Italy returns to Eurovision after 14 years in 2011 when Raphael Gualazzi belts out his Madness of love as one of the Big5 in the final on May 14, 2011. Italy was one of the founding countries of Eurovision in 1956 and has delivered some of the most succesful evergreens over the years but in the 1980's and 1990's RAI seemed to have lost its interest until they finally dropped out after 1993 edition, only to return in 1997 and then be gone for good as it seemed. Until 2011.
Emanuele Lombardini, 36, a professional journalist on both printed media and radio, and webmaster of the main Italian Eurovision sites Eurofestival News and Eurovision Italia as well as Dove c'è musica that deals music in general has collected the Italian Eurovision history in a book 12 points. It does not only go through year by year the entries but also the long period when Italy was absent, when and how RAI was giving misinformation and misguiding the Italian audience labelling Eurovision trash with low viewing figures and therefor "they miss nothing". Even making artists themselves believe Eurovision is useless vehicle of promotion when it can be a real breakthrough for a young artist. And how still in 2011 the Eurovision 2011 CD has not been released in shops in Italy unlike in all other participating countries. Not even when Italy is making it's very visible comeback when EMI Music seems uninterested in this huge promotion and distributes the CD as "out of print" on-line and makes it impossible to buy the CD in ITaly.
He also describes in his book how the contest has changed over the years but also interviews those who have experienced the golden era of Italy and Eurovision, those who have participated under a foreign flag since Italy stopped participating, those who have kept Eurovision alive in Italy when no one remembered it anymore but fans. He points out the difference of the contest as it is today and the image a common Italian TV-viewer has it in his mind, stuck in some 20 years ago.
Besides that the book has obviously all lists and information on all Italian (and Sammarinese) entries, songwriters and artists as well as any Italian who has participated under some other flag over the years.
No one has told the Italian Eurovision history like this until now. The real history, not the one proposed by RAI as even now that Italy is back some are still saying it was better to stay out....
You can find out how to order the book from here as soon as it is cleared, or in the websites listed above.
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