Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Apparently Carlo Conti couldn't decide so the 24 Big artists have become 30! Among them previous winners and Eurovision veterans Francesco Gabbani (2017), Massimo Ranieri (1988) and also Francesca Michielin (2016) and Achille Lauro (San Marino 2022). Other previous winners are Simone Cristicchi (2007) and Giorgia (1995), and among Newcomers Rocco Hunt (2014) and Clara (2024). Eurovision fan favorites Elodie, Coma_Cose, Irama and The Kolors are also back. If Massimo Ranieri (73) is back for the seventh time also another real veteran returns (finally): Marcella Bella (72). This will be her 10th Sanremo.  From last year we have again Clara, Rose Villain, The Kolors and Irama. For the first time ever we have in competition i Sanremo Brunori Sas, Emis Killa, Sarah Toscano (latest Amici winner), Dj and producer Shablo with rappers Gué and Tormento, Joan Thiele, Luco Corsi and Tony Effe. The hot gossip is both Tony Effe and Fedez are in, as Fedez recently divorced Chiara Ferragni, Sanremo...

  It's August which means the Italian summer holiday season is reaching its peak and the fight for the tormentone of the year is fierce. Here are some and with a nostalgia trip to summer of yeasteryear with Sabrina and the iconic boobstastic video! Rocco Hunt, Eletters Lamborghini & Lola Indigo - Caramello Carl Brave, Noemi - Hula hoop Emanuele Aloia - Cartagine Sabrina - Boys 

  The heat is one, the summer's here and here's also another dose of Italian summer hits. Enjoy! Takagi & Ketra / Giusy Ferreri - Shimmy shimmy Rocco Hunt / Ana Mena - Un bacio all'improvviso Nek - Un'estate normale Noemi / Carl Brave - Makunba

 

The obligatory rapper in Sanremo I hear you say. Indeed. He was there last year and finished 7th with Quando sono lontano and now he's back with Ragazzi fuori . Oh well... Clemente Maccaro, aka Clementino (34) has been around almost 20 years already. In his early teens he entered the Napoletan hip hop scene slowly making himself known in the freestyle competiions first locally, then nationally.  His first album came out in 2006 and he has released already five, the six one, Vulcano , being released this year. His previous one, Miracolo! released in 2015 went to #1 in the Italian charts. Last summer he joined Sanremo newcomers winner Rocco Hunt in O' reggae de guagliune  

Catholic world is celebrating an extra Giubileo declared by the Pope Francis and today it's the special event for the Youth. Olympic stadium in Rome is the venue and the climax of the day and evening is a megaconcert with top names like Francesca Michielin, Arisa, Rocco Hunt, Lorenzo Fragola, Giovanni Caccamo, Deborah Iurato, Moreno and Dear Jack, a real Sanremo reunion indeed! As you can see from the photo Francy & Francis have already spent some time together....

Rumors, rumors, rumors. I already wrote here about the possible Sanremo 2016 names but as the date December 13 is coming closer, the rumor mill is just getting wilder and new names are coming up. The most interesting one is Ricchi e Poveri ! But with a twist: there might be a reunion with Marina Occhiena , the original 4th member who was fired back in 1981 in a scandal involving her and Angela's husband or something.... Could it be that after 35 years they would be again in talking, or rather singing terms? It all ended in Sanremo and could restart in Sanremo? Other names that have come up are Patty Pravo , Loredana Bertè , Paolo Vallesi, two newcomers Amara and Levante who might just not qualify to be among big ones. Rocco Hunt is a newcomers winner so he could make it instead. Then we have Negrita , Francesco Renga once again, Daniele Silvestri and those crazy Elio e le Storie Tese . Marco Carta and Valerio Scanu , two previous young winners are among the rumored on...

One month to go before RAI and Carlo Conti will publish the list of the artists and songs for the 2015 Sanremo festival and the rumour mill running wilder than ever. Some interesting new names have emerged among the possible ones. First of all Nina Zilli who is currently one of the judges in Italy's Got Talent and has recently given final touch to her new album to be released. It would be only logical she would try to launch it with Sanremo. Amici winner Deborah Iurato is about to fight it again against Dear Jack , this time in Teatro Ariston's stage. Malika Ayane may be in the list again seeking revenge for her previous attempts when Sanremo didn't treat her as well as she deserved. Francesca Michielin is in the list as well now. Recently she has collaboratd with Alice and Franco Battiato. Then we have Tiromancino as a big maybe, as well as Sanremo newcomer's winner 2014 Rocco Hunt . As for the old glories - so fond for Carlo Conti's team in their attempt t...

