Flo Sandon's

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Flo Sandon's, stage name of Mammola Sandon (Vicenza, Italy, 29 June 1924), was a very popular singer in post-WWII Italy. She won the San Remo Music Festival in 1953 with the song Viale d'autunno.

The beginnings

Her musical career began in 1944, during the war, when she debuted in a Red Cross charity show. Her stage name Sandon's came by chance - it was an oversight by the illustrator who prepared her first record cover.

Celebrity came in 1952 thanks to the movie Anna directed by Alberto Lattuada and starring Silvana Mangano, Vittorio Gassmann and Raf Vallone. Flo Sandon's did not appear in the movie itself, but she performed two songs of the movie sound track, T'ho voluto ben and El negro Zumbon. Both were great hits. Nat King Cole liked so much T'ho voluto ben that a few years later he recorded it with a new title Non dimenticar.

Song Festivals

In 1953 Flo Sandon's took part to San Remo Music Festival for the first time, and won. The song was Viale d'autunno and was also performed by another singer, Carla Boni. Both winners were at their first appearance at the popular song contest, and succeeded ahead of the great favorite Nilla Pizzi. The press rumored about a possible plot against Pizzi: allegedly she had been originally chosen to perform Viale d'autunno but was then dismissed, possibly out of spite or jealousy, and the song offered to Sandon's and Boni.

Flo Sandon's competed five more times at San Remo Music Festival, but never won again. She however won another song contest, the Festival of Naples in 1960 with Serenata a Mergellina.

Greatest hits from her repertoire were Vorrei volare, Kiss me, I love Paris, Passa il tempo, Concerto d'autunno, Verde luna, Domani,Que sera sera, Bevi con me.

With Natalino Otto

In 1955 Flo Sandon's married Natalino Otto, also an Italian singer. They toured together in Italy and abroad for several years.

They are also credited with the discovery of one of Italy's greatest singers of all times - Mina. On the night of 24 September 1958 a band of teen-age students was playing in a dancing hall in Cremona. Otto and his wife were present, and were greatly impressed by the singer of that group. They went to meet her at the end of the concert and proposed her a trial recording session. One month later, Mina's first single was out.

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