Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Treat or trick, Globen?

Sanremo newcomers or Nuove proposte wilL have eight artists. Two of them will be chosen among these AreaSanremo ones , while the other six from these 61 hopefuls, picked among the 648 submissions plus the latest winner of Castrocaro festival for the new voices, Dalise , who recently also won the Festival della Canzone in New York. Another well known name among them is Albanian Ermal Meta , who has already participated among newccomers as the leader of band La Fame di Camilla and is now one of the most succesful songwriter for names like Annalisa and Chiara.  The we have from the other talent shows several names: from The Voice Dinastia, Timothy Cavicchini , Tommaso Pini , Francesco Guasti, Valentina Tioli and Gianmarco Dottori. From X Factor we have Violetta Zironi, Madh , Antonella Lo Coco , and Lavinia Desideri. There's even Piero Romitelli supporting his sister Valeria. Piero is the co-author of San Marino's Jesc song this year as well as that of Michele Perniola's....

The preorder will start on October 30 and the album will be in stores on December 4, 2015. It's the second part of Parole in circolo or 2Due/Di2Due, also titled Le cose che non ho or Things I don't have. Meanwhile he has announced he will be soon in Spain and in Latin America, that market being his next target. 

AreaSanremo has cut down to 40 the submissions from the original 284 and we say goodbye to many reality singers and The Peppermints' Sara Dall'Olio. Instead we get Davide Papasidero from X Factor UK and Italy and Castrocaro. Will he finally make it or will some wardrobe malfunction be in his way again? Those reality ones who made it to this stage are from The Voice Giacomo Voli , Giorgia Pino and Valentina Ranalli ,  and from X Factor Alessandro Mahmoud , Roberta Pompa and NaElia . The we have also Ruggero Ricci from Karaoke 2015. Here are the 40: Annalisa Andreoli, Maurizio Chi, Vala (Valentina Ciaffaglione),  Carole (Carolina Cirignaco), Giulia Coda, Marlò (Federica Di Marcello),  Ciri Ceccarini (Christian Di Pasquale),  Charlotte Ferradini (Marta Charlotte Ferradini),  Chiara Filomeni, Inigo (Inigo Giancaspro),  Loris Iannamico, Primiano Stesso (Lorenzo Lombardi), Ylenia Lucisano (Ylenia Carla Lucisano), Mahmood (Alessandro Mahamoud),  T...

2010 Best Italian act, Best European act 2013 Best Italian act, Best Southern European act 2015 Best Italian act,  The Worldwide act Europe

Whereas most artists and Eurovision winners prefer to show themselves as pretty and glittery as possible living in a fancy bubble Marija Serifovic does the complete opposite. I have no idea what she's singing about but I buy it all. She proves once again she's got one mighty voice and the song is full of Balcan melancholy. Love it! 

Last night. Enjoy! (Guerriero - Esseri umani (Spanish) - Pronto a correre - L'Essenziale -  Ti ho voluto bene veramente - I got the fear - Io ti aspetto)

Switzerland has one of the most insane selection formats there is. SRF has the open internet submission that closes tomorrow, and you can find pretty much everything in there. Old Swiss Eurovision participants like Barbara Berta or other veterans like Slovenian  Omar Naber , national Swiss finalists like Gisel de Marco or Swedish like Velvet , or names like Ylva & Linda , who are everywhere, have submitted a song. Along with some illusional people who actually seem to think they have a voice and can sing or write a song. 

Sanni is the youngest and with the shortest career in this season. Yet she has won Emma, the Finnish Grammy as the best female artist, and her 2080-luvulla has been voted the best song of 2015 already. She writes her own songs and plays violin and guitar. But surprisingly the oldest artists really convinced with her songs making them their own and showcasing their quality. Sanni's electronic sound and style was turned into something else with excellent results...... Somehow I almost like all the Sanni covers more than the originals.... what it tells about me. Or Sanni? Anssi Kela Vs. Sanni - 2080-luvulla Anssi brings this song to 1980's in the sound and in my opinion does his best cover so far. Excellent, I almost like this more than Sanni's original! Incredible but true. His falsettos and Sanni's tears mean a success. This could become the next iTunes chart topper. VilleGalle Vs. Sanni - Prinsessoja ja astronautteja Sanni's debut single. The one that m...

