Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Claudio Baglioni has today revealed the 24 that made it through to the Sanremo Giovani selection next month among the nearly 2000 applications. Two of them will make it to Sanremo 2019 among the Big, and who knows.... all the way to Tel Aviv and Eurovision song contest 2019? I'm quite pleased to notice 11/18 of my picks made it (I didn't have energy to listen well the Area Sanremo ones...) Update 15.12.18: Laura Ciriaco's L'inizio has been sacked because too similar to Jason Mraz's I won't give up . She is replaced by Federico Angelucci and L'uomo che verrá .  Andrea Biagioni - Alba piena   Cannella - Nei miei ricordi Cordio - La nostra vita Diego Conti - 3 gradi Einar Ortiz - Centomila volte Federica Abbate - Finalmente Fosco 17 - Dicembre Giulia Mutti - Almeno tre La Rua - Alla mia età si vola La Zero - Nina é brava Laura Ciriaco - L'inizio Le Ore - La mia felpa è come me Mahmood - Gioventú bruciata Marte Marasco -...

The 24 finalists for Sanremo Giovani in December will be selected among these  previously announced ones from open call, and among these ones below coming through Area Sanremo selection. In previous years Area Sanremo ones had two places reserved among the Newcomers, but this time it seems the 24 will be selected among all these entries without limiting the numbers. Both groups have the live auditions in front of the committee, Area Sanremo ones on November 26, while the other already had theirs on November 12. It's worth remembering one of these could become Italy's entrant for the Eurovision song contest 2019... Sanremo Giovani runs from December 17 to 22, with the first four nights presenting six entries each before the prime time and will be hosted by Eurovision veteran Luca Barbarossa. The two final nights in prime time live television are presented by Sanremo legend Pippo Baudo and Fabio Rovazzi.   Listen Area Sanremo entries here .  Adabell - Questa ...

Rai has published the Sanremo 2019 Giovani entries. With a quick listen through this blogger didn't quite find anything to be extremely excited about but below you can see my pick of those 24 entries that got my attention for more than 30 seconds for a reason or another. I don't usually agree that much with the jury that will pick up the 24 for the shows also because they have to keep in mind to get some variety and balancee between male/female/groups - or so I wish they do! If half of these make it to the tv I consider it a success for me ;-p You can listen to all entries HERE . Two of these artists will be selected in a prime time tv show in December to join the Big category and could become Italy's Eurovision song contest 2019 entrant. However, they must present in Teatro Ariston in Sanremo with a new song come February... Andrea Biagioni - Alba piena Andrea Vigentini - Magari Cordio - La nostra vita Einar Ortiz - Centomila volte Federica Abbate - Finalm...

The new formula of Sanremo Giovani has been a success at least in submissions: a record 677.  The jury has now cut those to 69 (instead of planned 60) for the live auditions on November 12, where from the 24 finalists for the televised shows on December 20 and 21, 2018. Each night will have a winner and those two will enter the main festival in February among the Big artists. Among the hopefuls also familiar names like Mahmood (Sanremo Giovani 16, 4th after Francesco Gabbani, Chiara Dello Iacovo and Ermal Meta), Federica Abbate (co-writer of Nessun grado di separazione (ESC16), Andrea Vigentini (Italian backing singer in ESC18 and long collaborator of  Ermal Meta), Icaro aka Antonello Carozza (co-writer of two Italian Jesc entries), La Rua , Einar Ortiz (from Amici), Federico Angelucci (from Tale e quale show), Nyvinne (Sanremo Giovani 18)..... Other names from Amici are Federico Baroni, Zic, Michele Merlo aka Mike Bird. From X Factor Ros, Diego Conti, Andrea Biago...

Should Sanremo festival 2019 act also as the Italian national selection for Eurovision song contest next year ( and we have no reason to believe it wouldn't) there's a major change in rules coming up. Claudio Baglioni, man in charge for the second year in a row hoping to repeat his succesful 2018 edition aims to separate the newcomers and the Big artists totally. That means that the Newcomers, or Nuove proposte aka Giovani will be held already in December instead of along the festival in February. The winner gets a freebie for the Big category. Update: The dates for Sanremo Giovani are December 16-21, with four pre-shows before the two nights primetime shows on 20 and 21. The top-2 will join the cast of the Big in February festival (dates might yet change, btw). All this is also due to all these reality and talent shows; placing the winners and artists to Sanremo has become a very tricky task the past few years - who's big enough for a Big? There are some rules based ...

