Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Patrizia Bulgari reached the Newcomers final 1991 with Giselle and returned the year after with Amica di scuola placing 5th. Two fantastic original songs with great vocals. Yet she disappeared. But I haven't forgotten!

  Mahmood first tried his luck in Sanremo in 2016 placing fourth with Dimentica among the Newcomers. The ones doing better (and I say being understood easier) were certain Francesco Gabbani, and a certain Ermal Meta, and err... Chiara Dello Iacovo who we haven't heard ever since. But he did beat a certain Irama though, what a cast that year!!! This blogger loved Dimentica from the first hearing and also got very interested in Mahmood and certainly I haven't been disappointed the past few years when he's been belting out hits in steady stream and has won two Sanremo along the way, and almost won Eurovision, too. What a find!

  Erminio Sinni placed 5th among the Newcomers in 1993 with a song L'amore vero by Riccardo Cocciante, winning also awards for the best music and lyrics. His real success has been however songwriting but this song has been fortunate and become a theme song for a South American soap opera and sold almost a million copies in late 1990's. Sinni himself mace a comeback to great public in The Voice Senior in 2020. 

 Today one song from Sanremo's recent years I have loved the most, Il diario degli errori  that Michele bravi took to 4th place in 2017.

  This Sicilian winner of Castrocaro 1987 new talent competition took part in Sanremo newcomers in 1993 with this song that I still love, Non volevo . He placed 6th (behind likes of Laura Pausini and Nek). I always thought he had something common with Battiato, Alice and likes and in fact he ended up working with Juri Camisasca in the 2000's besides writing for theater, films and television. Besides writing the fantastic pop number  Musica for Paolo Meneguzzi in 2007, that scored BIG in Latin America. 

Alice debuted in Sanremo (under her real name Carla Bissi) in 1972 without success, returned in 1981 and won it. That started a internationally successful pop career all the way to Eurovision 1984 with Franco Battiato. After that her music changed, she abandoned the search for hits and spotlight on festivals and television. Her label didn't like that very much though. She got her wish to publish a special album God is my DJ of sacred music and sacred in music only by agreeing to do Sanremo 2000 and a compilation album Personal Jukebox of new versions of her hits. Il giorno dell'indipendenza placed 11th. She has returned to semi-pop oriented music in her 2021 and 2014 albums, and has toured and released an album of Battiato's songs in 2022-23 after his death. 

  Eros Ramazzotti won Sanremo Newcomers in 1984 with Terra promessa . The rest is history. Still going strong, he has sold over 60 million albums worldwide, makes regularly world tours, releases his music both in Italian and in Spanish for the Latin America and is used to duet with likes of Cher, Tina Turner, Andrea Bocelli, Joe Cocker, Luciano Pavarotti, Laura Pausini and Ricky Martin just to name a few. This blogger fell to his charms already with this and still keep following and have seen him live in concert three times in Helsinki over the years.

  Catanian beauty Marcella Bella has a long career and nine Sanremos under her belt, and in the late 1980's  she scored a hit after hit there along with good placements (3rd, 6th, 4th) this being the third one in 1988 placing 4th, Dopo la tempesta . and being a Top-10 hit in Italy. One of my favorites along with Tanti auguri .

  Eurovision winner (and runner up) Gigliola Cinquetti teamed up with another Eurovision winner France Gall in Sanremo 1969 and their song La pioggia . Despite this being one of Gigliola's biggest hits and reached #2 in the Italian charts in Sanremo it only placed 6th.... 

  Pupo reached 3rd place in Sanremo 1980 with this Su di noi , maybe his biggest international hit. He has also written hits for others and made a career also as a tv host and author, while his own life has been quite a sitcvom as well it seems...

  Michele Zarrillo, or simply Zarrillo won Sanremo newcomers 1987 with La notte dei pensieri . Thatb was however already his third Sanremo including 1982 when he sung Una rosa blu that later become an evergreen. So far he has returned to Sanremo ten times after that with a total of 13 participation collecting three Top-5 placements and several big hits, including Cinque giorni .

