Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Anna Oxa debuted in Sanremo 1978 with a true evergreen Un'emozione da poco with rather revolutionary look and sound for the times. She placed 2nd and would return to Sanremo another 14 times holding the record with Toto Cutugno, Al Bano, Milva and Peppino Di Capri. Should she return one more time..... She has scored two wins (1989 with Fausto Leali, and 1999) and another 2nd place (1997).

  Italy took its well deserved third victory - finally! - at the Eurovision song contest 2021. Over the years several other Italian entries would have been worthy winners. In this series I will go through all of them from the worst ranking to the win ners. Ricchi e Poveri and Questo amore were chosen by Rai for Eurovision because... why not? They were popular and their record label was linked to Rai by ownership. Sadly their entry, that placed only 12th out of 20, is almost a forgotten one among their countless hits but for this blogger, 11 years old at the time,  it is the start of love Italian language and all things Italian and I still just love Ricchi e Poveri. The quartet of Angela, Angelo, Marina and Franco was founded in 1967, has sold over 20 million records globally and is still going strong. Marina left, or was forced to leave depending sources, in 1981 - apparently for flirting a bit too much with Angela's man -  just before the group had their biggest hit Sa...

Eurovision throwback! New series. I will present and comment here the contests of yesteryears picking up four songs from each year (or more). Not the ones I think are the best (now) but the songs that throwback memories when I see them in the participation list. Of course mostly they're my favorites at the time, songs that I have loved. Some have aged well, some... well, not so well. After the 1976-77 editions that I have some uncertain memories, 1978 is the contest I remember almost too well watching. I remember our old house, how it was furnished, the people I watched it with. My parents had some relatives visiting who decided to leave after the songs as it was getting late and they had to drive some 30 kms to home. I remember I was in total shock how could they leave in the middle and not wait for the winner! Well, I guess I was getting the first signs of some deeper obsession to the Eurovision at tender age of 11. Well, what do I remember? The lifts bringing the ar...

  What can I say? Ricchi e Poveri and I go a long way. I remember liking their Eurovision entry back in 1978 when they were still a quartet. The real fandom started however in 1981 with Sará perche ti amo . And those three (Marina had left/kicked out) are responsable for me starting Italian studies and the fact I learned it with music and vocabularity rather than real studies. I listened, read the lyrics at the same time from the album's sleeves and checked the words I didn't understand and along the way learned to pronounce well as well.  After 52 years in business they are still touring and singing, but as a duo because Franco left Angela and Angelo in 2016 to dedicate to his family after his son died.  2019:

Israel took a surprise and easy win in the Eurovision song contest 1978 (no matter what Jordanian television think) with their sixth participation, with Izhar Cohen & The Alphabeta group and their groovy and catchy A-ba-ni-bi . (However that nearly didn't happen as in the national final there was a tie with Belev echad by Chedva Amrani & Pilpel Lavan. Hmmm, who knows if they had sent that one instead...?) Six times 12 out of 19 possible, and 32 points lead on runner up Belgium. They also set the trend for the Israeli entries that continued well into the 1990's: lead singer and highly choreographed group with a catchy up tempo tune. Between 1978-1985 with six participation they scored two wins, two runner ups and 5th and 7th place. Not bad.  Incidently Izhar started this run and also ended it in 1985 when he returned with Olé, Olé! placing 5th. Again in white and white a vry energetic backing group. Today the participation is propably best remembered for the...

UMK fan favorite Eini is celebrating her 40th anniversary in the business (Yes, you read right: 4-0) and for the occasion she will finally reunite with Eurovision veterans Baccara. Two special concerts are arranged in Helsinki and Hyvinkää on November 22 and 23. But why, I hear you ask? Eini's first hit was a Finnish cover of Baccara's yes sir, I can boogie and both versions are rea evergreens in Finland. Baccara was even the very first foreign act to sell platinum in Finland, or over 100.000 copies of their  self titled 1978 album. Their success continued with the next album that sold gold.  Baccara, as we know it from Eurovision aka Mayte Meteos and Maria Mendiola went separate ways in 1982 but both continues to perform under Baccara with different partners. Mayte's baccara has been more succesful and led them even to melodifestivalen in 2004. Today the "original" Baccara is Mayte with Paloma Blanco. And Eini? She's still going strong and maybe more...

