Join me again tonight for live blogging. Raphael Gualazzi won the newcomers last night and will perform again tonight his song Follie d'amore - a possible Eurovision entry? All the 22 songs performed in this festival are possible entries and we will know who goes to Dusseldorf for Italy just before the winner of the festival is announced. See you later!
20.05 Melodifestivalen has just started but there seems to be problems with the webcast, only the backstage stream is working. SVT, edition 2011 seems to be not a happy one for you! Oh well, Sanremo will start soon, in 30 mins!
20.35 Buona sera cari amici vicini e lontani! We are just about ready to start....
21.30 Here comes the Eurovision theme. It hasn't been this welcome in 14 years! :-)And then we start with I feel love and the dancers doing some simil-sexy poses and moves. Yes, this is Italy alright! Then they undress and end up as a flexing mountain of legs and arms before walking over the orchestra... and then enters Gianni Morandi! Hmmm, the webstream isn't working that smoothly tonight here either....
21.47 enter Belen Rodriguez and Elisabetta Canalis! In pink and in white.
21.50 time to Luca and Paolo to enter after we admire all the RAI bosses sitting in the first line.... and they enter with a song as usual, another Gianni song with new lyrics...
21.53 Luca kisses Gianni on the lips instead of cheek "C'mon try to be modern!" And televote has been opened to all ten songs!
20.57 And off to the first song Davide Van De Sfroos and Yanes. he made it this far against all odds, let's see how far he goes!The song is in a dialect of Lake Como region and honestly I don't understand much . But it's happy with the horns giving it a Latin sound. Not bad at all. But not for Eurovision! My vote: 7.
21.02 Gianni reminds us we are live in Eurovision and in internet. Time for the next act: Roberto Vecchioni and his Chiamami ancora amore. This is typical Italian cantautore song where the lyrics weight much more than the music itself. And he's just about a living legend so no wonder he was leading the televote until now as accidentally informed by someone from RaiTrade who is propably searching for a new job this very moment. This isn't really my cup of tea so... No Eurovision please, Europe won't get this. My vote: 6
21.10 After a very warm applaude to Vecchioni we move on to Anna Tatangelo that the jury dropped and televote put back in game. Bastardo has been very popular by Eurovision fans. Again a new look for Anna, this time long silverblack dress and huge red hair à la Milva. She performs the song in verses in very Patty Pravo like manner but gets more aggressive in the chorus. Best performance by her so far me thinks. I'm still not sure if this would be the best choice for Eurovision?! My vote 7.
21.15 And we are off to a commercial break.
21.21 We are back and Morandi reminds us about the voting procedure. And Luca and Paolo wonder why Berlusconi hasn't called in the programme. Is it that he likes it as he don't call? Hmm... And then they made fun about Morandi and his interview skills with Monica Bellucci last night. One fact remains anyways: half of the Italian are watching and clued to their screens since Tuesday!
21.23 Next artist: Luca Barbarossa and Raquel del Rosario in Fino in fondo.This song has grown on me every night and I like it. They have also sung better together every time. This would be a great entry for Eurovision as well but Raquel has already declared she won't do it for Italy!She wears a very strange - and short - dress in silver and pink, funcsia and ornage with a picture of a kissing (male?) couple. Luca in black and white. My vote: 8
21.29 And off to Albano and his prostitute song, Amanda é libera. Like Tatangelo the jury dropped him but the televote put him back in game. He's wearing a full black outfit tonight. The song is a grower. I'd love to hate it but it's the one that has been playing in my head these days, the rrangement is very nice. Not so original I admit but it works. Eurovision? No! My vote: 8
21.35 Then we enjoy some vocals skills by Belen Rodriguez. Or "enjoy".... whatever!Oh, the guitarist on stage was his father.... It's a family affair! And Fernando Alonso is there, too. Raquel del Rosario is his wife, or fiancee or something. So now they talk about Ferrari!
21.42 We are back after some telepromozione with La Crus and Io confesso. One of my favourites.Black and white for the guys, too. I like the retro feeling of the song and the soprano's appearance towards the end is pretty wonderful, too. Susanna Rigacci wears black as well. This might even work in Eurovision me thinks but I guess I'm quite alone with that opinion. My vote: 9
21.50 Next Giusy Ferreri and Il mare immenso. She's in black again. Is it that the webcast is now working well and I can hear the songs with a good sound for the first time but finally I can make out what she's singing and the mixing seems to be ok, too. The guitars are there but not thundering over eveything else. Much much better than before! In all it's very rock. Eurovision? I hope not! My vote: 6,5
21.56 Aftersome funny stories about the guy who's in charge of backstage just to kill some time we are ready for Nathalie and Vivo sospesa.I love the beginning of this song and propably the first 2-3 minutes before it gets a bit messy. Nathalie isn't in top form tonight and her voice breaks a couple of times but she looks stunning in her black dress and flaming red hair. But I'm afraid it's not her night tonight. She looked a bit lost after the performance. But anyways: My vote: 9.
22.01 Luca and Paolo continue with the joke about the backstage guy and newcomers winner Raphael Gualazzi who really was lost on stage last night and very shy! Pubblicitá!
