Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

The announcement came in a press conference this morning, held by Moldova1 Director Corneliu Durnescu, and the Moldovan Head of Delegation, Daniela Crudu:  "The decision was not an easy one, but it was necessary in the current context. This year’s national selection highlighted certain challenges, including a decrease in the public interest and the overall quality of artistic plays and performances. This has generated a negative perception among specialists and the public, stressing the need for a substantial reform in the selection process. We consulted music specialists, and most of them expressed serious reservations about Moldova’s participation this year, in agreement with the opinion of the jury that TRM selected for this edition. We respect the opinions of professionals and of the general public, and we understand that we have to make responsible decisions. This decision was not an easy one, but we assure you that it was analysed in detail. We know that we all wanted to org...

Area Sanremo 2022 has short cut and auditioned the chosen ones in November. The age limit for artists is between 16 and 30 and each had to have to original songs to present: one for the Sanremo Giovani and another for eventual festival di Sanremo 2023. Those who took part in Sanremo Giovani selection could not apply for Area Sanremo. Out of 549 submissions the 46 below were invited for the live auditions. Out of these 46 only four will make it to Sanremo Giovani selection along with eight ones from Sanremo Giovani selection , and out of these 12 only three will make it to Teatro Ariston and the festival next February. Simple? Update 26.11.2022 These 20 made the cut for further auditions where from the four finalists will be chosen.. Update 27.11.2022 We have the four finalists for Sanremo Giovani.  CECILIA (Cecilia Del Bono) CLOUDIA (band) COLLA ZIO (band: Andrea Arminio, Andrea Malatesta, Francesco Lamperti, Tommaso Bernasconi, Tommaso Manzoni) DANIELE BIANCONI DELVENTO ...

The Sanremo 2023 has officially started with the list of those 43 names that has made the cut to be invited for live auditions out of 714 submissions. Only eight of these will make it to Casinò di Sanremo in December, joined by four other names through AreaSanremo selections, and out of these 12 three will join the Big names next February and who knows, one of them could win it all and end up in Liverpool! Just like last year each has two songs, the one here and one for Sanremo that the commission has of course heard already, or will hear soon enough. One can't not stress that song has also a lot of weight in choosing the eight. Among the names are some very familiar ones, like Alfa, fresh from dueting with Rosa Linn in Snap , gIANMARIA, Enula and many more from various talent and reality shows, or other contests. And many rappers. Update 5.11.22: The eight names are out marked with green . Apparently Alfa was ill and couldn't do the audition. Meanwhile folks of social media ...

Sanremo 2022 artists come from three different submissions: First the newcomers (over 700, read more here ) and Area Sanremo choose the 12 finalists for Sanremo Giovani, wherefrom two lucky ones get the ticket to the Big, and only, category in Sanremo 2022 itself, where the artists are chosen from submissions and invites from artistic director Amadeus & co.  Area Sanremo gets four of its chosen artists to the Giovani final instead of two as previous years. The submissions were over 400, and after auditions  56 made it to further auditions on November 19-21, where from only 20 will make it to the next step. Yet another audition in front of Amadeus & co. will pick up the 4 for Sanremo Giovani live on television on December 15. They will join the eight chosen via Sanremo Giovani selections. Area Sanremo (ex-Accademia della canzone di Sanremo, ex-SanremoLab) has produced names like Anna Tatangelo (2001), Arisa (2008), Simona Molinari (2008), Renzo Rubino (2012) and Mahmood...

Israel is using again the marathonesque The Next Star (HaKokhav HaBa) to select their artist for the Eurovision. The audition round is over after ten shows that started in early December and we are left with 32 acts. There are Orthodox rappers, drag queens, (anti?) gay songs and Israeli Idols and a girl named Marlboro. Yet it's still early to say anything about the outcome. Last year Nadav Guedj won and took his Golden boy and Israel to the Eurovision final for the first time in five years and even finished in Top-10. Let's see how it goes for 2016.....  After the jump are the qualified acts and their scores in the auditions. Now the serious stuff starts....