Finland has lost one of its Eurovision stars. Seija Simola passed away August 20 but made public only today. She would have been 73 next month. She was one of the brightest stars in the music business until her unfortunate Eurovision adventure (read more here ).  Rest in peace, your voice lives forever.

Ricchi e Poveri will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in business next year but since few months the trio has become a duo, when Franco Gatti (74) decided to leave the group he was part for over 48 years.   "I don't have the age anymore to travel all over the world. And since the death of my son it just hasn't been the same"   The other member Angela and Angelo fully understand and go on as duo. Franco's son, only 22.year-old, was found dead the night before Sanremo 2013 where the group was due to perform and accept an award for their musical career. In the funeral the trio became quartet once more, as also Marina was present.  Ricchi e Poveri was founded as singing group back in 1967 in Genoa, north-west of Italy. Originally a quartet including Franco Gatti, Angela Brambati, Angelo Sorgiu and Marina Occhiena came to spotlight in 1968 and several Sanremo appearences in the early 1970's (with classics like Che sarà ) made them household name in ...

People haven't been exactly kind in social medias after Finland's Sandhja's Sing it away was shown on television last night, even before the results were in and Finland was out from the final on Saturday. Chatrooms are filled with nasty comments and critic, and some constructive views of what went wrong. Some are demanding the whole YLE's Eurovision team to be sacked, some blame Sandhja and her backings singing out of tune. Her dress gets a lot of critics as well, so does the whole team lookwise. Everyone's opinion seems to be it was too plain and simple, and it's not enough just to walk on stage and dance it away when you have the world's largest stage and the most imaginative props and lights in use, if you want to. One doesn't have go to the Russian way but at least something. Anything! It seems it worked in arena but on tv screen no. To this blogger this seems a dejà vú from 1978 when Seija Simola was crushed in media and eventually her long and...

Back in 1978 we had the first very international product in Eurovision: Spanish girls singing in French for Luxembourg a song written and produced by Germans. Baccara with Parlez vous francais? This year we have a Turkish guy singing in English for San Marino a song written by a Turk and a Greek, arranged and produced between Belgium, France and Germany. Throw in Italian for the Italian version of the song. One more thing they have in common: the sound. While Baccara was very hip and uptodate with their sound back in 1978 and so would have been Serhat in the same contest, his sound today is very retro and very much in fashion. Something those 20something Eurovision fans can't see as they weren't even born back then.... and nothing existing before 2000's if of course a no no no..... unless it's ABBA of course. I wouldn't be surprised if those 30-40something's all over will send Serhat to the final in May.... 

Seija Simola turns 70 today and gave a very rare interview to Helsingin Sanomat. It's no secret her career pretty much finished after she ended second to last in the Eurovision song contest 1978 in Paris with Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus . It's also no secret she has not forgotten nor forgiven that. In fact her faith was well in mind of many others who stayed away from the national finals in the 1980's and still today at times it is used as an example that Eurovision can do no good to your career. We fans of course know it's not true, but with the general public is another story. Anyways, Simola released her first single Kun hämärtää in 1966 and string of hits followed that showcased her strong vocals ( Kun aika on , Sulle silmäni annan , Rakkaus kasvoista kasvoihin , Kuutamo ). Her debut album came in 1970 and she enjoyed hits and success all decade. Her hits include ABBAs Waterloo and Fernando (she wrote the Finnish lyrics herself to both), Et itkeä saa, Argenti...

Ricchi e Poveri counts 12 participations in Sanremo between 1970 and 1992, and represented Italy in the Eurovision song contest 1978 with one of this blogger's favorites, Questo amore . It didn't go that well home with the European jurors (12th) but in the 1980's they scored several hits in Europe and selling millions of records. In the 2000's they enjoy fame and success in Russia and the region. Originally they were a quartet Angela, Angelo, Franco and Marina, but when apparently Marina was getting a bit too close to Angela's hubby she was sacked and the trio went on without her and do so even today, after 46 years (and even more if you count the years before adopting this name and first success).  Their biggest hit no doubt is Sará perche ti amo , that failed to win Sanremo but was a worldwide hit also in Spanish version by them selling over 7 million copies, and counts dozens of cover versions in various languages. What if Italy had sent that to Eurovision ...

