Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  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..... 

Spain and Eurovision..... Oh, well. ... 24th. 22nd. 23rd. 26th. 22nd. 21st...... 10th! 25th. 10th! 24th..... It doesn't sound like a success story , does it? It may have taken years but finally RTVE has woken up and decided to do something about it for real and dust off good old Benidorm festival, once modeled after Italy's Sanremo festival - just like the Eurovision itself, as we know - and send its winner to Turin 2022 Eurovision. And it seems the artists have been waiting for this as submissions rolled in and the finalist list is packed with more or less famous and established artists, including Eurovision 1990 legends Azúcar Moreno. Time will tell if Spain will finally aim for the victory and good placements again. I certainly hope so! The songs will be published as an early Xmas gift on December 23.  Azúcar Moreno - Postureo Blanca Paloma - Secreto del agua Chanel - Slo mo Gonzalo Hermida - Quién lo diria Javiera Mena - Culpa Luna Ki - Quiero morir Marta Sango - Sigues en ...

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 winner s. Italian 1990 Eurovision participation is a good example how Rai really didn't care so much. Sanremo winner I Pooh with Uomini soli didn't care to take part but they didn't really have a plan B or plan whatsoever when the deadline to submit the song was approaching. The legend tells the one in charge was walking down the corridors of Rai thinking how to resolve the problem rather soon than late as Ebu had reminded him once again and Toto Cutugno walks by as he was working in Raiuno as presenter (besides being Sanremo's runner up once again!)  and he just asks: Toto, would you like to do Eurovision? We need a song by next week or so. He said Ok, sure, why not. The Italian preview video of Insieme: 1992 was then a demo...

If someone told me back in 2019 when Achille Lauro arrived to Sanremo with his Rolls Royce that 1,5 years later I'll be expecting and excited about his album I would have laughed that off as a good joke. Yet here I am, listening to 1990 that is filled with covers or rather reworked versions of 1990's hits with guest stars like Alexia, Annalisa and Eiffel 65 liking it a lot. Truth to be said I kinda liked Rolls Royce but didn't quite dare to say it to even to myself aloud. Come Sanremo 2020 and Me ne frego and his fabulous outfits night after night, after the 1990 single, 16 Marzo and this summer's Bam bam twist . I'm a fan. Against all odds.  This album will be for the youngsters a similar discovery box as Janet Jackson's Janet album was with all its countless Motown samples. 

 

Incredible but true, Mietta is turning 50 today, Auguri! The Southern Italian beauty mainly known as a singer but also an actress and a writer has been keeping low profile since 2010 when she gave birth to her son but made a comeback with summer hit  Milano è dove mi sono persa , and is ready to relaunch her singing career full time and who knows, maybe we will see her again in Sanremo, too? I have been a fan since her Sanremo debut 1988 with Sogno . The year after she was back and won the Newcomers with Canzoni , and the year later scored massive evergreen with Vattene amore together with Amedeo Minghi (also OGAE Song contest winner). She has returned five times to Sanremo since, last time so far 2008 with Baciami adesso . She won Vota la Voce three years in a row 1989-1991 as the female artist of the year. In 1990's she also started acting in both films and television and has continued to do so ever since. In 2000's she has participated in various reality shows an...

Now what can I say? Carola is one of my favorite artists, an ultimate Eurovision Diva and we go back a long time. Flashback summer 1983: I was spending summer at my aunt's in Sweden. And Sweden was all about Carola after her Melodifestivalen win (full marks from each and every jury - for the first and last time ever) and 3rd place in Eurovision (6,1 million Swedes watched her there!!!) with Främling   (fate is I was also in Sweden when the Mello took place and saw it live on tv. However then I was all for runner up Kikki Danielsson's Varför är kärleken röd ...) Her album was the best selling album in Sweden ever (over 1.000.000 copies). She was everywhere, including a Folketspark near Fagersta where I saw her live.  The tour broke all previous records in 24 out of 25 parks. The year after I saw her live in Finland. And again in the years to come . But then Carola, a controversial figure retired after 3-4 years of success and even an album with the BeeGees in the USA to...

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. 