  The jury has spoken. Out of the 646 these 12 made it to live television broadcast  Sarà Sanremo on December 15 on Rai1 and only six will continue to the festival in February. The jury that strikingly is all made up of middle aged or elderly men (Claudio Baglioni, Claudio Fasulo, Massimo Giuliano, Duccio Forzano, Massimo Martelli and Geoff Westley). They chose mainly 3osomething male artists with some 20something females thrown in. At least some of my favorites made it; Mudimbi, Santiago, Nyvinne, Carol Beria and Antonia Laganà among others. Nunes is born in Portugal and Nyvinne in Luxembourg, to give the whole an international touch.  All in all those old men managed to kick out most everything fresh and modern, and most of the songs that made it are very standard Sanremo - in a negative meaning of the term. Not a good sign for the Big category to come. Baglioni seems to prove be just as dull and old fashioned as feared. Shame. Mudimbi (Michael Mudimbi, 31)...

  And here you have some more entries for Sanremo Giovani 2018 while waiting for the selecting committee's decision over the weekend. I wonder if any of my favorits will make it..... Kaligola - Iperteso Mario D'Acunto - La mia fede Veronica Marchi - La musica fa male Forlenzo - Lammerica Nicolas Bonazzi - Ali di carta Nicole Stella - L'innumerevole calcolo del tuo perfetto improvviso (Cercami)

  And some more Sanremo giovani entries. This post include's Santiago's new effort. Last year his La Stanza was a big favorite of mine, but didn't make it to the next step sadly. Better luck this time? Fratto - 5:9-12 Maria Faiola - Terra dei fuochi Santiago -Nessuno Rachele Di Vaia - Dolceamaro Mudimbi - Il Mago Davide Mogavero - Tamigi

After listening through the 69 Sanremo Giovani 2018 entries here are some that caught my attenton for a reason or another. I must though say that compared to last year it's much more less interesting and variable mix of songs.... Also it seems there are a lot more male artists this year, or then I just like them more while not liking so much the female offer.  Update: Indeed, digging deeper the male artists are 39 or 56% against female's 21 or 30%.... Also, I have only taken account of the song they have rather than the artist as there are great voices and singers involved but their songs are just meh.... Anyways, there are some goodies. Hale - Meteora dARI - John Kennedy Junior V - Il temporale Skuba Libre - Il meglio Gionnyscandal - Malpensa Eva - Cuori di cera

From 646 submissions to 68 (+1) to 12 to 6. That's how it will go for Sanremo newcomers 2018. The +1 one is the Castrocaro winner Luigi Salvaggio. These 69 will have a chance to perform in live audition infront of the selection committee  next week and 12 lucky ones get to the live television show on Rai1 on December 15, wherefrom six will be chosen to Sanremo 2018 (to be joined by two from AreaSanremo selection). In the live show there will be 30% expert jury, 30% selection committee and 40% televote.  A lot of familiar names from various talent shows etc but don't let that fool you. Some very interesting voices and and a lot of talent among these ones, even if their Sanremo entries seem to be rather safe and traditional. Have a listen of their previous songs by clicking their names below.  Surprising many have already videos made and songs released .-) This looks very promising and I do have some favorites already, but let's hear their Sanremo songs first.... ...

Videos have been released for the 12 Sanremo Newcomers aka Giovani entries. Six of these will make it through the elimination show Sarà Sanremo on December 12. They will be joined by two artists from the AreaSanremo selection (see below) Aprile & Mangiaracina - Il cielo di Napoli Carola Campagna - Prima che arrivi il giorno Chiara Grispo - Niente è impossibile Francesco Guasti - Universo La Rua - Tutta la vita questa vita Lele - Ora mai Leonardo Lamacchia (Leo Stain) - Ció che resta Maldestro - Canzone per Federica Marianne Mirage - Le canzoni fanno male The Shalalalas - Difficile Tommaso Pini - Cose che danno ansia Valeria - La vita è un'illusione AreaSanremo entries: Carmen Alessandrello - Quell'attimo di noi Carlo Bolacchi - Paolo Fox Braschi - Nel mare ci sono i coccodrilli Andrea Corona - Scappare da qui Marika Adele - Giovane Diego Esposito - Come fosse primavera Valeria Farinacci - Insieme Ylenia Lucisano - Riverbero...

Or semifinalists. Or how to call them? Anyways, the 12 that made it to the live show on Raiuno on December 12 and six of them will be voted to go all the way to Teatro Ariston in February - and who knows all the way to Kyiv?  This blogger is rather pleased to see nine songs that I featured earlier to make the cut, and I was about to present also Aprile & Mangiarancina and Maldestro, so the only one I didn't pay any attentio to was The Shalalalas. And I still don't get how they made the cut! Interesting song titles from The songs hurt you and Things that give you anxiety , Life is an illusion and Nothing is impossible , and so on.... Wild guess for the top six: Grispo, Guasti, Lele, Mirage, Pini and one of Campagna/La Rua/Stain/Valeria... Aprile & Mangiarancina - Il cielo di Napoli Carola Campagna - Prima che arrivi il giorno Chiara Grispo - Niente è impossibile Francesco Guasti - Universo La Rua - Tutta la vita questa vita Lele - Ora mai Leo St...