22.08 We are back in Teatro Ariston. Second to last Modá with Emma and Arriverá. Very handsome couple on stage, he looks good in black and sings well and seems totally relaxed while Emma in red and hair in place looked very nervous when walking to the stage but once she sings it's fine. Very intense performance and for the first time - I admit - I see what potential this song has. Or is it once again the good sounded webstream? :-) Anyways. Is this the winner? But in that case it's not going to Dusseldorf? My vote: 8,5
22.15 and it's time for the last song, another duet: Luca Madonia ft Franco Battiato and L'Alieno.I can't over the fact this is a smash up of Battiato's 1980's hits but who cares? They are fab! And Battiato is always nice to see doing something somewhere. And once again the colors are white and black. Eurovision? No! My vote: 8
22.20 We have heard all the songs. Next step will be the superfinal with top-3 songs. After a very long political satire by Luca and Paolo.....and another "promotional message" by Morandi who then reminds us about the special CD by the covers of all singers of Italian classics for charity and guess what? It's sold out already in one day! But they are printing more to be available soon...
22.32 Time for Elisabetta to dance a little bit while the televote is still on...And Elisabetta's dance is something you can only see in Italian TV!
22.35 It's time for Raphael Gualazzi, the winner of newcomers last night. Morandi says he has won also with televote - how about the press conference where they said Micaela won that? He even repeats it again!? Anyways, here he is to perform again his Follie d'amore. Eurovision? He wouldn't survive the two weeks of PR and stuff, he's too shy. He's an artist who only plays and sings, no talk! :-)
22.44 Oh no, he goes to Eurovision! Eurosong? 16 years of absence?? They still don't have a glue! Ok, it's Raphael Gualazzi for Eurovision.
22.46 We have another Eurovision star on stage with Luca and Paolo, Massimo Ranieri singing some Napoletan songs.
22.52 I'm feeling very disappointed for the choice even if not surprised..... :-(
22.54 Televote is closed.
22.58 Another entree and new dresses for Elisabetta and Belen. Time for Avril Lavigne. Is RAI in crisis? Where are likes of Madonna, Lady Gaga and so on that were rumoured to be guests? Is Avril the best they can have now?
23.06 Avril sung and then the usual praises for Italy and flowers of Sanremo. And pubblicitá! Including Lena's Opel Corsa!
23.12 We are back. Morandi reminds people to pay their fee for RAI. Ten happy couples who did so ended up in Teatro Ariston. How sweet! But then we have Massimo Ranieri again with Morandi, two ex-Eurovision stars.They talk about the old days and Ranieri's work, and sing together while remembering each others songs.... e via con Volare!
23.38 It's time for the top-3..... by televote and the jury (orchestra). Albano!!!! Modá and Emma!!! and last but not least Roberto Vecchioni! And now the joker or Golden Share by the press... will they drop Albano? Let's see who are 4th, 5th and 6th... as they can make one of these enter the top-3.... La Crus! Luca Madonia ft Franco Battiato!and last Davide Van De Sfroos! He got this far! Ok, let's see what happens....The journalists in press center are voting now... their vote can drop one song from the top-3 and lift one from the places 4-6 into top-3- Clear? Well, it's Italian! But remember the chaos last year? I guess this all comes from that..... they voted Roberto Vecchioni quindi the top-3 remains the same and go for televote. This time around only there's only televote.
Last year this would surely have dropped the horrid trio with the prince and Pupo out of top-3. This year this extreme saving operation wasn't needed and that's good I guess. Even if the effect of televote are evident: Albano most likely got most of his votes from the south and Van De Sfroos from the north. But I like them both :-)
00.07 We are having an endless promotion on stage now for the Italian editoon of Strickly come dancing that starts next Saturday on RaiUno...
00.14 And here we go again..... the top-3.... Roberto Vecchioni and his Chiamami ancora amore.
00.21 And then Modá and Emma with Arriverá... They were so sweet in pre-performance interview. Nervously happy and so sweet!It's official: they are now my favourites! :-) Kekko was so happy he couldn't wipe the smile off his face all thougout the song!
00.27 And last but not least, Albano and Amanda é libera. Albano's way from elimination to top-3 is very similar to Sal Da Vinci's a couple of years ago. Both are from the south....
00.40 The conductor os Sanremo orchestra who's name has escaped me all these nights is on stage playing apparently his own music on piano and whatever it is it's very beautiful and the stage is really wonderful with the LRD walls really creating a 3D effect... and stop to tlevote! And we have the last chance to enjoy some Luca and Paolo comic....
00.51 The show should be over by now but here we go for a commercial break. Let's see if they manage to wrap it up shortly.....
00.55 Here we are.....
01.00 3rd: Albano!
01.02 winner is: ROBERTO VECCHIONI! The evergreen 67-year-old! So Modá & Emma were 2nd.
Full results:
1. Roberto Vecchioni - Chiamami ancora amore 48%
2. Modá & Emma - Arriverá 40%
3. Albano - Amanda é libera 12%
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