In Italy they have this very popular Tale e quale TV-show on RAI1 were a number of singers/actors each week practice and then imitate in a live show other singers. This season among the ones we have for example Gigliola Cinquetti who has done already another Eurovision legend, Domenico Modugno . She's done also Milva so far. But the real surprise has been Mietta who we know as a dark husky voiced pop singer, winner of OGAE Song contest 1990 and has delivered some great tracks in Sanremo over the years ( Baciami adesso and Fare l'amore for example). The first week she did Ornella Vanoni , then Donna Summer and this week Maria Callas! And who thought she could sing like that???  Mietta won the second show as Donna Summer and came third in the third one as Maria Calla s while Gigiloa Cinquetti won that one as Gianna Nannini ! Next week Mietta will do Jennifer Lopes while Gigilola will be Gloria Gaynor! You can follow the progress of the show here . 

It has been confirmed that När jag blundar will stay in Swedish also in Baku 2012. The song was written by Pernilla's brother Jonas Karlsson for their mother's 50th anniversary party last summer. So, this will be Finland's second ever entry in Swedish in Eurovision - and the first Eurovision entry in Swedish since 1998 . When beat won in 1990 with Fri? it felt like YLE had decided a song in Swedish had to win. In previous year's there were so many good songs in Swedish but come 1990, there was only Beat while in Finnish we had some great songs, like this one , that the jury pulled down in favour of a song in Swedish. That's an impression. The trip to Zagreb didn't end so well, last place with 8 points from Norway and Israel, Sweden didn't give it points. This time Sweden can't give it points in the semifinal either... Italy won last time Finland had a song in Swedish, will 2012 repeat the history? :-)

It has been funny to read the comments here and there in chatrooms and blogs when both Finns and especially foreigners have been outraged that we Finns send a song in Swedish to the Eurovision song contest 2012 in Baku. Finland is a bilingual country. That seems to be big news to most of them. Some even argue (with Finns) that it is not. I tell, it is. Also, this is not the first time we send a song in Sweish. Fri? by Beat in 1990 was in Swedish. We have had countless songs in Swedish in the national finals over the years, and even some of them have been runner ups, Mitt äppelträd in 1982 and Svart och vitt in 1988 come to mind easily. There is a chance this När jag blundar might be translated fully or partly into English but Pernilla herslef has expressed a wish it stays in Swedish and I doubt YLE will force her to change that. And what comes to Pernilla being a Swedish speaker. So? What about Axel Ehnström aka Paradise Oskar, Nina Åström, Ami Aspelund, Riki Sorsa, Monica Aspe...

Carola did a gospel tour in 1994 folloe´wing the release of her award winning gospel album My tribute in 1993. Now the concert is finally available in CD and DVD.  Twelve songs including classics like Oh, happy day and songs from her album like Save the children but also Främling, Mitt i ett äventyr and Fångad av en stormvind are included in a medley . Obviously all three get a nice gospel frosting. Here's Anybody here . There's no doubt gospel where this girl puts her heart to and belts the songs out like there's no tomorrow.

Kayahan Acar's Gözlerininm hapsindeyim was the Turkish entry in Eurovision 1990. It reached 17th place being reasonably well for Turkey those days. Kayahan has ever since been a top selling artist in Turkey and that song happens to be one of my Turkish favourites. I heard it accidently a few days ago and since then it's been playing in my head. .. lai, la, la, la.. .. Anyways, as I said Kayahan is still going strong and his latest is 365 Gün Hayatımın Tamamısınthat translates to 365 days of my life. And I like that one, too!

Norway is doing well in polls this year but will the televoters go for it? A lot depends on Stella's vocals when it counts as they're rather limited, even said by herself. It's fun when you hear it but easily forgettable in the end. Anyways here's a video for the Haba-affair now. In a few weeks we will know if it will follow the footsteps of another Norwegian fan favourite, or Stella's twinsister some 20 years ago. With a very different results.

Mietta has been busy lately as she is releasing her new album Due soli... - the title track is the new single - in early April and later this month her first book L'albero delle giuggioli . The book sounds a bit autobiografical: "Chiara is 40, with a passion for dubbing cartoons. Adoring grandmother, distant mother. True friends, ex-lover. Is it possible to still believe in love after all, after really all? When you already think it's better to forget it and move on?". As we know she found her love a couple of years ago and became mother of Francesco at the age of 41 last year. And she dubs cartoons, Disney, is actress herself, has done audiobooks. And now she has written a book... But hey she has also designed cartoons to her own video Cambia pelle and directed Eccitazione . And she also had a restaurant in Rome and now in her hometown Taranto. And before all that she was a model. Multitalented woman indeed! But back to the album. It is her 11th album and first in...