  Roberto Amadè placed third in 2011 Sanremo Newcomers with this fabulous Come pioggia. Since then I have lost track on him (as most everyone) but apparently he wrote songs and did some musical collaborations outside pop scene, and even became an artist/painter. This track has however stayed with me. 

 Matia Bazar have participated in Sanremo 12 times winning it twice. The line up has changed over the years as have the lead female singer since Antonella Ruggiero left in 1989. She was replaced by Laura Valente, these days better known my youngsters as the mother of Angelina Mango. When Angelina takes the Ariston stage she follows not only her mom's but also dad's footsteps and who knows will outdo them both? Anyways, Antonella's Matia was fabulous, Laura's rockier but I liked that version, too, and especially this song, Dedicato a te . Silvia Mezzanotte followed her and brought them their second Sanremo win, while Roberta Faccani is the latest lady. However, none of the original members is left...

  Late Mango, Angelina Mango's dad btw, participated 7 times in Sanremo. This Tu...si from 1990 may not be among his biggest successes despite placing 7th but it's a very dear to me. Mango left us way too soon, in a dramatic way mid song on stage but before that he somewhat changed Italian pop music and left his mark with his unique voice and musical style. Now let's see what his and another Sanremo artists Laura Valente's love fruit Angelina wuill give us in Sanremo..... 

  This is probably the most boyband-esque Sanremo winner ever. Brothers Diego e Luca won Sanremo Newcomers with L'amore in 2008 and later gained a great success, released albums in Latin America, Brazil and Japan, treid Sanremo again and flopped. I have lost track on them after this song but according Wikipedia they are still active. Who knew? I just know I liked this song back in the day.

  Dolcenera won Sanremo newcomers 2003 with Siamo tutti là fuori , a song and personality I fell in love with immediately. She's been back a few times, had her ups and downs, has released many songs that would have fit Eurovision as a glove (in a good way) and I had hopes for her for many years. She's been collecting awards, touring, releasing music but somehow she's not in the spotlight she deserves.  But there's always Sanremo 2025 and Eurovision..... One can hope!  

  Nek first tried Sanremo in 1992 among Newcomers placing third with In te, He already released albums and wrote song for others when he returned to Sanremo 1997 with Laura non c'è (#1) that really kickstarted his career especially abroad despite placing only 7th. The song charted in Europe (UK #59) and in Latin America, USA (#19) and he released also Spanish and English versions. Nektarios Sfirakis did a Greek version , Wim Soutaer a Dutch one and Nek with Céréla eventually did a Italian-French one, too.  Nek almost won (and went to Eurovision in 2015 with Fatti avanti amore , and yes, he's back in 2+24!

  As I have arrived today to Venezia, hoping not to find acqua alta, it's a perfect opportunity to post this beautiful song from Sanremo 1984: Acqua alta in piazza San Marco by late Giampiero Artegiani. (NQ among Newcomers) He was back in 1986 with ... e le rondini sfioravano il grano , another beautiful song (3rd in Newcomers). He never made it big as a singer but had success as an author for others, including Sanremo 1988 winner Perdere l'amore, and Italy's home entry in 1991 Eurovision, Comme è ddoce 'o mare.  He also wrote and produced Zarrillo and Silvia Salemi among others.

  Cuore matto performed by Little Tony and Mario Zelinotti placed only 10th in Sanremo 1967 but sold over one million copies and spent nine weeks as #1. Countless covers followed and the song is a regular feature in films, it even got one film named after it, starring who else but Little Tony! And this reached #6 in Argentina of all places. 

  Remember Nathalie?  The X Factor winner 2010 who was heavily tipped to be The One for Eurovision (or was I the only one spreading these rumors?)  as Italy announced its comeback. In punta di piedi would have been great, as would have been her Sanremo 2011 entry as well, Vivo sospesa that she brought to the final and placed 8th. However, Rai decided to sent Newcomers winner Raphael Gualazzi and the rest is history! Nathalie has released collaborations with Eurovision veterans Raf and Franco Battiato, and she has continued to produce music but these two songs are her only singles chart appearance.