After releasing the second part of his album project that is. Another must! Meanwhile his latest single that shot dirextly to #1 in all download and streaming charts has made it straight to #1 also in the official Italian charts.... 28.04 Torino PalaAlpitour 30.04 Padova Kioene Arena 01.05 Bologna Unipol Arena 03.05 Firenze Mandela Forum 04.05 Genova 105 Stadium 06.05 Milano Mediolanum Forum 10.05 Perugia Palaevangelisti 12.05 Roma Palalottomatica 15.05 Acireale Palasport 17.05 Eboli PalaSele 19.05 Livorno Modigliani Forum 21.05 Verona Arena

Emma has released the single off her new album to be released a bit later following excellent Occhi profondi . Arriverá l'amore is an anthem for love that will come eventually and in the end, and she shounds more Gianna Nannini-esque than ever.... For the first time she has participated in the production big time as you can see in the video. Apparently it isn't that easy always :-)

Swiss paper 20 minuti has been running a competition this fall and four singers/groups were chosen to record a song together, one for each official language of course. So many things could go wrong with a project like this but the result is great! Anna Känzig for the German, Alejandro Reyes for the French, Make Plain fo the Italian and rapper Snook (Gino Clavuot) for the Romansh. So klingt die Schweiz! seems to have made all agree it isn't just a great song but also represents Switzerland in its variety the best possible way. All they need now to catch the moment and send this to the Swiss selection. It's already #1 in the Swiss iTunes....

The rumor gets stronger and stronger: Laura Pausini will be in Sanremo 2016? But hold your horses, she won't be in the competition but as a guest, and possibly the co-host? Last time Carlo Conti took two singers, Emma and Arisa next to him and this year he wants them both in the competition again. Time will tell if that will be the case. Both have already won it, too, and Emma has even done Eurovision while Arisa has declared several times she wants to do it. Would it be too soon for her to win again? But back to Laura. She's one of those stars born in Sanremo. She came, sung La solitudine back in 1993 and won the newcomers and charmed Italians and half of Europe alike. Next year she was back among the Big and placed third with Strani amori . Since then she has become a worldstar with over 70 million sold albums, been back to Sanremo twice as guest star (2001, 2006), she has dueted with countless local and international stars, been nominated and won Grammys and other awar...

The numbers are out for Sanremo 2016 newcomers section. For the Area Sanremo selection there were 248, and two of them will eventually get into Teatro Ariston and the festival. As for the open submission there were 648, and six of them will get to the festival. Out of these 648 there were 282 were men, 249 were female and 117 groups. Among them there are 13 submissions from abroad.... Now all we have to do is wait and see & hear who these eight are!

And the last group of artists following the semifinal one , two and three . I have picked up 32 big names in Finland, mainly from the pop genre. I have on purpose forgotten harder rock, punk and complete schlager singers. What do you think? Would this kind of approach give us any fruits, domestic hits and success in Eurovision like Melodifestivalen does in Sweden? Please comment in the box. Dreaming is free..... and We have a dream .

Ivana Spagna. She's ageless. She has so many careers it's hard to keep track. First steps with Mamy Blue in 1971 ( remix 2012 as Kika le Pen) and a band with her brother and then boyfriend touring Italy with minor success. In the mid 80's a change to disco and soon she was the Queen of Eurodisco all over Europe with Easy Lady , Call me , Every girl and boy , I wanna be your wife ..... albums made in the USA, being guest star in Sanremo.... In 1994 Elton John chose her over many (including Laura Pausini) to sing the Italian version of Circle of life from Lion King . The year after she debuts in Sanremo with Gente come noi , finishing third beating Andrea Bocelli with Con te partirò , 4th. She's back in 1996 with E io penso a te (4th) and an album that sells over 400.000 in Italy alone. She returns to Sanremo a few times (including epic  Con il tuo nome in 2000 that deserved so much more....), last time being 2008 with Loredana Berté in Musica e parole , that was ...