And here are some more entries that have stuck in my head since listening to them. Out of the 61 a jury will select 12 for the live prime time tv show on December 12, and six of them will make it to Teatro Ariston. Will any of these make the cut? Check out the previous post by clicking the SANREMO banner on top.  Marco Colonna tried his luck in X Factor but didn't make it to the live shows. But he's back with a very catchy Il cuore fa rumore .... Sounds like a summer 2017 hit already. Flo aka Floriana Cangiano has already won awards and her singer-songwriter style meets some retro catchiness in Cassandra . Makes me think of Gerardina Trovato a bit.... Leo Stain offers Ciò che resta , I kinda liked it when hearing first but it just gets better each time. Well sung, well produced, very Sanremo in a way. But can he make the cut or disappear in the crowd? Santiago . His La stanza was my immediate favorite and I just love it! I haven't featured it before f...

Time for another foursome aiming to reach the top12 first and then the top6 and Teatro Ariston in Sanremo 2017, and who knows maybe even Eurovision in Kyiv? Lelio Morra from Naples tried to get to Sanremo already last year and has a long career behind him. He's been playing in the streets, in bands, has won awards as songwriter. His song is Domani , a traditional singer-songwriter song with catchy beat. Luca Tudisca is a Sicilian singer-songwriter who found fame in Amici. and is now looking for life after reality with Il ritrattista , a tender beautiful ballad. Marianne Mirage is an allaround artist; actress, writer, singer, photographer and musician who has lived in London, Paris, Berlin and Turkey among other places that all have left traces in her. She has just released her debut album and is backed by Caterina Caselli's Sugar who's artists usually end up winning. One to watch out. Her entry is Le canzoni fanno male . Marie and the Sun , or Giulia Magnani...

Let's go on with some other entries running for SanremoNewcomers selection. Out of these 60 shortlisted 12 will make it to the live show on Raiuno in December, and six of them to Sanremo festival next February. And could also end up in Kyiv for Eurovision should the Big winner decline the offer.... Tommaso Pini is a singer-songwriter from Florence and sings Cose che danno ansia . He's also from The Voice and tried to get to Sanremo also last year. His song is.... errr, interesting? Ethan Lara is the most recent Castrocaro winner, the contest for new talents that has given us for example Gigliola Cinquetti who went on to win Sanremo first, and Eurovision right after. He's 19 and also from Florence. His entry is Pensami , a classy and classic Sanremo song. Maybe too much so. He got a free ticket to this selection thanks to his win. Enrico Nigiotti is from Amici, and already did Sanremo Giovani in 2015 losing to eventual winner Giovanni Caccamo in the semifinal du...

Here are again some entries from the #SG 2017 that this blogger finds worth a mention. All are fighting for the 12 places in the December live final for the six places in the festival in February.  Jo M or Giovanni Mazzara from Catania presents L'Uragano non ci prende , a nice pop song from his debut album to be released shortly. He started as a drummer and is now ready to breakthrough, he has a very famous production team behind him. La Rua has done Castrocaro, Amici and has tried to get to Sanremo 2012, 2013, 2014... and now they are back with Tutta la vita questa vita . Will they make it this time? LaKurA or Laura Carpani is singer-songwriter with pop and r'n'b influences. Pagine di noi   sounds like a Swiss Eurovision entry. Not sure if that's a good thing really... Lele ( Esposito) is another ex-Amici, fron Naples. His Ora mai is a majestic pop tune with lovely arrangement. If he gets through he's going to be strong in televote at least..... at...

Let's have a listen to some more of the entries running for the six places in the next Sanremo festival in the Newcomers section. Francesco Guasti , ex-The Voice, tries his luck in Sanremo with Universo , a lovely modern ballad with piano and his rusty voice. Maybe a bit Mengonian as style? Ivan Granatino , also ex-The Voice, is an urban Napolitan hip hopper who offers Chapeau , a fusion of sounds.  Hugolini from Florence with his Semaforo has also an nteresting sound. Hard to say if these will appeal to the jury who selects the 12 for the live shows, and then if people will vote for the six finalists. Enjoyable anyways.  Frè Monti is a singer-songwriter, musician and producer and offers us delicate Ciao amore buona fortuna , a lovely intimate little song. In the past he has played a year in London, and as a street musician all over Europe.