Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Amadeus was ment to reveal the names for Sanremo 2020 only on January 6, 2020 but surprise: Here they are. It seems he dcided the rumors are so right there's no use of holding on and gave the list to La Repubblica newspaper today, December 31, 2019 and as he defines his Sanremo 70 as "freestyle", with many guest hosts and no strickt script this reflects also the list of artists featuring many rappers.... Among the names also two Eurovision veterans: Francesco Gabbani and Raphael Gualazzi. Plus Marco Masini, one of the backing singers in 1987. That's an interesting mix of oldtimers like Zarrillo, Masini and Grandi with new names like Lauro, Junier Cally and Anastasio, with some opera pop in Urso, glamour reggaeton in Elettra, teenage heart throb Riki, questionable drama in sight with Morgan, Gabbani and Gualazzi in search of a relaunch  and today's hot pop nameslike Elodie, rocker Pelù making his Sanremo debut and a total surprise of Jannacci..... As for E...

Another year, another decade has passed by and sadly we have lost some of Eurovision stars along the way again. Their names will live forever in the Eurovision history books. Giampiero Artegiani passed away at the age of 63 in February. He wrote the lyrics for the Italian home entry in 1991 among others. This blogger fondly remembers his solo work Le rondini sfiorano il grano . Portugal lost its 1991 Eurovision star Dina aged 62 in April. Her Amor d'agua fresc a is this bloggers all time favorites. Sweden's Inger Bergren sung about Sol och vår in 1962 and reached the eternal springtime in July at the age of 85. In August we lost Georgia's 2014 entrant when The Shin 's Mamuka Ghaganidze passed away. Sandie Jones , the only Irish entrant to ever sing in Irish , back in 1972, left us in September at the age of 68. Czech legend and Austrian 1968 entrant Karel Gott passed away in October at the age of 80. His death was some sort of a shock as...

End of a year, end of a decade. As everyone's doing them I am doing one. The best of the decade in the Eurovision song contest. Or rather a mix of songs I have listened the most, songs that have made me buy the artist's album(s) and kept me following their career, or just made an everlasting impact when the song was released. Or simply because I feel the song should be up here and remembered. At least these songs I still can remember by heart if not anything else! Or maybe they simply have some personal meaning to me? Without further explanations here they are, in more or less random order: Francesco Gabbani - Occidentali's karma - Italy 2017 - 6th Il Volo - Grande amore - Italy 2015 - 3rd Kaliopi - Crno i belo - North Macedonia - 13th Amir - J'ai cherche - France 2016 - 6th Zoë - Loin d'ici - Austria 2016 - 13th Kati Wolf - What about my dreams - Hungary 2011 - 22nd Mahmood - Soldi - Italy 2019 - 2nd Valentina Monetta - Maybe - Sa...

Malta is using again X Factor to choose their entrant for the Eurovision song contest 2020 in Rotterdam and the competition has reached the six chairs phase to pick up the ones to reach the judges' houses. Here are the ones: Girls (Ira Losco) Destiny Chukunyere   FINALIST -> WINNER Gail Attard Jasmine Abela   FINALIST -> 10th Justine Shorfid   FINALIST -> 2ND Karin Duff Marija Bellia Groups (Howard keith Debono) Bloodline   FINALIST 5th Chord Reign Sweet Chaos Jazmin and James   FINALIST  6th No Name girl group  aka FAITH FINALIST -> 3RD Boys (Ray Mercieca) Dav Jr   FINALIST -> 9th Giovanni Jurgen Volkov Karl Schembri   FINALIST -> 8th Kyle Cutajar   FINALIST  -> 4TH Matt Blxck Overs (Alexandra Alden) Celine Agius   FINALIST -> 7th Chantal Catania Edward Abdilla   FINALIST -> 12th Jozi Kersten Graham Paul Anthony  ...

Meiju Suvas (60) has come out as one of those sacked from UMK2020. "I don't get it. It's insanely good song! I started to cry when I heard it, it's that good! I feel sorry for Finland!" she tells to media describing how her submission came back like a boomerang. She has recently started collaborating with Pauli Rantasalmi of The Rasmus so propably this song in English is of their collaborations.  YLE has earlier commented 99% of submission were sacked as only six songs will feature in the final in March 2020.  This isn't Meiju's first attempt to get to Eurovision. In 1983 YLE invited her to the contest and she performed two songs: Laulujen laulu and Rakastunut nainen . In 1989 she participated again with Rauhaton sydän she co-wrote herself. In 1981 she debuted as backing singer to Frederik's Titanic , an Euroviisut classic.  She has released 13 studio albums between 1982 and 2012, and thereafter several collaborations like Seksikkäin jäbä , ...

