LIVE: SANREMO 2013 - SECONDA SERATA

After a very good start what comes to viewing figures, Fabio & Luciana are ready to guide us through another night, that was all of sudden shortened with the absense of Ricchi e Poveri. The remaining seven Big category artists will present their songs and get one to take to the final, and four of the eight newcomers will also perform. Only two of them will go on to Friday's final. There is again a 50-50 televote-press center vote. And two of the most propable Eurovision artist will perform tonight: malika and Annalisa.

20.47 here we go. We are back in Teatro Ariston.... the night is opened by Bebbe Fiorello who plays Domenico Modugno in a new film of his life. He tells the story how Volare was born.... the most sold Eurovision song in the history and Sanremo winner. And he is wearing the very jacket Modugno was wearing in 1958!

And then follows a medley of Mimmo's (like Modurgno is known in Italy) best known songs. Mimmo is a legend and very much loved in Italy still. And it's nice to see Fiorello Jr making it big, when I left Italy he was still very much in the shadow of his brother.

21.01 enter Luciana! Or then not! Ops, it's a tall and blond girl, Bar Rafaeli, an Israeli model. Then Luciana enters for real and is angry, very angry! :-) And Luciana is in top form also tonight, things she says.... lolololol. I just adore her! And now Fabio and Luciana talk about last night's excellent viewing figures and thank everyone! Without further delay here comes the first act...
21.08 Modà will open tonight and this blogger thinks they would be very Eurovisionary in general. And they have already enjoyed success in Sanremo and have a wild support on social medias.

Se si potesse non morire is their first song. It's a piano ballad that slowly grows and grows. Very Italian. Very Modà. But maybe not very instant and strong, is it?

Come l'acqua dentro il mare is another ballad, more acoustic guitar driven this one. Less dramatic an aggressive. Hmm, maybe I preferred this watery one? Let's see what the jury-televoters decide... 61% for Se si potesse non morire. I start well tonight, lol.

21.27 out with the next one, Simone Cristicchi. He won already once. Now he sings Mi manchi. It sounds like a children's song, but very sweet somehow. Very oldfashioned, like a movie tune in fact. A bit French. This will go down very well of flop totally, me thinks. In some weird way I like it a lot! His longing is visible... (Mi manchi = I miss you, Ed.note)

La prima volta (che sono morto) follows. This time it translates to The first time I died. The French sounds continues but the song is a lot happier. Even if the lyrics tell all the thing that happened after he dies, calling the ambulance, changing his pyjama to a wedding suit etc. Quite funny. And poor guy didn't even notice he died. Now I don't even try to guess which one continues to Saturday! Indeed, he would like Mi manchi to go and and have it sung by children! Yuhuu, for once I get something right! ;-p Now let's see what has been decided.... 56% for La prima volta! Simone didn't look very happy....
I see a trend here: First Modà with If one could not die and then Simone with The first time I died.  What next? Pubblicità!

21.42 next we have a noble woman from Turin, Carla Bruni. She used to be an Italian top model, now also a singer (four albums so far) but most people know her for other things, of course.... Her debut album was pretty cool, I must say. I haven't followed her much after but... she's very French at least! Then we have a little interview by Fabio and she tells what she's been up the recent years... then enters Luciana, another girl from Turin and Fabio wonders how they can be so different if they come from the same city, have eaten the same food, have breathed the same air.... lol.

And then Luciana "sings" a cover of Carla's song - obviously with new lyrics while Carla plays guitar and laughs her head off... Carla Brunbrun indeed...

21.55 Time for Malika! A possible Malmö 2013 goer! First Niente. The stage continues to be blue but again fantastic lightning effects. A very acoustic simple song. Almost a waltz. Certainly not for Eurovision, I'm afraid. Malika is better than the song.

E se poi continues. Very light rhythm, very summery. And finally some color on stage! I like this one much more, and maybe this could work in Malmö 2013. Who knows? This said this song has almost a Finnish feel to it, could be easily also a song from some our female artists here! A touch of Slavic melancholy I guess. Another reason it might work in Eurovision... With 54%  E se poi. She's happy! Me, too.

By the way did you see her tattoo?
22.15 Bar is back on stage and banging the drums in a song called Bar..... This is Sanremo indeed. The useless one.... Good heavens it last 3 seconds...