Fiordaliso did a bit Ricchi e Poveri/Sará perche ti amo with this song. Placing only 5th in Sanremo 1984 it came a huge success both in Italian and Spanish in Latin America outselling the winner in longevity , a real evergreen that has been covered in various languages ( here's Eurovision winner Carola's take on it ) and artists. And here's the latest one from 2023 by Marco Guazzone .  Did you know this is co-written by Zucchero?

  Domino qualified from Sanremo newcomers 1996 to Sanremo 1997 with this Nohai (ora l'amore) . This blogger was sold with first hearing. In Sanremo she presented Io senza te winning also an award for Best Vocal performance. Sadly, I have never heard of her ever since. What a pity!

  Sergio Cammariere made jazz succesful in Sanremo way before Raphael Gualazzi in 2003 with Tutto quello che un uomo placing 3rd. His step to popdom didn't last long but he did have another go of Sanremo in 2008 placing 7th, but his career is still going strong in other circuits. And this song is simply great!

  Like Ricchi e Poveri also Loredana Bertè is a real Sanremo veteran. Ten participations plus one disqualification leads to her participation in 2024. She has scored huge hits and evergreens on her career but somehow they haven't come from Sanremo where she usually has landed on bottom bits. Her best is 4th, both her last two participations in 2012 and 2019. This Amici non ne ho in 1994 placed 13th but is my far my favorite of her entries along with the latest, Cosa ti aspetti da me .

  A new series to lead you to Sanremo 2024, where Ricchi e Poveri is competing again! For the 13th time. They have won it once, been runner up twice and also once 4th and once 5th. They used to be four, but now they're only two left after 57 years of activity (unless Marina makes a surprise comeback to the line up, who knows?). Sará perche ti amo placed only 5th but was by far the biggest success being the most sold single of the year and topped the charts for 9 weeks. The success continued in Europe and latin America and has been covered in various languages ever since even to current days. Out of dozens covers here's the Finnish one. 

I saw the list already a week ago or so, but since yesterday it has really taken wings on social medias and chat rooms and caused even Yle to comment today the matter for Ilta-Sanomat. Yle commented on the matter rather sparingly, and did not take a direct position. "There have been many kinds of lists in circulation this year as well, but Yle will announce the competitors on 10.1. in the live broadcast starting at 8 p.m.",  UMK's chief producer Anssi Autio said.  "Of course it's quite unfortunate, but it's hard to keep them a secret. However, Yle is not doing this alone, there are many other factors, starting with record companies. I can't say where the information came from this year. However, it has been unearthed from somewhere" , Autio commented on the incident last year for the same Ilta-Sanomat after the names leaked.. UMK has a history of leaks but time will tell if this year's this list is a real one: Cyan Kicks would be a comeback, Sexm...

  Justice be done, Käärijä beats Loreen's Tattoo to second place with a clear margin in the annual fa voting #ESC250, the one and original one.  Cha cha cha scored 22.440 points against Tattoo's 19.446 and Loreen's previous #1 for 11 years Euphoria was almost beaten by last year's #1 SloMo, 17.986 vs. 17.913. Käärijä got 991 12s versus Loreen's 765. Käärijä has had an excellent year: more than 120 sold out gigs in Finland and an European tour. The most streamed song in Finnish ever with nearly 122 million streams on Spotify alone. Cha cha cha was also the most watched video on Eurovision.tv's Youtube channel beating again Loreen.  Cha cha cha topped the official Finnish charts for 9 weeks staying in Top-5 for 30 weeks, still at number 38 at its 48th week. In Radio play charts in was #1 for two weeks, staying in Top-5 for 16 weeks, 11 of them at #2 behind another UMK2023 act, Kuumaa's Ylivoimainen.  On Christmas Eve Yle broadcasted his summer gig in prime tim...