Tonight's the second night of the 70th Sanremo festival. Amadeus with Tiziano Ferro and Fiorello are hosting with tonight's ladies: singer and actress Sabrina Salerno (of Boys boys boys fame back in the day internationally), Emma D'Aquino, a television presenter and journalist and Laura Chimenti, journalist and speaker of Rai1 main tv-news.
The show continues after record breaking - best ratings since 2005 - 52,2% share or 10.058.000 viewers in average last night that seems to have surprised most everyone.....
As Fiorello promised if the show is a success he will dress up as
Maria De Filippi tonight, so.. here he is..... as the opening act. And of course the real Maria was on phone. So stupid that it was funny.
The remaining 12 Big will perform and be judged by the Demoscopic jury and a ranking will be revealed in the end of the night. Apparently also a one including all 24 from yesterday and tonight.
The remaining four Newcomers will perform in duels and the two winners will make it to Friday's final again. Judged by the Demoscopic jury.
Tonight's guests include Massimo Ranieri, Gigi D'Alessio and Zucchero but all eyes are on Ricchi e Poveri, a legendary singing group reuniting as foursome for the first time since 1981. They are also the reason this blogger started following Italian music, studied the language and pretty much everyhting in my Italian way of life today. Never thought this day would come! They are of course also Eurovision royalty with Questo amore back in 1978.
The top placed Newcomers will again go on a world tour like last year, told Amadeus. Cool.
I kinda liked that. Rather convincing performance, Lula in drums and then rapping. Not sure if this will end up in my playlist but it worked live here.
**
Fasma is next in his curious bicolor jacket. I really liked the opening guitar sound but then he enters with the autotune and rather messy sound and simil rapping. I think the song, its melody is good but the arrangement and his vocal performance ruin it. Could someone do a proper cover, please?
**
Here I have no idea nor much interest who goes to the final. Slight prreference for the girls as they are so few.... And the qualifier is..... with 51%.... Fasma. Ok.
Song written by late Giampiero Artegiani, Eurovision veteran. Marco looks like a punk rocker but the song is something hard to describe. Mostly spoken. Not really my cup of tea. **
Very traditional verses with paino and half spoken lyrics as he tells his story. Somewhat likable, abit theatrical in chorus but considering what else there is in offer....(the weakest Newcomers songs in years, imagine one year we had Gabbani, Meta and Mahmood all in one!)
***
And the winner is.... with 52%... is.... Marco Sentieri. Sigh...
Fiorello on stage next with his show with everything from Saturday Night Fever to ballet "Non sono un etoile, je suis un etoilette".... and then singing
La classica canzone di Sanremo with lyrics that take bits from the festival history here and there. Fiorello did take part in Sanremo 1995 as singer and finished 5th. And after well over an hour we are about to hear the first Big song. Maybe.
Tonight's Big are:
Ex-leader of band Litfiba, one of the biggest bands in the 1980's-1990's and soloist since 1999, but making his Sanremo debut. He performs with the security and energy of 40 years on stage his uptempo poprock song, on and off stage. Very instant and catchy. Never been a fan of his but this was rather uplifting.
***
The surname is a real one and indeed she's part of the famous car manufacturer family. The twerking queen has been through most every reality show from Supershore to Big Brothers in various countries to Ex On the beach before turning pop reaggaeton singer. Like Junior Cally she caused quite a stir when she was announced as one of the artists as the common belief is she can't sing live.... And she makes her Sanremo debut dressed up as a poodle. Latin rhythms and guitars, nonsense lyrics and weak vocals indeed. But it's fun and summer hit in the making and twerking mostly missed by the cameramen.
***
And after that we can lose some time with Novak Dokovic and bla bla about tennis and Fiorello even made him sing Eros Ramazzotti's
Terra promessa.... Why, oh why?
His third Sanremo after having done Amici and X Factor without major success. Has written songs to others, like Laura Pausini and Eros Ramazzotti. Now that was boring. Or am I just numb after all that non-musical things happening tonight.... Am I asleep?
*
Enter Sabrina Boys boys boys Salerno.... and her shoe gets stuck in the stairs, lol, plus she's got a cramp in her leg. This said, she's like fresh air. Sabrina forever!
She makes it to Sanremo finally after collecting awards and good critic to her music for years. She's also been X Factor coach. She has also written songs to likes of Tiziano Ferro, Gianni Morandi and Irene Grandi and has written to novels. She was married to Simone Gogo of The Bloody Beetroots fame that were runner ups with Raphael Gualazzi in Sanremo 2014. And on top of that she was dating Diodato after that.... A lot of this year's Sanremo in one package! She enters in pink bikini like top looking quite stunning. Modern sound, catchy and instant with a lot of possible sing-a-long bits. Best so far tonight perhaps.
