Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

As Mahmood has been announced as one of the co-hosts for the Sanremo 2025 fourth night this is as good as any excuse to have a some Friday night nostalgia and a closer look to his Sanremo participation history that is quite remarkable indeed. 2016 Placed 4th in Newcomer's with Dimentica  (behind certain Francesco Gabbani and Ermal Meta) 2018 Winner of Sanremo Giovani with Gioventú bruciata (won Critic's award) 2019 Winner of Sanremo with Soldi  (won awards for best performance and was voted the best by other artists) 2020 Author for Elodie's Andromeda (7th) 2021 Guest appearance           Author for Francesca Michielin & Fedez's Chiamami per nome (2nd)          Author for Noemi's Glicine (14th) 2022 Winner of Sanremo with Brividi together with Blanco          Author for Noemi's Ti amo non lo so dire (15th) 2023 Guest appearance 2024 Placed 6th with Tuta gold but had the biggest hit of the fe...

I can't quite believe yet that Saturday night two of my favorite singers are both on Liverpool Eurovision stage: Marco Mengoni in competition and Mahmood performing in the interval act Liverpool songbook with several other Eurovision stars. He has just announced also an European tour for 2024 and is writing songs for his new album and says this time he's taking his time until he's totally satisfied with them. For those who don't know he's also a succesful songwriter for other artists including Mengoni ( Hola ), Elodie, Michele Bravi & Gué Pequeno ( Nero Bali ), Francesca Michielin ( Cheyenne and Chiamami per nome ), Noemi ( Glicine ), Giorgia ( Normale ). Elodie ( Andromeda ) and many many more. And of course we remember him from two Sanremo wins and two Eurovisions:

 What a relief! I was a bit worried Rai would fall to the usual Eurovision standards and choose the usual suspects for staging etc. But no!  Atelier Francesca Montinaro will create the scenography for the Eurovision Song Contest Torino 2022 stage! Hopefully that means they will do also the rest the Italian way. In a good Italian way I mean!  "It was a very demanding race in which we participated with enthusiasm and strong emotions. A race against time that kept us awake until the small hours. But it was worth it, because in the end  Rai chose us. We receive this assignment with honor and we will work to deliver to the whole of Italy a stage that shows the soul of the Italians to Europe and to the world. We would like to say a lot, tell more, but we cannot reveal any details. From now on, months of intense but beautiful work begin for us to reach the opening of this third Italian edition of Eurovision. See you in May!" Atelier Francesca Montinaro has previously desig...

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. Alessandro Mahmoud aka Mahmood caused quite an outcry in Italy after winning Sanremo, mostly a very racistic one. Nut Europe loved his clap clap Soldi and he missed the Eurovision victory only by 26 points, that's just a bit over 5% Duncan Laurence's winning points. This said he placed 2nd out of 41. This Egyptian-Sardinian Milan based tried his luck first at X Factor 2012 and made it all the way to the judge's houses but didn't make it until he made a comeback as a wildcard and lasted three episodes. In 2013 he released first song Falling rain and in 2016 he was in Sanremo's Newcomers with Dimentica , placing 4th with Francesco Gabbani and Ermal Meta ahead of him. He soon became a hitmaker for other artists like ...

Mahmood's very much awaited new album, his second is finally out. Ghettolimpo unites ghetto and Olympus being a sort of concept album and each song having a new personality and character for Mahmood. The album was already planned for 2020 release but as we know, sh*t happened and it was postponed. Rapide (#5), Dorado (#19), Inuyasha (#21), Zero (#44), Klan (#59) and now Kobra are the singles off it already, as well as Barrio (#4) as a bonus track. This said the album still has eight new and fresh song, including a duet with Elisa, Rubini . Moonlight popolare (#3) released between Rapide and Dorado didn't make the album cut. 

"Se dig omkring, Var det det här vi drömde, drömde Är det någonting, Någonting vi glömde, glömde Har vi en planet fylld av mänsklighet Hela mitt liv har jag försökt att fråga Fråga och få ett svar... " Those lines of lyrics are ones that have burned into my mind like no other, since I heard them one summer night in 1983 as opening number of Carola's summer tour in Sweden. She was still behind the stage and her voice alone gave shivers to the audience listening in silence before exploding the applause and cheers when she entered the stage when the beat came in. Priceless moments.  Of course I knew the song from her debut album that I had listened by then about a half zillion times on vinyl. The song stayed with me and I heard it live again in Helsinki when she was doing concert here in 2015. And now thanks to Zara Larsson she has re-recorded and re-released it as a single due to public demand. Sometimes a simple pop song can go so far..... (And it...

  Mahmood has released music video for his latest release Dorado featuring Sfera Ebbasta and Feid. Once again he digs into his Egyptian roots in both lyrics and video imaginery.  Meanwhile his debut album Gioventu bruciata has sold platinum and this Dorado is already fourth single off his second album to be released later this year. The previous three have all charted in Top-5 and Barrio has sold douple platinum, Rapide platinum. Moonlight popolare will propably reach platinum soon as well. On top of that he has also released Redemption song and Eternantena . Busy guy!

Reigning Eurovision champion Duncan Laurence should have given away his crown tonight but.... you know. Here comes anyways his EP including the latest single Someone else , that he would have performed in Rotterdam arena in the Eurovision song contest 2020. Instead tonight he will perform it in Hilversu,m tv-studios for Europe shine a light ...... (Still don't get it why EBU decided to cancel instead looking for an alternative in form on videos or something though....) This is his third single following Eurovision winner Arcade and Love don't hate it released last October. His EP Worlds on fire include also Beautiful and Yet . A full album is expected to be released later this year...

