20.41 The show has started. All is about red, white and green tonight!The opening act climaxes with a huge Italian flag covering the stage. And then enters Morandi. On March 17 will be the real birthday of united Italy but Sanremo celebrates a bit ahead.
20.45 We seem to move directly to the second chance. Albano starts the presentation on video. Then Anna Oxa. Then Patty Pravo. And finally Anna Tatangelo. Funny how all four are amongst the biggest stars in contest.
20.49 No we didn't. They just presented the video snippets of the songs and not even the televote was opened for them. Enter Belen and Elisabetta, in white and black tonight to start with.A nd then they are joined by Luca and Paolo so the team is complete. They used the transparent lift on stage to come down to the stage.In the background we will see hundreds and hundreds of names appearing and disappearing like stars all evening - names of great Italians of course. Nice idea! :-)
20.57 Davide Van De Sfroos is the first artist performing Viva l'Italia. He usually sings in dialect but tonight in standard Italian. The song is by Francesco De Gregori originally. The most voted song by televoters tonight will have a beautiful award - in form of Italy of course.
21.03 Anna Tatangelo now performs Mamma. As we know Italians are real mammoni, mostly at least. She has a totally different look than the first night with long white dress and make up that makes her look very different.
21.09 Anna Oxa next with 'O sole mio after some jokes by Luca and Paolo. Her look is stunning but what's with her singing these days? Is she trying to challenge Nina Hagen and Björk in making weird sounds and twisting the notes? Otherwise this version of this very much heard song is pretty nice and she ends it with some lines in English, Now or never.
21.15 Then we have Albano with Va' pensiero, another classic. By Giuseppe Verdi. He has two opera singers with him - whose names unfortunately I missed - and it doesn't sound very good I'm afraid... The televoting is also a charity money collection. Time for a break.
21.25 And we are back. And now it's time to Gianni Morandi to sing finally. A song by Gianni Bella, who had an ictus already sometime ago and this is a song he wrote just ten days before that. Rinascimento. Rebirth. Lyrics are by Mogol who sits in the first line. It's indeed a bautiful song and Morandi is visibly touched to sing it. Standing ovation for Gianni Bella.
21.32 And we move on. Patty Pravo will sing Mille lire al mese. She again a new look, very glamourous and very fitting to the period of this old song. Her vocals are a bit weird to be honest. Is he trying to imitate the original or what?
21.37 And now La notte dell'addio by Luca Madonia. Franco Batttiato as conductor of the orchestra. The song is from mid-60's and sung amongst others by Iva Zanicchi. And this Battiato version works nicely, too. Time for a break.
21.45 We are back with Morandi, Luca and Paolo. And then Giusy Ferreri with Il cielo in una stanza, a real classic this one. She looks very elegant like most everyone tonight, like the good old Sanremo days. But now it is clear, I do not like her voice. Period.
21.52 Then it's Nathalie and Il mio canto libero. She has a black dress and sings very well. Also this song has been covered about zillion times but Nathalie makes it interesting and fresh. Great job! The audience applauded mid-song didn't they?
21.57 Belen and Morandi remind that tomorrow in every newspaper stand you can buy a CD with all the songs heard tonight. All funds going to Per il tuo cuore.
21.59 Luca Barbarossa and Raquel del Rosario with Addio, mia bella, addio. Black minidress for her, black suit for him. Nice little tune. And we are off to a break.
22.08 We are back with Morandi, Luca and Paolo. Modá and Emma perform now Here's to you by Morricone aka The balld of Sacco and Venzetti. Red for her, black for him and the song works very well. Nice! The audience seem to agreed, huge applause!
22.13 And we move on. Max Pezzali with Mamma mia dammi 100 lire. Oh and he has Arisa with him! Great! A bit chaotic performance in the end. But Arisa has new hair and glasses.
22.17 and we move on very fast. 'O surdato 'nnammurato by Roberto Vecchioni next. A real Napoletan classic. And one of the most beautiful ones. Love it!
20.49 No we didn't. They just presented the video snippets of the songs and not even the televote was opened for them. Enter Belen and Elisabetta, in white and black tonight to start with.A nd then they are joined by Luca and Paolo so the team is complete. They used the transparent lift on stage to come down to the stage.In the background we will see hundreds and hundreds of names appearing and disappearing like stars all evening - names of great Italians of course. Nice idea! :-)
20.57 Davide Van De Sfroos is the first artist performing Viva l'Italia. He usually sings in dialect but tonight in standard Italian. The song is by Francesco De Gregori originally. The most voted song by televoters tonight will have a beautiful award - in form of Italy of course.
21.03 Anna Tatangelo now performs Mamma. As we know Italians are real mammoni, mostly at least. She has a totally different look than the first night with long white dress and make up that makes her look very different.