Sanremo might or might not be the selection method for the Eurovision 2015 for Italy. In the past days RAI has confirmed its presence in Vienna to a huge relief of those Italian (and not only) fans who were in doubt and still can't believe Italy is back in game for real. Among the fans the speculation and opinions run wild if Sanremo will be linked with Eurovision, and also should it be at all? One possibility is that the artist will be selected internally beforehand and will still take part in Sanremo, and whatever the result, will go to Vienna anyways. Or then it simply has nothing to do with Sanremo 2015. This blogger would love to see Arisa , this year's winner to have her chance now as she seemed more than eager to do Eurovision this year and seems to be well aware of what it is all about. Another name I want to push forward (again) is Giorgia . She should have gone already back in 1995 when she won Sanremo and was apparently not so happy about Italy's non-partici...

Sanremo's final didn't attract as many viewers as usually and end the flop season in that sense with a flop final, only 9,3 million ( 43,5%) against last year's 12,9 million and (53,8%). But the top-3 turned out b´not very Sanremo-esque when really a newcomer Renzo Rubino came third, Gualazzi with the Bloody Beetroots second and Arisa won. Well, Arisa is quite Sanremo after all, isn't she? While waiting for the detailed results here is the votes for the top-3 Televote: Arisa 58%, Gualazzi 23%, Rubino 19% Jury votes: Arisa 42%, Gualazzi 29%, Rubino 29% Here is the list of the other awards given out: Premio della Critica Mia Martini for Big: Cristiano De Andrè for Invisibili Premio della Critica Mia Martini for Newcomers: Zibba for Senza di te Award for the best lyrics Sergio Bardotti: Cristiano De André for Invisibili Award for the best arrangement for Big: Renzo Rubino for Per sempre e poi basta Award Lucio Dalla, given my the journalists: ...

The results are out and the youngest artists won the youngesters contest, or the newcomers, aka Nuove Proposte, new proposals. Rocco Hunt from Salerno, born 1994. Melodic Napoletan rap that scored a stunning 75% of the televotes. Some are suggesting it's only because everyone in Naples region voted for him (a bit like in UMK the Finnish Swedes vote for themselves, and in Syksyn Sävel the Finnish gypsies voted their artists in the past, oh well). but I think he deserved to win. Here are the jury votes: 1. Diodato 47%, 2. The Niro 23%, 3. Zibba 19% and 4. Rocco Hunt 11% Here are the televotes: 1. Rocco Hunt 75%, 2. Diodato and Zibba11%, 4. The Niro 3% Below is the combined result. If you math doesn't make sense, don't worry. It's not 50-50 jury-televote after all but all about percentage. If they used Eurovision-like points Diodato would have won and Rocco second.  1. Rocco Hunt - Nu juorno buono 43% 2. Diodato - Babilonia 29% 3. Zibba - Senza di te 1...

Incredible but true! The youngsters get to perform when some viewers are still awake and watching! The previous nights they have been the very last part of the show, always well after midnight. Fazio announced the change in the script like it was a huge favor for them, and in a way it is. Only that everywhere else perhaps they would have been treated like that already the previous nights. How about starting the show with them next year?  22.40 It started. The "giuria di qualità" has 50% of the rsult, the televote the rest and the finalists are four. We start with Diodato and Babilonia . I like this song. The orchestration fits nicely and I like his voice. Quite good performance, even if a little bit nervous perhaps? 22.49 Next Zibba and Senza di te . Lovely soft reggae with nice lyrics, great voice and likable person. Very relaxed performance! 22.53 Third one is Rocco Hunt and Nu journo buono .  Rap reggae with dialect. Very catchy and he propably has a hit ...

Sanremo continues and even last night the program went well over its secheduled time pushing over four hours, and the TV-audience goes to bed. The media is screaming FLOP as only 8,9 million (33,52%) turned into to watch, compared to last year's 12,5! For the second part of the show, when for example the newcomers finally got on stage it's even worse, less than 3,8 million compared to last year's 6,6 million..... I have a feeling Fazio-Littizzetto won't be hosting third year in a row, which is a shame as I kinda like their style.... There's also accusation of Frankie borrowing a bit too buch from Tenor Saw's Golden hen in his Pedala ... In social medias there seems to be war against Giuliano Palma: He seems to be doing covers of Nina Zilli songs. Indeed, they are in perfect Zilli-style and one even written by her.... Also, the choice to wear sunglasses wasn't kindly taken by people giving way to endless jokes.... Tonight the 14 Big will perform again t...

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...