Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Annalisa seems to be Italian fans favorite for Eurovision and one of the favorites to win Sanremo festival. Here's her video.

Sanremo songs haven't even been heard - except by selected journalists - but the betting is in full swing and the speculation who will win the festival (and go to Eurovision 2016!) heats up. As said the selected journalists were invited as usual by Carlo Conti to pre-listen the songs so they can have a better idea when writing about them when the festival starts. No cell phones or anything allowed, of course, and also this year everyone's been good and followed the rules. They are allowed to write their impressions and of course they did and based on this fans and Italians in general have formed already some opinions and expectations.  Quite a few are saying Lorenzo Fragola will walk it. But in the betting the new duo by Amici winner Deborah Iurato and Sanremo newcomers winner last year, Giovanni Caccamo takes the prize. Both from Sicily, as is Mr Strawberry Lorenzo as well btw. It is also said Fragola has his song ready for Eurovision and in English. Caccamo is eager for ...

Sanremo's 65th festival comes to and end tonight, or rather early hours of Sunday. We already have two winners as Nek won the Covers night, and Giovanni Caccamo the newcomers aka Nuove Proposte last night. he also picked both special awards given by the critics named after Mia Martini, and the press, named after Lucio Dalla. Four artists with their songs didn't make it to the final: both Eurovision veterans Lara Fabian and Raf, comic duo Biggio e Mandelli and quite surprisingly Anna Tatangelo, whose song was Eurovision worthy me thinks.  The previous nights votes (see below a graphic how the 16 finalists were chosen) will be zeroed so the race starts again. There is once aain the voting threesome: 40% televote, 30% expert jury and 30% demoscopic jury. After the first round there will be another round, once again the votes will be zeroed before that with the top-3. Several guest stars tonight: Gianna Nannini (she was supposed to be with Massimo Ranieri (ESC 1971, 1973) ...

65th Festival della canzone Italiana di Sanremo kicks off tonight and I will we live blogging all five nights for you. Tonight's guests include Tiziano Ferro , Albano and Romina Power and Imagine Dragons . For the stand up comic we have Napoletan Alessandro Siani . Tonight we will hear the first ten Big artists and their songs. One of them could be the winner and the Italian Eurovision entrant for Vienna 2015. There has been a change in the original plan of the evenings and the newcomers aka Nuove proposte won't have their first elimination tonight but only tomorrow and Thursday. They will be presented during the night though. Tomight we have 50-50  televote and press center. There are 1306 accreditated journalists in the house. Btw, the early reports tell the air in Sanremo has changed as everyone seem to be talking about Eurovision and even judging the songs based on how they would fit in the Eurovision mood! Now that's something unheard before. Arisa 's comment ...

The Sanremo gossiping and rumoring is at full forse less than two months before the names will be out. This week, to the horror of most Italian Eurovision fans, rather reliable source TV Sorrisi e Canzoni magazine revealed a list of names, most of them from various reality shows and appealing to the youngters: Valerio Scanu , Marco Carta , Clementino , Dear Jack , Alessandra Amoroso , Kekko Silvestre (of Modà ) as a singer or writer for Dear Jack or/and Amoroso, Annalisa Scarrone .... but also old glories Marco Masini , Irene Grandi and most of all Dolcenera - that most seem to think very suitable for Eurovision, too, including this blogger. She won Sanremo newcomers back in 2003 with Siamo tutti lá fuori and has since matured a very strong and interesting artist.  We can't forget Marco Carta already won in 2009 with La forza mia fresh from Amici reality success, idem for Valerio Scanu and Per tutte le volte che the year after. All these youngsters have a very active fan...

Maybe lining up is a minor esageration but things have really changed in Italy in the past few years. Eurovision was snobbed and even the artists seemed to be uninterested and unwilling to even consider it. Then we had Raphael Gualazzi and Marco Mengoni who broke through internationally, and Emma planning to do so. Nina Zilli kind of seemed uninterested really going abroad with her music, but let's wait and see when her new album comes out, who knows? After all she made herself known all over Europe in a moment. But now we have likes of Laura Pausini, Claudio Baglioni, Zucchero, Eros Ramazzotti and others watching the show and tweeting and talking about it, don't even mention minor names! This year Sanremo winner Arisa declared she would have loved to go to Eurovision right after her winning (but as we know, RAI did not use Sanremo as selection method this year. If so, we would have had another Sanremo winner to follow Marco Mengoni) and wishes to do so in the fut...