And we go on dreaming. After my totally impossible semifinal one and two here would be the dream team for semifinal three. If only..... Who knows? Maybe one day soon we will have a good old Euroviisut back? With big invited names next to open submission.....

God knows what France will pick up this time but I hope LikesBerry at least sends in a song that is as catchy and entertaining than Danser pour toi . Helène Lébet aka LikesBerry is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Aix-en-Provence who first appeared in productions by rapper Kass . This May she released her debut album. I'm curiously waiting for the next chapter.... 

Next winter-spring sees a joint tour by Alice and Franco Battiato with Ensemble Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are on pre-sale with Battiato's megabox and signed posters here . The pair has collaborated in many ways ever since Battiato produced and co-wrote Alice's 1980 Caponord album. They have recorded several duets and the most famous is of course I treni di Tozeur from Eurovision 1984. In this tour they will both give their own concerts but will also join each other on stage several times. Below are the dates confirmed so far.... This blogger may have to start planning another trip to Italy after all.... February 13, 2016 - Carpi February 15, 2016 - Trieste February 17, 2016 - Bergamo February 19, 2016 - Brescia February 21, 2016 - Lugano (CH) February 22, 2016 - Torino February 26, 2016 - Padova February 28, 2016 - Firenze February 29, 2016 - Firenze March 3, 2016 - Cesena March 4, 2016 - Ancona March 5, 2016 - Ancona March 8, 2016 - Milano ...

The very first Eurovision song contest in 1956 was hosted by Swiss Lohengrin Filipello. So far despite already 60 editions of the contest, the only male solo host! A lot of ladies have done it alone, but since then no solo male host have been seen. SVT is fond of breaking records and making new things - could this fact be the little something that gives Måns the job? Or rather, ccould it be even counted as these days even a solo presenters need sidekick(s) for the greenroom. Look at #milf Petra Mede......  Meanwhile late Filipello who died at 75 in 1993 didn't leave much trace after him. Incredible but true you can't find even his photo on internet! Except the on top where he's on right, next to winner Lys Assia. Or so I think. Anyone does better, let me know!

Follow up to this post . One can dream right? Here are the artists for the second semifinal, hand picked by yours truly.

Exactly 60 years ago today, on October 19, 1955 the Eurovision song contest was born in Rome, Italy. The idea was inspired the annual Sanremo festival in Italy and Marcel Bezençon is considered the father of the contest. In Rome's General Assambly of the EBU (born itself five years earlier) the idea was approved and Switzerland agreed to host the very first contest next May in Lugano. The first steps forward the born of the song contest were taken earlier in January in Monaco.  No one could have thought Grand prix Eurovision de la Chanson would be the world's biggest single entertainment show 60 years later gathering together more than 40 countries!  'to encourage the creation of original songs and to stimulate, by means of an international competition, a spirit of friendly rivalry between writers and composers' The contest has helped newly born nations find their identity and visibility and made the old ones question their strenghts and political status ov...

Marco Mengoni released his new single and video last Friday. Over the weekend it has went to number one in iTunes and in all the other digital stores, and the video has got over 1,2 million views on Vevo. Cosi sono partito per un lungo viaggio/So I have started a long journey  as he sings, and once again there's no dount it's yet another success!

Mietta. The one that was supposed to do Eurovision 1990 but then Toto Cutugno, already on RAI's payroll got a job in the very last minute. She was the hottest female singer in the early 1990's collecting awards and top placings in various festivals, released hit albums with songs by Amedeo Minghi and Mango among others before she started to experiment a bit with her music and success vanished. She's done eight Sanremos, winning the newcomers in 1989 and finishing in top-10 five times. She's become an actress and a writer, too, and a mother.  It's been four years since her latest album, she has tried to get back to Sanremo (or so it is rumored) almost every year. Hopefully Carlo Conti will take her this time and relaunch her career big time. And it'd be time she does that Eurovision, too. After all she's got one of the best voices and is one of the most beautiful women in Italy. The world deserves to see and hear more of her! Her latest releases are ...

