Canada and Germany and No. 4 in the U.S. with "Self Control" a cover of Italian singer and songwriter Raf from the same year. Both "Gloria" and "Self Control" were successful in the United Kingdom, making the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart.

Seeing her greatest level of success in the 1980s, Branigan's other singles included the Top 10 hit "Solitaire" (1983), the U.S. Adult Contemporary Chart number one "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" (1983), the Australian No. 2 hit "Ti amo" (1984) a cover of 1977 single by Umberto Tozzi, her return to the top 40 "The Power of Love" (1987), and "Shattered Glass" (1987), which reached the top 15 of the U.S. dance chart. Her most successful studio album was 1984's platinum-selling Self Control. She also contributed songs to motion picture and television soundtracks, including the Grammy- and Academy Award–winning Flashdance soundtrack (1983), the Ghostbusters soundtrack (1984), and Miami Vice (1984). In 1984, she won the Tokyo Music Festival with the song "The Lucky One".

Her chart success began to wane as the decade closed and after her last two studio albums Laura Branigan (1990) and Over My Heart (1993) garnered little attention, she generally retired from public life for the rest of the 1990s. She returned to performing in the early 2000s, most notably appearing as Janis Joplin in the off-Broadw