... they would be sending a reality born star with huge online fanbase. If the polls posted before in Spain and France have been by fans, the Italian one is conducted by RAI on Facebook, and thus heavily influenced by those artists having a huge fan base online. As stated by RAI this poll has most likely absolutely nothing to do with the eventual selection - unless they go to Sanremo 2014 (which is likely with a couple of these artists).  The poll was launched already weeks ago and there really hasn't been much of variety; Emma Marrone in a clear lead followed by Annalisa Scarrone (Also Italy's represent in OGAE Song contest), Marco Mengoni , Alessandra Amoroso and Marco Carta completing the Top-5. If you haven't yet voted, you can do it here .

Italy and RAI is almost certain to participate in Copenhagen 2014 and it's good to remember it's also 50 years since Denmark hosted its first Eurovision in Copenhagen, won by Italy. Could they do it again? Certainly they have a lot of singers who could cross over and appeal to European audiences. RAI, despite not confirming their participation (but that comes as no surprise as it may happen again only once EBU publishes the official list) nor have they hinted how the song and/or the singer will be selected. Similar poll was launched last year, yet the singer came from Sanremo festival as the previous year's after their comeback, and this time it was the winner of it, L'essenziale by Marco Mengoni.  This poll also underlines the problem with these online polls; it is the fans of certain singers flooding it as the top names in it are all singers from reality series Amici with strong online fanbese: Emma, Annalisa, Alessandra Amoroso, Marco Carta and yes, even Marco...

Génération Goldman volume 2 is hitting the shops in France featuring once again Jean Jacques Goldman classics revisited by young singers of today (including Amandine Bourgeois). The first single of the follow up is Quand la musique est bonne performed by Amel Bent & Soprano . Goldman's original is from 1982. Annalisa won the Italian OGAESC selection with Alice e il blu and will try to bis Nina Zilli's victory last year. Great Wide North from UMK 2013 released earlier this summer We're the sound with a cool video to go with it. The boys from the north went all the way to Spain to film it. Croatian Klapa Cambi has released Jidra mog vapora with a beautiful video. A bit like their Eurovision 2013 entry. Beautiful...

Italian OGAE has selected its song and singer for the OGAE Song contest 2013. Reigning champions nearly sent last year's winner Nina Zilli for the third time in four years but the Facebook "jury" put end to that and her Per le strade . Annalisa's win with Alice e il blu was a very convincing one anyways: winner with the international jury and second with the Facebook jury and the OGAE Italy members jury. Facebookers put only Emma with her 1,2,3 ahead her, and the Italy memebers Nina Zilli. Marco Mengoni came third with Una parola , Jalisse with Tra rose e cielo 11th, Raphael Gualazzi with Mambo soul 15th. Excellent choice all in all and most likely Italy will be scoring very well again this year. A 5th victory isn't out of reach either.... Check the full list of songs, the voting and the placements here . Annalisa Scarrone took part in this year's Sanremo with Scintille and Non so ballare , and apparently was also considered for Eurovision by the ju...

Join me again tonight for live blogging. The other 7 Big artists will present their two songs tonight and a mixed televote-press center vote will send one of their two songs to the final. Also four of the Newcomers will be present and voted tonight. And of course a lot of guests and most of all Luciana! And among tonights artists Malika and Annalisa, the main candidates for Eurovision.... And the gay theme continues when Renzo Rubino sings his song "Postman, love me with your hand of a man...." Almamegretta: “Mamma non lo sa” and “Onda che vai” Annalisa: “Non so ballare” e “Scintille” Malika Ayane: “E se poi” e “Niente” Simone Cristicchi: “La prima volta (che sono morto)” and “Mi manchi” Elio e le storie tese: “La canzone mononota” and “Dannati forever” Max Gazzè: “Sotto casa” and “I tuoi maledettissimi impegni” Modà: “Come l’acqua dentro il mare” and “Se si potesse non morire The Newcomers tonight are: (two of them will go to the final on Friday)  I...