Sweden's Melodifestivaen brings together every year the big names, well known names, a few new names and mixes a show that appeals to most Swedes - and not only. UMK in Finland has been changing from ... well, I don't know what it was ment to be really. In the current form no big names seem to be willing to be part of it, and if we think these years it has been running it has produced only one star: Krista Siegfrids, and Softengine to some level. Mikko Pohjola was ment to become big for example, but nothing happened. From last season's finalist NONE made any impact in the charts or music industry and all are already forgotten. Sad but true.  So, let's play with the idea UMK was actually remodelled with MF style. Big names, four semifinals and all. This is my outtake or who I would have invited for the first new styled UMK that I would also rename as Euroviisut . Simple as that! One can dream, right? Check out after the jump my choices for the first semifinal. An...

Anssi is a very talented songwriter, and this episode turned out to be one of the most interesting ones when his songs with minor changes turned out something different and in most cases something very good. In his own words: These kids come and show how it's done. Damn! He also confessed enjoying being the Artisti Anssi Kela these days more than ever. He came down hard from his debut albums 160.000 sales (13th most sold album ever in Finland) but is back in business today enjoying his fame and success.  Pave Maijanen Vs. Anssi Kela - Milla Pave turned this originally for a movie written song into a rockabilly swing affair. Nice and fun, but that's all I guess. The original is great. Antti Tuisku Vs. Anssi Kela - Kaksi sisarta Antti gave this a makeover modernizing the sound and bringing out the melody. The result is rather etheric and epic. Antti lost himself in the interpretation but in a good way. He has really proven he can transmit emotions and bring out ne...

Nisa Soraya, who came from Singapore via UK to Finland in the early 1980's and made a career here, sort of, and even participated in Euroviisut and scored a few minor hits (funnily her best known songs are known thanks to Kikka who covered them later and made them evergreens). Since then she has been around busy doing nothing apparently and some call her the Queen of camp disco . Now she has sent a song to UMK 2016 it seems. Beware! Below is a s list of other names that have apparently sent in a song when gathering hints or news from various social media platforms and internet. Maybe someone of them will make the cut. Or then not...  Adam & Eve Cyan Kicks Emma Juko Heli Kaltiokumpu Lily-eM Pekka Saukkonen Nisa Soraya TaruLa Wake the Nations Zanna Update: More possible names: Kana & Tea Hiilloste Saara Aalto

Finally it's here, the start of chapter two of his album project. First single is out now, shot in Iceland and the song is a perfect continuation to the previous ones. Can't wait for the album! He's also just been voted the Best Italian Act in the MTV Europe awards, for the third time!

Albania has made public the 30 names that will be participating in the 54th Festivali i Këngës in December and the winner gets the ticket to Stokholm 2016 Euroviion song contest as well. Time will tell if they keep the winning song (after revamp and change of language most likely) or find another more suitable one, like happened this year by accident when the original winner withdraw his song from the Eurovision and Elhaida Dani had to find a new song asap. It all turned out better though my all means when sailed to the final and finished 17th.  Two previous winners are trying their luck again, Luiz Eljji (2006) and Adrian Lulgjuraj (2013) with a string of previous national finalist from Revolt Klan to Lindi Islami, Teuta Kurti and Kladji Musabelliu among others. Also several names from various reality talent shows are taking part, like Dilan Reka, Florent Abrashi and Sigi Bastri. I'm especially happy for Revolt Klan's return, I have taken some weird liking to them..... :-...

Another milestone. Thank you all who follow me and keep coming back!  3 million next....

Israel sailed to the Eurovision song cotest final this May with Nadav Guedj's Golden boy for the first time for ages. Now the song gets a Greek treatment by Eleni Foureira. Is it an improvement or a miss?

After Mr Lordi advertising Lidl another Finnish Eurovision star is getting linked with shops. Namely Krista Siegfrids, but for a good cause. She has designed with Mert Otsamo - the best Finnish designer if you ask this blogger btw - a shopping back for Pirkka series sold in K-Markets etc. All the profits go to a charity cause, Nenäpäivä aka Red Nose campaign. I already did go shopping with Krista..... Above Mert Otsamo is showing the bag and Krista is wearing a dress made of the bag, designed by Mert for her, in the launch yesterday.