22.16 time for Almamegretta! Mamma non lo sa makes mother return to Sanremo. It's a groovuý reggae song with Raiz's husky voice. Me likes. But then I have always had a soft spot for Raiz and his emigrating souls, Almemegretta. This is also Napoletan music, like  Maria Nazionale last night. Naples rulez!

Onda che vai next. Very Napoletan, melodic. This blogger is in love. A bit like their big hit Nun te scurdá. I want Almamegretta for Eurovision! Raiz says he likes both of them and can't decided. Swedish Filippa Lagerfeld will announce the song, is this A SIGN??  It's 52% for Mamma non lo sa.

22.34 the contest continues with Max Gazzè. I tuoi maleditissimi impegni is the first song and the stage returns blue. The song sounds very much like the songs I know from him = not very original then. The arrangement is quite nice and the lyrics do have some sense but... this could have been his entry back in the 1990's.

Sotto casa follow and the stage gets color. More original but not so original either, a little march, a little cabaret. A bit circus. Lololololololoo with the choir in the end .... sigh.... but huge applause from the Teatro. Clearly the audience's favorite so fr from all songs presented. And indeed 77% for Sotto casa! He will end up winning the festival....

22.48 it's time for Annalisa, another of the three most talked for Eurovision. Scintille is her first song. And it's a retro-schlager that seems to dominate this festival.  And she forgot her skirt and is wearing her underpants only... Oh dear... Not impressed.

Non so ballare next. Much better. A classic Italian ballad with some drama through in. Easy listening. This sounds most Eurovision so far but do we want to send something very Eurovisionary to Malmö 2013? The audience is clearly warming up as she also gets a big one. And it's 55% for Scintille.... Booooo! The feeling that wrong songs go to final is still strong in this blogger's house!

23.00 Bar presents Asaf Avidan, another Israeli. Very strange voice and very beautiful song! And he gets the first standing ovation this year! And he has to sing a part of the song again..... :-)

23.15 Time for the last Big, Elio e le storie tese. They were in Sanremo 17 years ago and came 2nd. Be afraid, very afraid. Dannati forever.  They are supposed to be funny but I only find them annoying. No further comment.

La canzone mononota. Or One note song. I don't think Sanremo is the right stage to do musical experimentations like this. This isn't even a song. It's nonsense. Waste of time. Sorry. Does someone really find this funny? Or genial? Yikes. (And why do they all have such a huge head?) 81% for La canzone mononota.... Oh dear Lord!Another candidate for victory I'm afraid. Aren't we happy the winner of Sanremo doesn't go automatically to Eurovision?!
23.32 Here comes the recap of the seven songs that qualified. I did 1-6 tonight. Only Malika got the song I wanted. Well, with Almamegretta I was happy with either so let's say 1,5-5,5. I'm totally out of tune with these jury-televotes this year... Sigh.
23.40 Fazio reminds us about Ricchi e Poveri and the reason they are not here tonight. :-(
23.45 Finally the time for the Newcomers. Two will go to the final out of these four. Unlike the Big their songs and videos have been online already for a long time so the televote is opened already now.

Renzo Rubino starts with Il postino (amami uomo), or the song about manly love with manly hands. And it's a good one. Melodic and a hint of opera.  But I think this one has zero chances to go through because of the lyrics.... Shame.

Then we have Il Cile with Le parole non servono piú. He has already some fame and fortune so might be a little of a favorite here.The song is quite nice, very typical Italian pop-rock song that fits nicely into radio.

Third Irene Ghiotto with Baciami? It's midnight. Luckilu there are no under aged artists this year as they couldn't perform after midnight. It has happened before.... Irene wears a dress my granny had in summer to milk the cows but the song is a simil-modern one. (How I miss Mietta and her Baciami adesso is all I can think this hour....)

Last but not least Blastema and Dietro l'intima ragione. A typical Italian rock band I'd say. Wild guess: this and Il Cile to the final....
Luciana seems to be very tired tonight and can't wait the show to be over :-) No wonder...

And surprise: Renzo to the final! And less surprisingly Blastema. During the advertising break Fazio and orchestra figure out how to end the night and cover up the gap left by Ricchi e Poveri. But for me it's good night, buona notte! Tomorrow another night..... please join me again!