Not only does Sanremo festival take over the Italian media in every way and push aside the political and economical troubles and Berlusconi's latest comments for a week, it's also what Melodifestivalen is for Sweden, or even more. Whereas the Swedes publish singles the Italian artists go for albums. Out of the 22 artists in the festival this year between Big and Giovani 17 will release a new album now or shortly after. Four of them goes for repackaging of their latest album with the Sanremo song(s) included. Only Daniele Silvestri is not planning a new album or whatsoever, instead he will release an EP with 4 songs. Almamegretta, Elio e Le Storie Tese and Marco Mengoni are still working on their coming albums and they will be released a bit later. New albums: Annalisa - Non so ballare Simone Cristicchi - Album di famiglia Chiara galiazzo - Un posto nel mondo Max Gazzé - Sotto casa Raphael Gualazzi - happy mistake Marta sui tubi - Cinque - La luna e le spine ...

As a duet partner with Marta sui tubi on Sanremo Story night when all the Big category artists sing a song from Sanremo's past, that is. Anyways, it's great to have her back on the stage of Teatro Ariston. It's five years since hr last studio album with new songs but she's been busy in other fields, like being featured in Scooter 's remake of Ti sento in 2009.  She participated as the lead singers of Matia Bazar in Sanremo five times, winning in 1978 with ... E dirsi ciao! That opened them doors to Eurovision the year after with Raggio di luna . They won the Premio della critica twice, in 1983 with Vacanze Romane and in 1985 with Souvenir .  Antonella returned as solo artists in 1998 with Amore lontanissimo and the year after with Non ti dimentico placing 2nd both times. In 2005 she won the female category and was 3rd in overal with Echi d'infinito . Now Antonella wil sing the classic Nessuno with Marta sui tubi.  Other interesting duets and songs wi...

Italian website Eurofestival reports that it's pretty certain it's going to be Malika Ayane (29), Marco Mengoni (24) or Annalisa Scarrone (27) for Italy in Eurovision 2013 in Malmö. Behind these three artists are various factors. Malika comes from the same label as Raphael Gualazzi and its boss Caterina Caselli might be ready to do it all again and lead Italy to success first in Eurovision, and then her artist worldwide. She has done also a star from Andrea Bocelli, among others so she's a tough one. Marco Mengoni is backed by Sony and looking for a relaunch for his a bit shaky career at the moment. Then we have Annalisa Scarrone, coming from Maria De Filippi's reality Amici and would benefit from the cross over to RAI's channels as well. De Filippi would surely use also Mediaset's channels to promote her et voilà, Annalisa would be soon in every TV-channel in Italy. A win-win situation for everyone. Even Eurovision itself.  It's worth remembering each...

It's not looking very promising for the Eurovision 2012 in Italy. RAI is hoping to increase the interest and get the viewing figures up after last year's failure but the competing channel Canale5 will have its very popular reality show Amici's final on the same night at the same time. A huge show is planned live from the  Arena di Verona (built in 30 AD). Not only the talent show's finalists will be on stage to battle it out but also the previous winners or other success stories of Amici, including three of the latest four Sanremo winners Emma , Valerio Scanu and Marco Carta . Also Karima , Virginio Simonelli , Annalisa Scarrone , Antonella Amoroso , Antonino Spadaccino and Pierdavide Carone will be there. Needless to say the Italian youngsters- and not only - will tune into Canale5 instead of Raidue on May 26 night. Shame. 

Sanremo 2012 rumours are running wild and some names are given alredy almost certain. Like Marco Mengoni who was hotly tipped for Eurovision 2011 as well after his X Factor win and 3rd place in Sanremo 2010. The 2005 winner Francesco Renga also should run as well as ladies Noemi and Nina Zilli. Nek and Samuele Bersani should also return and reality Amici star Annalisa should make her debut. And as for one of the apparently five hostesses next to Gianni Morandi there's a rumour about Tamara Ecclestone.... And there's alays the possibility Sanremo will be again used for selecting the Italian Eurovision entry as well, if and when Italy will be present in Baku 2012.