Toto Cutugno participates in Sanremo for the 15th time in 2010 and releases a compilation album and DVD of his Sanremo, I miei Sanremo . He started in 1976 ( Volo AZ 504 ) and 1977 ( Gran premio ) with his band Albatros before going solo in 1980 when he also won with Solo noi . In 1983 he was back with international superhit L'Italiano (5th), 1984 with Serenata (2nd), 1986 Azzurra malinconia (4th). From 1987 to 1990 came four years in a row second with Figli , Emozioni , Le mamme and Gli amori - or the things that are inportant to italians: Children, Feelings, Mothers, Loves. In 1995 he was back with Voglio andare vivere in campagna (my favourite of all of these!) and in 1997 with Faccia pulita , both ended 17th. After a break in 2005 he was back with Annalisa Minetti and Come noi nessuno al mondo and his 6th runner up. In 2008 another respectable 4th place with Un falco chiuso in una gabbia and so, next week he will try his second win with Aeroplani .

Finally! Peter Jöback is back in Melodifestivalen singing Hollow. . This blog has been mentioning him often, wrote about his tour with Eva Dahlgren, about his latest album and OGAE Song contest always hoping he would do Melodifestivalen again. He did it back in 1990 when he was just taking his first steps in the business. Since then he has gone a long way, come out, made musicals, lived in the US, conquered Finland along with Sweden and recorded standards and covers, pop in English and Swedish, Christmas songs.... a multitalented guy in one or in two words actually. Great news! Here is Absent friends and Sing   from his latest cover album.

Yogoslavia hosted the 35th Eurovision in Zagreb on May 5, 1990 just before falling apart. 22 countries were taking part just like the year before. Only major change in rules was the age limit of 16 after the 2 child stars in the 1989 edition. Just to be on the sure side the presenters were propably the oldest ever. Helka -"I don't have them" from 1981 - Vlahovic and Oliver Mlakar did rather ok job in the end. Yogoslavia was facing a lot of problems during the preparation and financial ones not being the least of them. Stage and lights were of Italian production and design and therefor very beautiful, but the Italian entrant came in town alone without even backing singers and half finished song. He quickly got together chorists from Zagreb. The show started badly when Spain's Azucar Moreno's backing track didn't start. Confused sisters left the stage and the show had to restart after a moment of general commotion. Ketil Stokkan was there but the others were de...

Rita (46) hits platinum again with her latest album Remazin (Clues). It's her first release in 5 years, exluding One Live , live recording from the spectacle she performed for a month and to over 100.000 viewers in Israel Trade Fair and Convention Center two years ago. Remazin is her 11th album in total since 1985. All of them have sold at least gold, 4 of them multiple platinum. She is rumoured to be also considered in IBA for Moscow 2009 but actually her career's lowest points come right after her 1990 Eurovision where fabulous Shara barchovot only scored 18th place. Idan Raichel contributes to the new album. Did you know she was born in Tehran, Iran? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmHNHQeyDro

Schlagerboys reveal in one of their fabulous blog interviews that Jari Sillanpää will sing a song composed by Petri Laaksonen in Euroviisut 2009! Now that is good news and if I was saying before Kwan will walk it this might put it all into new perspective and make Jari a very dangerous contender after all. Petri Laaksonen must be the most loved Finnish Eurovision writer (check the list below) and many have wondered why he hasn't sent more songs any more... His first break from the contest provided us an OGAE Second chance winner and a megahit, now it's been another 9 years.... I can't wait to hear it! And it's his first entry for a male singer. Poptastic megaschlager is back! (If it's true.... of course!) 1985 Sonja Lumme: Eläköön elämä (1./9.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhMkJweGWf4&feature=related 1987 Vicky Rosti: Sata salamaa (1./15.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nzinzAMxtI 1988 Ami Aspelund: Amor amor (3.) http://www.yle.fi/player/player.jsp?name=E...