Mr Lordi's adventures as the poster boy for Lidl continue.  After the tv-ad , now he's all over the streets with this poster..... 

Niila Arajuuri (28) is yet another footballer turned into musician. He's produced by Jukka Immonen (heavily linked with UMK) for Universal and toured Germany with Sunrise Avenue, and indeed his debut EP may have gotten more exposure in Germany than in Finland. Doesn't it all sound like a perfect match for UMK 2016? Even more so as he is prepairing his debut album for early 2016 release..... Sounds like perfect timing. Below is his single Sorry (and here's the acoustic and the DeepHouse Hippie Bootleg mix )

Franco Battiato is releasing new compilation on November 6, 2015. It comes in two versions. Le nostre anime (Our souls) includes new versions, new mixes and remastered tracks from his five decades as an artist. Two new songs, including the latest single La natura delle cose and a new version of his classic Centro di gravità permanente , now in duet with Mika with especially written English lyrics. This will be also included in Mika's new album No place in heaven (released November 13, 2015). All this in the 3-CD, including a remastered version of I treni di Tozeur , a new edit of Chan-son Egocentrique in duet with Alice, and a new mix of No time, no space , apparently his first choice for Eurovision song contest 1984. The compilation comes also as a box with 6 CDs + 4 DVDs, as said his career spans over five decades, includes everything from pop to opera to experimental and classical music, film music, documentaries, paintings and everything in between. This box has it ...

Armenian tv has revealed tonight the name of their artist for the 2016 Eurovision song contest in Stockholm. It's 29-year-old Iveta Mukuchyan. Born in Yerevan she moved with her family to Germany when she was 6. At 23 she moved back to Armenia and continued her music studies. She has taken part in the Armenian Pop Idol finishing 5th in 2010 and she also did The Voice of Germany . In 2012 she was voted the Sexiest Armenian.  Armenian tv has made a call for songwriters all over the world to submit a song for her by November 13, 2015.  Let's see which direction the final choice will go, Freak or her latest release that you can hear below.... Whatever it is it will be an improvement from last year's fiasco.....

Tim Schou has a pretty good solo career going since he left his friends in London. He's travelling the world and relesing songs and videos. The latest one is a great track and comes with a steamy video that kinda takes away from the song really. But who's complaining. If you got it, flaunt it. Enjoy the video below. This post coming after the other Dane, Rasmus Seebach as wishlist for Eurovision. To think about it, Tim would do nicely, too. Maybe he should give it another go?

Denmark has a lot to live up in the Eurovision song contest 2016: last two times the contest has been in Sweden Denmark has won. Everyone seems to expect them to do the triple, and that after the failure in the 2015 contest. For the occasion they have revamped their national final and one can only hope big names will be there. Like Rasmus Seebach, who is a superstar on his own right besides being a son of multiple Eurovision veteran, late Tommy Seebach. Rasmus has released three studio albums and one live since 2009, all of them have went to #1 in the Danish charts and sold incredibly 36 times platinum and he has even a gold record from Sweden, and some notoriety in Germany where he scored hts with English version of his songs Angel and Calling . In Denmark he has four #1 singles so far. He has also dueted with Lionel Ritchie . He's coming out with a new album in November, hopefully he left some goodie for DMGP...... Below is Uanset , he's latest single and first offering...

Marco Mengoni will release his new single, the first of his new album 2DUE/DI2DUE to be released in December, next Friday October 16, 2015. Ti ho voluto bene veramente was chosen as the first single and the video has been shot in Iceland, a very fashionable location also for many Finnish artists btw. He gave us a hint of the song and video in tonight's Raiuno's main tv-news with an interview and it sounds good. Very good..... Can't wait to hear it in full and the whole album.  See the video and interview here

The Italians of America, Anthony Benedetto and Stefani Germanotta or better known as Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga has found new little friendS from native Italia, who are making it big in America. Already now their album has made it to Top-200 in reguar charts, but in the Classic albums it makes something weirdly wonderful: all three editions enter the Top-20: International version #1 Spanish version #6 Italian version #14 Just wait and see when they start touring America how things develop.....