Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

The names for Sanremo 2013 are out today and it's a very fresh and young cast. Well done, Fazio! Gone are the dinosaurs and the usual festival goers that in the end give nothing to the event except their xxth presence. And among the artists is also Raphael Gualazzi making his debut in the Big category and several artists that the fans consider very Eurovisionary: Modà, Marco Mengoni, Malika Ayane and the duo Simona Molinari & Peter Cincotti. So it's promising very well for the Italian Eurovision adventure 2013 if and when Sanremo is once again used for the selection somehow. Surprisingly the names given as certain like Gino Paoli and Nesli are out, as well as various Anna Oxas and co.  As we know each singer will perform two songs this year, and one of them will go to the final. So everybody gets to the final, too.  Almamegretta Mamma non lo sa and  Onda che vai Annalisa Non so ballare and  Scintille Chiara L'esperienza dell'amore and ...

It has been a couple of days with Sanremo 2013 news. The political situation and coming elections after Monti's goodbye to the sinking ship have caused the rumors about the possible change of dates for Sanremo festival that would take place during the final days of elections and who would care about the politics if the festival is going on? Or is it the other way around? Anyways, today RAI has put the videos of the eight newcomers online here . I still haven't really listened the songs so I won't say more. Tomorrow RAI will announce the names of the Big category singers but Twitter may have betrayed them when you can read some names in a photo published by Duccio Forzano, RAI's director for the festival: Almamegretta,  Anna Oxa, Max Gazzè, Nesli, Annalisa, Chiara Galiazzo, Modà, Antonella Ruggiero and Ornella Vanoni... that's 9 out of the 16 names.... Well, tomorrow we will know better!

We know everyone's gossiping, guessing and speculating about Melodifetivalen 2013 artists. In Italy the situation is same with the Sanremo festival. Names are mentioned, denied, confirmed, withdrawn... Everyone has his or hers sure names to drop and newspapers publish lists and speculations run wild on social media.  Dove c'è musica has summed up the situation as it is now.  At the moment Nesli, Gino Paoli, Mario Biondi, Annalisa Scarrone and Marco Mengoni are given as sure names. And that would bring Mengoni's name back to Eurovision scene. Or, Mario Biondi would be a perfect continuation of Gualazzi-Zilli but then... isn't it time to change a bit? Other very possible names are Almamegretta, Fiorella Mannoia, Il Cile, Simona Molinari & Peter Cincotti and Daniele Silvestri. This blogger would love to see Raiz and Almamegretta! And Fiorella Mannoia, the lady of the Italian music would make a come back in Sanremo where she was the last time in 1988 just ...

Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano hosts once again one of the event's of the year in Rome, the open air concert of May 1st. The event is taking place for the 22nd time and as always the line up is very interesting with the top names in the music scene in Italy. RAI is also broadcasting the event live on Rai3 and Radio2 from 3pm until midnight. Among the artists Nina Zilli, Noemi, Eugenio Finardi, Almamegretta, Marina Rei, Caparezza, Afterhours and many more. 

Another great song for summer: Italian, or rather Napoletan reggae rappers Almamegretta with their lead singer Raiz and a hypnotic song Nun te scurdà . The video is great - fantastic colors! - and the song sounds as fresh and exciting as it did in 1995. Have a look here: http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvP-RBnTZoE