Sanremo's first night was a succes, the average viewing figures wee little shy of 13 million with 48,2% share. The peak was 17.330.000. Those were the good news. Then came the news that Alessio Gatti (23) has been found dead in Genoa. He's a son of Franco Gatti of Ricchi e Poveri who were to perform tonight just like Toto Cutugno did last night. The suspect is of overdose but Franco himself has denied his son used any and says he has been stressed lately and suspect a heart attack. Obviosuly their participation has now been cancelled and the show tonight will be 20 minutes shorter than planned. They won't be substitued with any other artist and will receive their award for the career anyways.  This blogger was very much looking forward for their performance and participation and is deeply sorrowed for Franco.... :-( Meanwhile in Twitter the most commented and the one who gained most new followers was Marco Mengoni. 

Those who know me also know I/we have to thank/blame Ricchi e Poveri for my interest in the Italian language and the fact I speak it today. It all started in 1981 with Sará perche ti amo but that's not the point now as they are back! After thirteen years they have been back to recording studio  and we have new album coming out, a few new songs and new versions of their biggest hits like Come vorrei , Voulez vous dancer , Mamma Maria , Piccolo amore , Acapulco , Sanremo 1985 winner Se m'innamoro ... They can celebrate 45 years of career and over 20 million records sold Angela, Franco and Angelo are back, back, back! :-) The new single and title of the album is Perdutamente amore . Unfortunately their underrated Eurovision entry Questo amore didn't get a makeover...

Eurovision related artists keep releasing new songs and this time we have Nikki Ponte's Remembering summer nights , her follow up to her Greek Eurovision wannabe I don't wanna dance . Scooter already teamed up with Matia Bazar's Antonella Ruggiero in Ti sento and now Vicky Leandros gets the treatment with L'amour est bleu aka C'est bleu . Another Eurovision winner Dana International visits Subliminal in their Alay . Aurela Gce teamed with MC Kresha earlier this year in Ca$h with its rather futuristic video. Not bad, all four of them!

Silvia Mezzanotte returns to Matia Bazar with a new album and a tour in 2011. She was Matia's third lead singer (after Antonella Ruggiero and Laura Valente) and replaces again Roberta Faccani who stayed with the band from 2005 to 2010. "We met casually in TV and realized she's what we need for the songs we have been prepairing" told the guys of the band. "We never had a break-up in personal level, just professionally" comments Silvia. This is the formation that won Sanremo 2002 with Messaggio d'amore and scored other hits like Questa nostra grande storia d'amore and Brivido caldo . My guess they are aiming for Sanremo 2011....

First Class Knight of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav Jahn Teigen. How does that sound to you? That's what he was awardeb by the King Harald V for his services to the public as a musician and  for his humanitary work. No one can deny his influence in the Norwegian popular music even if the past few years he has pretty much retired to a house in the Swedish countryside with the exception of a summer tour in Norway last year with Anita Skorgan. He started with Eurovision back in 1974 and since have participated in the national final 16 times and won three times ( 1978 , 1982 , 1983 ). His last participation to date is in 2005 with fantastic My heart is my home .

Norwegian Eurovision legend Jahn Teigen turned 60 last month and Norske Posten celebrates the event with two stamps. But this is not the first time a Nordic Eurovision star gets a stamp: Lena Philipsson had one already in 1991! Teigen has participated in the Norwegian final 14 times between 1974 and 2005, winning 4 times but represanting Norway only 3 times, once scoring the flat zero.

April 22, 1978 Palais de Congrès de Paris hosted the 23rd Eurovision. Twenty countries taking part when Denmark returned after a long absense. France didn't seem to be very interested in the show and didn't get great reviews for the rather boring stage and several tecnical problems. Most interesting part was the rotating orchestra - most fun provided by seeing if the conductors managed to jump on their place without falling off. Something new the French did bring to the contest: a presenter duo! Léon Zitrone was also the first male presenter since 1956! Baccara sung for Luxembourg and were as big as T.a.T.u was when singing in Eurovision many years later. Norway's Jahn Teigen almost stole the show by scoring the first null points in the new (and still in use) voting system. The songs in French ruled (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 10th) but Israel won clearly with an up tempo song and a real choreography. Izhar Cohen & The Alpha Beta shared the victory in Israel and was sent to Pa...

Old Eurovision comes up in strangest forms. Taiwanese singer 庾澄慶 or Yú Chéngqìng, better known as Harlum Yu has recorded Israel's winning song A-Ba-Ni-Bi from 1978 in mandarin chinese for his recent album Lady's Night as 愛你的只有一個我. He's a popular singer and TV-host in Taiwan. Have a look here http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=1HlqEc_Nkr0 (Thanks to Eurocovers)