Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

 Today one song from Sanremo's recent years I have loved the most, Il diario degli errori  that Michele bravi took to 4th place in 2017.

  The summer is definitely here and Finland is soaking up in the extreme heat nearly breaking all time heat records. An excuse as any to pretend to be enjoying some Latin rhythms and beats from Italy!  Elettra Lamborghini - Pistolero Michele Bravi / Sophie and the Giants - Falene Madame - Marea Clementino / Nina Zilli - Señorita

Baby K feat. Giusy Ferreri's Roma-Bangkok might be one of the biggest summer hits in Italy this century but this summer we already had Bolivia by Francesca Michielin and now it's all about Bali with Elodie & Michele Bravi feat Guè Pequeno! Are you ready for summer?

The Friday night in Sanremo festival is dedicated to duets again after a few years pause (in recent  years the artists have covered Italian classics) and the list of Big artists duet partners is out. Alice is back to Sanremo for the 4th time (1972 Il mio cuore se ne va , 1981 Per Elisa - winner, 2000 Il giorno dell'indipendenza ) and duets with Ron , with a song co-written by late lagend Lucio Dalla, Almeno pensami , and described by the media who has already heard the songs as one of the front runners for the victory.  Also many other returns to Teatro Ariston stage by names like Michele Bravi, Giusy Ferreri, Simone Cristichhi, Neri per Caso, Arisa, Sergio Cammariere and Marco Masini , and some big names elsewhere, like Midge Ure . Annalisa with Michele Bravi Avitabile and Servillo with Avion Travel and Daby Touré Decibel with Midge Ure Diodato and Roy Paci with Ghemon Elio e le Storie Tese with Neri per Caso Ermal Meta and Fabrizio Moro with Simone Cris...

Sicilian tenor turned pop Lorenzo Licitra (25) won against all odds the 1th Italian X Factor beating in the final Måneskin lead by bad boy Damiano, who were expected to win after they already gained quite a following and even sold a gold disc before the final with Chosen .  Which one do you prefer? X Factor in Italy has give us winners Marco Mengoni, Francesca Michielin, Chiara, Michele Bravi and Lorenzo Fragola among others, and also Giusy Ferreri and Madh, so chances are we will hear about Licitra a lot in the future, and Måneskin also has its reasons to stay in spotlight.  I don't know why but I think Lorenzo screams EUROVISION!!!

  Francesca Michielin has released another single off her future album and Io non abito al mare is  already a hit. Well done. Michele Bravi has released Tanto per cominciare , yet another single off his highly succesful album, recently re-released with extra songs. Meanwhile he's  having his first sold out Italian tour going... Gionnyscandal didn't make it to Sanremo Giovani this year either, but this was his song, Malpensa . Certainly it would have been an interesting add to the line up IMHO. Tony Maiello 's latest is L'amore che conosco . Strangely he hasn't submitted a song to San Marino. Lol. 

  Michele Bravi has released already third single and video of his latest album, Diamanti. Beware, the chorus is a real earworm! Alexia returns with Fragile fermo immagine . It's the third single of her latest album. Isn't it time she returns to Sanremo (and does Eurovision?)  Giusy Ferreri with Federico Zampaglione deliver L'Amore mi perseguita . Another great track from this artists I may have negletted over the years. This latest album is a HIT. Fantastic track. And congrats Giusy, a fresh mother of Beatrice, born September 10 L'Estate sta finendo, or Summer is ending . Yes indeed. And Francesco Guasti has made a cover of this Righeira cover , featuring the original singer Johnson Righeira . Maybe not as boombastic as the original but with the same melancholy..... 

Michele Bravi was one of the biggest and most plesant discoveries of Sanremo 2017 with Il diario degli errori , a fantastic track that finished 4th even if the 4th night he actually beat the eventual winner Francesco Gabbani. The special voice of X Factor 2013 winner is also like a fresh air to the music scene.  His second offering from the new album is Solo per un po' with its video that has rather hinting imaginary and nods to Paul Oskar's Eurovision staging in 1997. It's colorful with a touch of the 80's. Great stuff!