****
Indie band since 2010, making their debut to household spotlight. Noisy, and semifunny. Not really for me. The orchestration with horns is great, though.
**
Enter Tiziano Ferro. I used to be a huge fan back in the day but I am kinda grown out of him. I don't know why. Tonight he sings with Euroviison veteran Massimo Ranieri his 1988 winning entry
Perdere l'amore. Tiz says this song made him realize he wants to be a singer and today it is said he is the successor of Ranieri. Mah. A bit overdramatic to be honest. Meh.
Theater, movies, singing... and Sanremo winner with Ron back in 1996. Her fourth Sanremo and first since 2007, another surprise in the list. Even to herself apparently. Her song reminds me of Mia Martini, sounds like written for her. Tosca does a good job. Beautiful.
****
OMG!
Ricchi e Poveri is here for the first time since 1981!!!!!
love love love!!!!!!
Now I can die happy. Wow. Not sleepy anymore after
this sing-a-long after midnight (poor neighbours) totally reliving my youth and the reason for my Italian adventures and language skills and that..... Fantastic stuff. Now I want to go see them live somewhere :-)
OMG again, it's midnight and half the songs are still missing but we aren't getting any of those but
Zucchero...... Why Wtf why?
Just read that the programme is already one hour delayed.... will we finish at 3am? And it's not even the final yet......
His third time. First he won Newcomers, then Big and went on to Eurovision with one of the biggest Eurovision hits of the recent years. He starts by the piano his midtempo at 00.22. Nice, almost jazzy chorus and verses filled with clever lyrics. What's there not to love? Nothing.
****
Son of late singer Enzo Jannacci with no recording history really. The surprise among "big". Atmospheric classic ballad. Quite pleasant to listen at night.....
**
Oh dear lord, two entries and then another guest star: Gigi D'Alessio....Sigh sob sob....
Tarek Iurcich, dad from Croatia and mother from Egypt but Roman in heart. Could he follow Mahmood's footsteps and cause another racist shitstorm if he wins? Four albums and many collaborations under his belt, and one performance in Sanremo last year with Daniele Silvestri uncredited. Dardust is also behind this song that has almost classical piano mixed with rapping and Mahmood like effects. And was this the only one with thought after camera work and choreography? Very interesting. Could be a winner. Could be Eurovisionary
****
And then we have Massimo Ranieri again....... 00.48
And then Tiziano Ferro with a medley of his hits.... this is getting ridiculous. Really. 01.00
The latest incarnation of Antonio Signore. First he called himself Socio, then Junior Cally wearing a mask that he now seem to be dropping. He explosed last year to the scene and has caused one of the biggest scandals of this year's festival thanks to the lyrics of his past songs including violence against women, rape etc. Feminists, church and politicians wanted him disqualified while the artists stood up for him saying no to censorship. Well, he and Elettra make this a bit too easy: No grazie. This said this might be an earworm, time will tell.
**
Debutant among Big. She tried her luck already in 2012 among Sanremosocial in vain. In 2018 she was the runner up (to Alberto Urso) in Amici and has written songs to many big names the past few years, including Nina Zilli's latest Sanremo entry and five songs in Tiziano Ferro's latest album, and two on Urso's debut album. We are back to typical Sanremo ballads that could have been sung by Mia Martini for example. A bit shouty and the story doesn't touch me at all. Meh.
**
Winner of Castrocaro new voices 1979 and Sanremo Newcomers 1987. His 13th Sanremo and ahead of him only Albano, Peppino Di Capri, Toto Cutugno and Milva with 15, Anna Oxa with 14. Fausto Leali and Claudio Villa tie with him with 13. With all these but Milva also Eurovision veterans, will it be his turn soon? The ballad singer brings uptempo pop tune singing how we are all tired, you and me, how did he know or is this some nasty joke my Amadeus to put him last singing at 01.24? I have always liked his voice and I like this one.
****
Gabbani wins tonight and is also leading the two night's combined ranking :-)
1. Gabbani, 2. Le Vibrazioni, 3. Pelù, 4. Pinguini, 5. Elodie, 6. Diodato, 7. Grandi, 8. Tosca, 9. Zarrillo, 10. Levante, 11. Masini, 12. Urso, 13. Angi, 14. Gualazzi, 15. Anastasio, 16. Jannacci, 17. Lauro, 18. Nigiotti, 19. Pavone, 20. Riki, 21. Elettra, 22. Rancore, 23. Bugo e Morgan, 24. Junior Cally
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