21.09 Anna Oxa next with 'O sole mio after some jokes by Luca and Paolo. Her look is stunning but what's with her singing these days? Is she trying to challenge Nina Hagen and Björk in making weird sounds and twisting the notes? Otherwise this version of this very much heard song is pretty nice and she ends it with some lines in English, Now or never.
21.15 Then we have Albano with Va' pensiero, another classic. By Giuseppe Verdi. He has two opera singers with him - whose names unfortunately I missed - and it doesn't sound very good I'm afraid... The televoting is also a charity money collection. Time for a break.
21.25 And we are back. And now it's time to Gianni Morandi to sing finally. A song by Gianni Bella, who had an ictus already sometime ago and this is a song he wrote just ten days before that. Rinascimento. Rebirth. Lyrics are by Mogol who sits in the first line. It's indeed a bautiful song and Morandi is visibly touched to sing it. Standing ovation for Gianni Bella.
21.32 And we move on. Patty Pravo will sing Mille lire al mese. She again a new look, very glamourous and very fitting to the period of this old song. Her vocals are a bit weird to be honest. Is he trying to imitate the original or what?
21.37 And now La notte dell'addio by Luca Madonia. Franco Batttiato as conductor of the orchestra. The song is from mid-60's and sung amongst others by Iva Zanicchi. And this Battiato version works nicely, too. Time for a break.
21.45 We are back with Morandi, Luca and Paolo. And then Giusy Ferreri with Il cielo in una stanza, a real classic this one. She looks very elegant like most everyone tonight, like the good old Sanremo days. But now it is clear, I do not like her voice. Period.
21.52 Then it's Nathalie and Il mio canto libero. She has a black dress and sings very well. Also this song has been covered about zillion times but Nathalie makes it interesting and fresh. Great job! The audience applauded mid-song didn't they?
21.57 Belen and Morandi remind that tomorrow in every newspaper stand you can buy a CD with all the songs heard tonight. All funds going to Per il tuo cuore.
21.59 Luca Barbarossa and Raquel del Rosario with Addio, mia bella, addio. Black minidress for her, black suit for him. Nice little tune. And we are off to a break.
22.08 We are back with Morandi, Luca and Paolo. Modá and Emma perform now Here's to you by Morricone aka The balld of Sacco and Venzetti. Red for her, black for him and the song works very well. Nice! The audience seem to agreed, huge applause!
22.13 And we move on. Max Pezzali with Mamma mia dammi 100 lire. Oh and he has Arisa with him! Great! A bit chaotic performance in the end. But Arisa has new hair and glasses.
22.17 and we move on very fast. 'O surdato 'nnammurato by Roberto Vecchioni next. A real Napoletan classic. And one of the most beautiful ones. Love it!
Oje vita, oje vita mia...
oje core 'e chistu core...
si stata 'o primmo ammore...
e 'o primmo e ll'ùrdemo sarraje pe' me!
oje core 'e chistu core...
si stata 'o primmo ammore...
e 'o primmo e ll'ùrdemo sarraje pe' me!
22.22 After this we need a break. The whole Teatro Ariston was clapping along.
22.25 We are back with Morandi, Belen and Elisabetta. Wearing Moschino and Cavalli stasera. And here comes Roberto Benigni on a white horse from the back of Teatro Ariston waving Italian flag.... Viva Italia! Btw Elisabetta Canalis made the Finnish tabloid Iltalehti today. :-)
23.18 End of monologue of Benigni. I wonder how many words he fired from his mouth. And how many euros he earned for each word? :-) We need a break now.
23.27 We are back in game. About the time, too! I suspect all foreign watchers on internet or satellite Tvs have left by now... But here comes Parlami d'amore Mariú by La Crus. Very simple and understated version. Not bad but a bit boring, wasn't it?
23.32 It's time for the last cover. Tricarico with Toto Cutugno's L'Italiano. Who is this guy? He has no voice. He sounds and looks like one of those they show in Idols before the finalists are chosen just for fun. Horrible! And here comes Toto Cutugno to save the situation! Phew. Ah no, he has lost it, too. Now enters a choir of random people. What a mess. They raped the song I'd say. Ah, the choir is made of people of foreign origin, the new Asian or Arab Italians. For example. The new Italians. Nice gimmick. It still sucked. Another break and then we will have the second chance or the newcomers.
23.39 We are back and Luca and Paolo are so serious on stage reading something uninteresting that I'm just about ready to wrap it up and go to bed.... zzzzzz.............
23.43 Finally! The newcomers time! Televote is opened for them now. And half of the votes comes from the orchestra again.
23.45 Micaela and Fuoco e cenere.She wears black and the song starts almost with whispers and she seems a bit nervous but then the song gets some speed and her vocals get more powerful. Quite nice song, better than many Big. She is 17 and we have this famous Italian rule that under 18 cannot perform after midnight. If she gets to tomorro's final they better make sure it happens before midnight. Or get rid of that rule!