Eurovision veterans Marco Mengoni and Emma were awarded as the Best male and Best female singer in Italy when Francesco Gabbani presented the Tim MTV Music awards in Rome's Piazza del Popolo.  Sadly both were absent - Emma in another channel with Amici final and Mengoni still having his holidays and break from the show m´business somewhere in the world, but he promised an international surprise shortly in his video message. Maybe the workaholic is already ready to return? The final match was won by Michele Bravi as the Best Performance beating Francesco Gabbani himself.  Benji & Fede was voted the Best band and the Web star award, Marco Mengoni won also Best fan award and Ermal Meta got the Best new artist award... after 12 years in spotlight.....

Tonight's the night of Francesco Gabbani's debut as a show host as he presents the Tim MTV Music Awards 2017 live from Piazza del Popolo in Rome. He will also perform with another Eurovision veteran Nina Zilli who has just made a comeback with a new single , Sanremo 2017 revelations Michele Bravi and Paola Turci, Fabri Fibra, Samuel, Levante, Sanremo newcomers winner Lele, Elodie and Gabry Ponte feat. Danti.  Manchester is in everyone's mind but he has stated: "Manchester has been so sad and an absolutely unjustifiable situation, but the fact that we will be out in the square on May 27 is the demonstration that we will continue to have the sense of freedom to share the joy and emotions of music!" Besides hosting and performing Gabbani is also nominated as the Best Male artist along with another Eurovision veteran Marco Mengoni, Tiziano Ferro and Michele Bravi. Two more Eurovision stars are nominated for the Best Female artist; Emma and Francesca Michiel...

Francesco Gabbani is not only hosting the Tim MTV Music Awards Italy in Rome in the end of May but he's also niminated as the best male artist alongside another Eurovision veteran, global star Tiziano Ferro and Sanremo 2017 revealtion Michele Bravi. But that's not all: two Eurovision veterans Emma and Francesca Michielin are nominated as the best female artist with Alessandra Amoroso and Levante. Marco Mengoni gets also another nomination in the best fans category. You can vote your favorites here

Pictured the Irish national flower, clover Ireland skipped the national final after a string of disappointing results and hired Louis Walsh to find the winning entry before Sweden equals the Irish 7 wins. He came up with Brendan Murray, and the song was chosen among the 330 submission. Dying to try is written by Grammy nominated Swedish Jörgen Elofsson. Brendan Murray (20) is a former member of a boyband Hometown. The band scored two #1s from their debut (and only) album between 2014-2016. In December they decided to take a break and next thing we know Brendan is doing Eurovision....  Brendan has a particular voice and I have nicknamed him the Irish Michele Bravi (as the Italian X Factor winner who made a fabulous comeback in Sanremo with Il diario degli errori , my favorite along with Occidentali's Karma ). His song is a tender ballad that grows and grows to the climax with the choir. I love it everytime I hear it and if it's only 17th in my ranking it's on...

Let's have a look at some Sanremo stars who could also fit the Eurovision song contest formula just before the festival kicks off next Tuesday. Michele Bravi (22) is young but has already had ups and downs in his career. He rose to fame by winning X Factor and Tiziano Ferro writing him La vita e la felicità (#1) and debut album A passi piccoli (#8) followed. It also included singles Un giorno in più and In bilico , as well as movie song Sotto una buona stella , the only one charting (#37). After a year in business he was dropped from his label and went to existential crisis and turned his attenton to his Youtube channel where he still is very active and in close contact with his fans.  In October 2015 he released EP I hate music with T he Days and Sweet suicide as singles. The EP made it to #3 and he gained notoriety again. And now he's ready for a real comeback in Sanremo with Il diario degli errori (Diary of mistakes) and his second album Anime di carta (P...