Leevi and the Leavings is one of the legendary Finnish award winning bands that released 16 albums and countless hits that live on as karaoke favorites. But it's also very famous for not ever performing live . Except one time: the Finnish national selection Euroviisut 1981 for the Eurovision song contest with their song Sinisilmä mansikkasuu that they never recorded. They didn't reach the final. The video fo the performance was lost even from YLE's archives and it was thought it didn't exist anywhere, but original band member Risto Paananen found it at home on VHS tape this year. Watch it here . In their succesful career they did release various music videos though.  The band ended with the death of its leader, singer and songwriter Gösta Sundqvist in 2003 at the age of 46. 

Croatian television has made public the acts that made it to the Dora 2020 final. As usual they have also published the replacement acts should something unexpected come up, and one of them already was used when Eurovision veteran Goran Karan withdraw and was replaced by Elis Lovrić. Aklea Neon – Zovi ju mama Alen Vitasović & Božidarka Matija Čerina – Da se ne zatare Bojan Jambrošić – Više od riječi Colonia – Zidina Damir Kedžo – Divlji vjetre Đana – One Edi Abazi – Coming Home Goran Karan – My Legacy Is Love withdrawn Indira Levak – You Will Never Break My Heart Jure Brkljača – Hajde nazovi me! Lorena Bućan – Drowning Lorenzo, Dino Purić & Reper iz sobe – Vrati se iz Irske Marin Jurić Čivro – Naivno Mia Negovetić – When It Comes to You Nikola Marjanović – Let's Forgive Zdenka Kovačiček – Love, Love, Love Elis Lovrić – Jušto Remaining reserves: Marcela Orosi – Let me Break Your Heart Dino Petrić – Što si meni ti Singrlice ...

The Albanian Festivali i Këngës 58 was held just before Christmas and there was drama, as usual. This time the jury included three international jurors who agreed with all the possible fan polls and gave full marks (18) to Elvana Gjata's Me tana , but the Albanian jurors voted her down (2 + 8) and in the end the winner was Arilena Ara's Shaj 67-64. There's talk of the song being performed in English in Rotterdam 2020 Eurovision.  Arilena (21) is an Albanian X Factor winner season 2012-13. She has released singles ever since gaining a sizable fanbase and number of followers on social medias. In 2016 her  Nëntori became a hit outside Albania, espacially in Romania and Russia. Recently she has been also a The Voice Kids Albania judge.  1. Arilena Ara - Shaj 67 2. Elvana Gjata - Me tana 64 3. Sara Bajraktari - Ajër 50 4. Bojken Lako - Malaseen 45 5. Era Rusi - Eja merre 43 6. Kamela Islamaj - Më ngjyros 35 7. Albërie Hadërgjonaj - Ku ta gjej dikë ta...

  Albania's Festivali i Këngës 58 comes to an end tonight after two semi-finals earlier this week. Sadly also Albania adopts to the international judges to choose the winner instead of trusting their own people and this way standardizing the Eurovision song contest to fit the formula continues as Rita Petro, Mikaela Minga, Christer Björkman, Dimitris Kontopoulos and Felix Bergsson are the judges.... Why, Albania why? Elvana Gjata is the runaway fan favorite topping all polls with Arilena Ara and Era Rusi being also mentioned. Let's see how this ends.... Albërie Hadërgjonaj – Ku ta gjej dikë ta dua Arilena Ara – Shaj Bojken Lako – Malaseen Elvana Gjata – Me tana Era Rusi – Eja merre Gena – Shqiponja e lirë Kamela Islamaj – Më ngjyros Olta Boka – Botë për dy Sara Bajraktari – Ajër Robert Berisha – Ajo nuk është unë Tiri Gjoci – Me gotën bosh Valon Shehu – Kutia e Pandorës

Slovenia's EMA 2020 has revealed today the ten finalist for the national selection for Eurovision song contest 2020 in Rotterdam. Among them Eurovision veteran Tinkara (2014) and Junior Eurovision veteran Lina (2015). These ten will be added by two of the EMA Fres selection ( read more here ) Ana Soklič – Voda Božidar Wolfand Wolf – Maybe Someday Gaja Prestor – Verjamem vase Imset – Femme Fatale Inmate – The Salt Klara Jazbec – Stop the World Lina Kuduzović – Man Like U Manca Berlec – Večnost Simon Vadnjal – Nisi sam Tinkara Kovač – Forever

After lenghty separate selections and additions here we have them finally: the eight Sanremo Giovani aka Newcomers 2020 finalists. If recent years have given us names like Francesco Gabbani, Mahmood, Ermal Meta  just to name a few, this year in my opinion isn't that promising. Rather uninteresting and poor to be very honest. Shame. Check out their songs below:

 

The Eurovision winners and favorites will have the biggest gathering together since Norway's Momarkedet's legendary 25th anniversary event back in 1981 that cemented this blogger's fandom giving me the fist glimps of those old glories and I was hooked. In the era of no internet or Youtube or whatsoever it was the only way to see the past ones and it had an immense impact. On me at least. It made me. These days things are different with footage available for everyone everywhere anytime. The biggest impact this time seems to be the bruning question is Dima Bilan a diva or not, pulling out a few days before over a font size problem in a poster. I must say I agree with him. Why is Gali Atari, just an example in a big font and Dima is not? Or the obvious, why is Sergey in a big font and Dima is not? Or rather: Why aren't they all in same font and in alphabetical order so no one has issues with anything? Just wondering..... Dima, I feel you.  I have listed the winner in...

  Once again the rumors were true: Austria has confirmed today Vincent Bueno as their represent in the Eurovision song contest 2020 in Rotterdam with Alive , the song that will be only revealed in March 2020. Vincent is no stranger to Eurovision having already tried the national final back in 2016 and has been lately collaborating with Nathan Trent here and there, even in Eurovision events . His breakthrough came with Musikal, Die Show! win in 2008 that lead him to various musicals. He has also a career going in Philippines it seems. He sings in English, German and in Tagalong .  Vincent (34) is of Philippine origin, married with two daughters . The number could be three but his second one sadly only lived 97 minutes. 

After all auditions and live eliminations on television here they are: the ten Sanremo Giovani finalists for the December 19, 2019 final on RaiUno. Five of them will get to 70th Sanremo festival in February, joined by two AreaSanremo winners and the winner of SanremoYoung selection, making the final eight. Fasma - Per sentirmi vivo   FINALIST Avincola - Un rider Thomas - NE 80 Eugenio in Via Gioia - Tsunami   FINALIST Fadi - Due noi   FINALIST Jefeo - Un due tre stella Rèclame - Il viaggio di ritorno Leo Gassmann - Vai bene cosi   FINALIST Shari - Stella Marco Sentieri - Billy Blue   FINALIST I can't say I agree a lot with the outcome so far. Simple don't get those autotuned semi-rappers..... They kicked out for example these:

  One month to go before Amadeus will announce one by one the chosen artists for the 70th Sanremo festival to be held in February 2020. The number of the artists rumored to have been selected, or having submitted a song, or wanting to be there or just wistful thinking by anyone i turn gets longer day by day. Here's the round up the latest rumors (the previous ones are here and here ): Francesco Gabbani could be returning. He has released two singles off his album in the making and could aim for a Sanremo launch. Al Bano desperately wants to be there, with or without Romina Power who apparently doesn't want to live it all again at all. Also Massimo Ranieri has been thrown into the gossiping again. More Eurovision veterans could come in form of Umberto Tozzi & Raf who have been touring and working together again with success. Marco Masini could be there to celebrate the 30th anniversary of him winning the Newcomers and rocker Piero Pelú could make his debut, a...

  Mahmood fits in niccely with the Milan super chic people in this yet another very catchy and anjoyable Karate in collaboration with Gemitaiz & Madman. Enjoy!

I haven't been following so closely the host lottery and gossiping but I supposed Edsilia came from nowhere? And as I am convicted Edsilia fan ever since 1998 and totally in love since Helsinki 2007 I couldn't be happier! She so much fun, pretty, great singer and apparently also a good at hosting considering the jobs she's done so far including Eurovision in concert. I will forever remember her after failing to reach the final in Helsinki 2007 comforting the sad and teary eyed fans post-show in the press center telling it's ok, don't be sad, she's fine..... What a lady! Next to her there will be also Chantal Janzen, actress and musical star and hostess of Hollan's Got Talent and The Voice of Holland. The male star of the trio is Jan Smit, ex-child star and singer, plus the Dutch commentator in Eurovision for the past nine years and otherwise heavily involved in all things Dutch Eurovision. 

Surprise! It's by Florian Wieder! One starts to wonder if there's no one else really in Europe (or in the world for that matter) who can design stages. This is his seventh Eurovision stage since 2011 (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) so only Swedes and Danish have preferred local talent for their stages lately. He has also designed the stages of America's Got Talent since 2011, Britain's Got Talent since 2007, The X Factors both US and UK and many, many more.  Florian Wieder says: ““The design shows the connection between the sky, the sea and the land. The horizon links these elements and that horizon will work as a window to open up the world of Eurovision 2020. The floor plan of the stage is inspired by the canals and bridges that connect land and water in the Netherlands. With this design, we want to bring the artists as close as possible to the audience.I was inspired by the unique characteristics of Dutch Design. Based on that, I wanted to create an...