23.39 We are back and Luca and Paolo are so serious on stage reading something uninteresting that I'm just about ready to wrap it up and go to bed.... zzzzzz.............
23.43 Finally! The newcomers time! Televote is opened for them now. And half of the votes comes from the orchestra again.
23.45 Micaela and Fuoco e cenere.She wears black and the song starts almost with whispers and she seems a bit nervous but then the song gets some speed and her vocals get more powerful. Quite nice song, better than many Big. She is 17 and we have this famous Italian rule that under 18 cannot perform after midnight. If she gets to tomorro's final they better make sure it happens before midnight. Or get rid of that rule!
23.51 It's Roberto Amadé and Come pioggia. Beautiful song, clearly better than most Big ones but his vocals are very forced at times. He should make the final anyways.
23.55 Morandi reminds about the televote and warns those who try to manipulate it. The song could be disqualified. And then to the next one: BTwins with Mi rubi l'amore. Typical boyband music that should make teenage girls grap their phones and vote for them. The song isn't bad and there's lot amongst the Big. I am starting to have doubts who will qualify tonight. I have 3 out of 3 so far but only 2 will make it.
00.01 And this is a good place to have some pubblicitá seems to think the director. One song missing, couldn't we hear that before the break, too?
00.06 And it's the last one: Marco Menichini with Tra tegole e cielo.Pretty boy singing nicely an old fashioned Sanremo song that we don't have many this year in the line up. Doesn't he look like Giorgia? Hmmm... this is very open now. What will the orchestra prefer? And the televoters? I don't even start to speculate! Let's wait and see. I'd go for Micaela and Amadé I think.
00.12 Now Belen Rodriguez and a tribute to Italian cinema and Fellini in particular. And she dances and sings like only an Italian "showgirl" can.....
00.12 Now Belen Rodriguez and a tribute to Italian cinema and Fellini in particular. And she dances and sings like only an Italian "showgirl" can.....
00.16 Stop to televote for the newcomers. It's time for the results of the Big's historic songs.... and it is Albano! What a surprise - not. Oh he doesn't even know the name of the Greek guy he was singing with! Cool! And they collected 511.000 euros for charity tonight only. More will come from the CD.
00.20 And now all the four newcomers enter the stage and we will see who made it to the final. No, Micaela can't be on stage as she is under 18. This is so ridiculous.... And then they make yet another mistake and we are off to commercial break instead so they can sort they stuff out....
00.24 We are back. Roberto Amadé made it! And Micaela made it! :-))) Like last night I got them both right!
00.28 It's not over yet. Time for the second chance of Albano, Anna Tatangelo, Anna Oxa and Patty Pravo. Their televote is opened now. At this hour?? All are on stage but Anna Oxa... Ah, there she comes.... The situation on stage seems to be a bit chaotic and no one seems to know what to do, when and how but in the end Patty is back on stage and singing. Phew... Maybe it was better she didn't. Very confusing performance.
00.36 It's time for Anna Tatangelo. She looks quite different in a black dress and different hairdo tonight and maybe a bit uninspired. The song isn't that bad. She has been speculated for Eurovision as well and ... well, this would be much better entry that most of the others.But she wouldn't be a popular choice amongst Italians.
00.41 And then Albano and his song about prostitute named Amanda. Solid good performance.
00.46 Last but not least Anna Oxa. Maybe a bit better than her previous performance but it's still painful to my ears. Albano and Anna Tatangelo will qualify me thinks. Time for a break again.
Why am I starting to think Belen is the only one who is in focus and knows what's supposed to be going on? Elisabetta, too, is business but gets lost in giggles and Morandi is totally lost at times....
00.57 We are back in Teatro Ariston. Televote is finished. Morandi, Luca and Paolo are wasting some time by playing guitar and singing. I wish the results would arrive very soon.........
01.01 Here are the qualifiers: Albano! And Anna Tatangelo! Damn I'm good! And with this I say buona notte and see you all tomorrow night for the newcomers final and duets and alternative versions of the Big. Should be interesting. Good night! A domani!
00.46 Last but not least Anna Oxa. Maybe a bit better than her previous performance but it's still painful to my ears. Albano and Anna Tatangelo will qualify me thinks. Time for a break again.
Why am I starting to think Belen is the only one who is in focus and knows what's supposed to be going on? Elisabetta, too, is business but gets lost in giggles and Morandi is totally lost at times....
00.57 We are back in Teatro Ariston. Televote is finished. Morandi, Luca and Paolo are wasting some time by playing guitar and singing. I wish the results would arrive very soon.........
01.01 Here are the qualifiers: Albano! And Anna Tatangelo! Damn I'm good! And with this I say buona notte and see you all tomorrow night for the newcomers final and duets and alternative versions of the Big. Should be interesting. Good night! A domani!
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