The 67th Sanremo festival has 22 Big artists. Let's have a look at some interesting facts. The oldest is Albano (73) and the youngest Alice Paba (19) There are seven debutants: Alice Paba, Michele Bravi, Raige, Giulia Luzi, Ludovica Commello,  Sergio Sylvestre and Elodie Most debutants are from various reality talent shows: Alice Paba - the Voice of Italy winner 2016, Michele Bravi - X Factor 2013 winner,  Sergio Sylvestre - Amici 2016 winner, Elodie - Amici 2016 runner up and Giulia Luzi made herself a name in Your face sounds familiar Talking about Amici 2016 - the whole top-3 is in Sanremo as besides Sergio and Elodie also third placed Lele is among the Newcomers There are four previous Newcomers amongst the Big this year:  Michele Zarrillo (1987), Marco Masini (1990),  Fabrizio Moro (2007), Francesco Gabbani (2016) Three previous winners are in: Albano (1984), Ron (1996) and M arco Masini (2004) There are se...

This Sunday we finally know who made it and who didn't and who propably never even tried and who did try but media had no idea. The latest is that we won't see Emma, Giusy Ferreri, Edoardo Bennato, The Kolors, Luca Carboni, Fabri Fibra nor the divas Loredana Bertè or Patty Pravo , and the singing nun Suor Cristina in the competition. New or other names that have been rumored that have emerged lately are Raf whose adventure this year was heavily effected by pneumonia, Simona Molinari again, bands Bluvertigo and Baustelle , rappers Emis Killa and Gemelli Diversi, Anna Oxa, Fabrizio Moro, Francesco Sarcina, Michele Bravi, Deborah Iurato, Loredana Errore, Matteo Becucci and whoever wins X Factor.... And then we have Sal Da Vinci . In that case this blogger wouldn't be surprised it's with his son Francesco Da Vinci , who had his breakthrough this year.... But then, who knows? Well, we all will. Next Sunday. Stay tuned. I will be live blogging the announcement....

Italian artists who sing in English are a rarity. (The big names go for Spanish and Latin market and make wonders there from Pausni to Ramazzotti, Ferro and Nek.) Not many have made a career of it, if we don't count some dance acts. Those who did - Alexia, Spagna and Elisa come in mind - have sooner or later switched into Italian after all. Now all of sudden we have two new very interesting debuts in English. First of all Michele Bravi . He won the X Factor, got songs written by Tiziano Ferro among others for his debut album and EP. The EP was a success with #1 La vita e felicità but everything ever since went downhill and it seemed he'd be yet another forgotten winner. Now he's back with the single The Days and new album I hate music . (I suppose he means music business....:-) ) All of sudden he's very interesting..... Virginio Simonelli , another reality talent show winner (Amici). Similar story, after initial success a career that went downhill fast. His bi...

Marco Mengoni won the Italian X Factor 3 and the 7th season just concluded a couple of days ago. In the final there were four artists left; Ape Escape, Violetta Zironi, Aba and Michele Bravi and they all had to do also a duet wit a famous Italian artist. Ape Escape got together with Elisa performing her fantastic Labyrith , Violetta got Marco Mengoni on her side and they did his Eurovision entry and Sanremo winner L'Essenziale , Aba did wih Mario Biondi his Close to you while the eventual winner Michele did one of this blogger's favorite songs ever, Gocce di memoria with Giorgia . One can only hope Marco and Giorgia had a little chat about Eurovision... (well, this blogger would be happy with any of these three names for Eurovision; Elisa? Mario? Hello?) Anyways, Marco has had an incredible year and returning to where it all started from seems more than fitting. He already appeared in the season before as he was giving helping hand to Mika, one of the judges. Worth ...

Before the announcement of the Big category singers and their songs (they willhave once again two to choose from) todayand yesterday the eight newcomers were released. Bianca and Vadim come from Area Sanremo selection and their names and songs were already revealed yesterday. Today we got to know the other six who qualified through live audition last Friday. Among them is Veronica De Simone who already came third in the Voice of Italy 1. And Zibba wrote with Tiziano Ferro the first single La vita e la felicità to Michele Bravi who won the X Factor 7 last night in Italy. Filippo is legendary Ivn Graziani's son. Here they are with their songs, it's worth remembering one of them could be the Italian Eurovision 2014 artist (and song)... You can listen snippets by clicking the songs. UPDATE: Listen full versions and see videos of the songs here .  (Antonio) Diodato - Babilonia Filippo Graziani - Le cose belle Rocco Hunt - Nu juorno buono The Niro (aka Davide Combus...