Anita Traversi | en

Anita Traversi (born 25 July 1937, Giubiasco - died 25 September 1991, Bellinzona) was a Swiss singer, best known for her participation in the Eurovision Song Contests of 1960 and 1964.

Encouraged by her musician father, Traversi started orchestra singing in the mid 1950s, including with the orchestra of the Italian language Swiss radio channel. In 1956, she took part in the Swiss selection for the first Eurovision Song Contest, but "Bandanelle Ticinese" was not chosen. In 1959, Traversi obtained a recording contract in Italy, and went on to record a number of songs with Adriano Celentano, including the top 10 hit "Piccola".

In 1960, Traversi's second attempt at Eurovision was successful when her song "Cielo e terra" ("Heaven and Earth") was chosen as the Swiss entry for the fifth Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in London on 29 March. A dramatic orchestral ballad, very typical of early Eurovision, "Cielo e terra" finished in eighth place of 13 entries.

Traversi tried again to represent Switzerland in Eurovision in 1961 ("Finalmente") and 1963 (with three songs, including her first attempt in the German language), but did not make it in either year. She finally got her second chance in 1964, with "I miei pensieri" ("My Thoughts") being selected to go forward to the ninth Eurovision, held on 21 March in Copenhagen. However, this rather plain ballad did not find favour, being one of four songs to finish at the bottom of the scoreboard, having failed to score. From the mid 1960s, Traversi's career foundered as her recordings met with little success. In 1967 she featured again, unsuccessfully, in the Swiss Eurovision heat. By the early 1970s she had effectively retired from showbusiness to devote herself to family life. She did however make one final appearance, with two songs, in the Swiss Eurovision selection of 1976, once more without success.

Traversi died of undisclosed causes on 25 September 1991, aged 54.

.