The Eurovision winners and favorites will have the biggest gathering together since Norway's Momarkedet's legendary 25th anniversary event back in 1981 that cemented this blogger's fandom giving me the fist glimps of those old glories and I was hooked. In the era of no internet or Youtube or whatsoever it was the only way to see the past ones and it had an immense impact. On me at least. It made me. These days things are different with footage available for everyone everywhere anytime. The biggest impact this time seems to be the bruning question is Dima Bilan a diva or not, pulling out a few days before over a font size problem in a poster. I must say I agree with him. Why is Gali Atari, just an example in a big font and Dima is not? Or the obvious, why is Sergey in a big font and Dima is not? Or rather: Why aren't they all in same font and in alphabetical order so no one has issues with anything? Just wondering..... Dima, I feel you.  I have listed the winner in...

  Mahmood fits in niccely with the Milan super chic people in this yet another very catchy and anjoyable Karate in collaboration with Gemitaiz & Madman. Enjoy!

The reigning Eurovision winner Duncan Laurence from the Netherlands came to Helsinki's Nosturi in his European tour on November 28, 2019. The chosen venue was Nosturi amongst the ship building docks by the sea, a venue that will be sadly closed by the end of the year and torn down. The day was also one of the darkest and rainiest possible so outside the atmosphere was all but joyous. Also, going there knowing only the two singles he had released so far the expectations weren't very high to be honest. Paul Elias of UMK's Satin Circus fame (runner up to PKN) was the warm up artist and his gig didn't really go well from broken guitars to missing vocals..... Also, the venue was barely half full, among them many local Dutch obviously.... I had also read some reviews in search for information on set list etc and one reviewers note stuck in mind "he hardly took any eye contact and it seemed like there was a invisible wall between him and the public" I wasn't s...

Reigning Eurovision song contest winner Duncan Laurence has released the video for his follow up single Love don't hate it . Very simple video fitting perfectly the mood of the song that is pretty fabulous and grows with every listen. Good job, Duncan! and while at it, have a rewatch if his Arcade , too:

  Il Volo celebrates their 10 years together with a greatest hits album and DVD of their last summer's tour in Italy. Talking about tour they are heading for a 23-date Northern America tour in January-March 2020. The album is also released as a Japanese version with a slightly different track list, and the third version is made for the Latin market and will be released on December 6, 2019.  Check out below the track list with links to their performances and videos over the past decade. Il Mondo    - 'O Sole mio (Live in Matera)* - Surrender (Live in Matera)*    - Smile (Live in Matera)   - Caruso (Live in Pompei)    - Un amore cosi' grande     - Granada (Live)- My Way (Live)  - Grande amore   - Nel blu, dipinto di blu (Volare) - Turandot: Nessun Dorma (Live) - La Traviata - Libiamo ne`lieti calici (Live) - People - Arrivederci Roma   - Musica che resta (Live in Mater...

  Marco Mengoni has released the video for Duemila volte , his new single co-written by Mahmood off his worthcoming Atlantico/ On tour  double-cd. Ho bisogno di perderti Per venirti a cercare Altre duemila volte Anche se ora sei distante Ho bisogno di perdonarti per poterti toccare Anche una sola notte Anche se siamo soli come l'acqua su Marte

Italy's close runs continue in the annual OGAE Second Chance contest where Il Volo's third placed Sanremo entru Musica che resta is beaten by only two points by France's Seemone, the runner up of Destination Eurovision with her Tous les deux . Sweden sent Anna Bergendahl, the only Swedish act not to reach the final so far, and only 10th in this year's Melodifestivalen. Her Ashes to ashes , one of the finest songs this year in the national final circuit gets a sweet revenge and places third. You can watch the show produced in Udine by the Italian OGAE Club, last year's winner with Annalisa's Il mondo prima di te HERE . 

Mahmood's new video Barrio had over one million views in 48 hours and has already passed 1,5 million mark. He's proving to be the most exciting export in music from Italy in years, and has convinced also the critics with this song again managing to mix the Latin influences with a hint of  Arab exotism with the Italian melodic pop and his unique voice. And did you notice there's also a gimmick hand choreography just like in Soldi , and it fits like a glove? Meanwhile his Europa Good Vibes Tour is selling well with sold out dates and added gigs in London  and Paris, and now a new date in Tel Aviv as well. On October 4 he will be performing in Malta in Radio Italia Live concert as well besides a few dates in Italy still to come. Update 6.9: New date in Madrid Update 10.9: Friedns of Music event in Strasbourg, European Parliament 3.10 Tel Aviv - Israel *22.10 Strasbourg - European Parliament* 23.10 Lugano - Switzerland 24.10 Zurich - Switzerland (sold out) ...

Franco Battiato (74) returns with a new release, his first since the accident at home in November 2017 when he broke his hip. Rumours and gossip has been wild since then, as he hasn't really appeared in public ever since. Occasionally collegues and friends like Alice have stated he's fine and very amused about the rumours that have had even dead a few times already.  The album, recorded in London together with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra two years ago, includes only one new song, the title track Torneremo ancora (We will be back)  giving as hopeful greeting he's coming back for real sometime soon, while the others are re-arranged versions of his classics.  The release date is October 18, 2019. It seems the release is taken care by Battiato's brother Michele and his daughter Grazia Christina, as his health conditions are still considered fragile. This is his 91st album release and 9th live album. He has released 29 studio albums, 18 compilations, 12 albums in...

  The most succesful act of Eurovision song contest 2019 has released a new single, Barrio , that follows his Sanremo winner and Eurovision runner, Italian #1 hit Soldi , (nearly 126 million Youtuber views) that has sold 4xPlatinum at home besides platinum and gold in Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Barrio is a new song and not from his debut album Gioventu bruciata , that has sold gold and went straight to #1 at its release in Italy.

  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: