Tony Croatto
| Tony Croatto | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Hermes Davide Fastino Croatto Martinis |
| Born | March 2, 1940 |
| Origin | Udine, Italy |
| Died | April 3, 2005 (aged 65) |
| Genres | Puerto Rican Folk Music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Guitar |
Hermes Davide Fastino Croatto Martinis, better known as Tony Croatto (March 2, 1940, some sources state his year of birth as 1939 – April 3, 2005) was an Italian singer and composer best known for his interpretations of Puerto Rican folk music. He was also a television presenter.
Born in Attimis, a comune in the province of Udine, Italy. Croatto's family moved to the border town of La Paz, Uruguay when he was 9 years old. While being raised as a carpenter, lumberjack and farmer, music was very much a part of his household. In 1959, at 19, he created his first pop music group with his brother Edelweiss (nicknamed "Tim") and his sister Argentina (nicknamed "Nelly") which was named "TNT". The group came about at Nelly's insistence; since their mother frowned upon the idea of Nelly (who was 15 years old at the time and adamantly wanted to become a singer) touring solo, she would only allow her to sing in public with her brothers as a backup group. The group eventually developed a very strong following, first in Uruguay, then Argentina, then in Spain, where TNT moved as their popularity soared.
TNT were renowned for their vocal harmonies, their onstage chemistry and Nelly's voice and magnetic personality. At the time, Tony stated once, he was happy with just singing background and playing guitar, claiming he was rather shy. Eventually, he developed a strong stage presence, which allowed him to take over vocal duties occasionally.
In 1960, TNT recorded a song, "Eso, eso, eso", written by tango composers Virgilio and Homero Expósito, for RCA Records, which sold more than 100,000 copies in that country alone. They were part of the first broadcast ever by Argentina's television station, Canal 9, their personal appearances were solidly attended, and their popularity ensured the success of a media campaign they did for the Argentine brewer, Cerveza Quilmes. Their group was also popular in Venezuela, Colombia, Perú, Chile and Mexico, where they eventually toured. Their LP records for RCA-Victor were fast sellers all over Latin America. They even appeared in a movie, "Fiebre de Juventud", along with Mexican pop idol Enrique Guzmán, in 1962.
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