Anna Rachel Rastén, known professionally as Raquel Rastenni, was born on August 21, 1915, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Rastenni was a Danish-Russian singer and dancer who became a prominent ballad performer. Her career began as a dancer in the Helsingør Revue in 1936, followed by a singing debut via radio broadcast in 1938. During the Nazi occupation in World War II, Rastenni fled to Sweden, returning to Denmark in 1945. Major hits include “Vovsen i vinduet” (1953) and “Heksedansen” (1960). Her recording of “Hele ugen alene” (1953) sold over 120,000 copies. Rastenni represented Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1958 with the song “Jeg rev et blad ud af min dagbog” (1958). She retired from public life in the late 1980s and died on August 17, 1998.
