Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Senhit just took a rather easy win this blogger's demoscopic jury's Eurovision 2021 ranking and as we enter May she has come to an end in her #freakytriptorotterdam Eurovision covers series, too.  The last part takes her to Spain 1990 and some gypsy realness with Azucar Moreno's rather legendary Bandido! While at it enjoy also the previous steps on her trip here: Roi Golden boy / toy ******* is free Waterloo Amar pelois dos Rise like a phoenix Congratulations Ding-a-dong Everyway that I can Cheesecake

Another month has passed by and Senhit has delivered another episode in her #FreakytriptoRotterdam. This time it's Cliff Richard's Congratulations, the UK's runner up in Eurovision song contest 1968 and the video plays hommage to Fellini and David Bowie among others  Check out also Ding a dong Everyway that I can Cheesecake

San Marino, the tiniest is again recycling its singers as this time it's Senhit (40) again making a comeback after she did Stand by in 2011, this time with the added "h# in her name though. But San Marino wouldn't be San Marino if they didn't invent something new. They have had Valentina Monetta three years in a row, the youngest duet etc. This year's novelty is the fans will be able to vote for the song in a digital online battle. She has prepaired two songs: Obsession and Freaky . The voting starts tomorrow morning 9am and closes Sunday 23.59. Here . The voting result: Freaky!  51,6% Obesession 48,4%

Here are again some more or less new sounds from Eurovision stars Senhit sings in Italian for a change despite the song's title Dark room . For her love is a dark room, give her everything and right now! Westlife is returning after almost ten years with a new album and Hello my love is their comeback single.  Alekseev keeps dropping songs and videos and  Как ты там (How are you there) is his latest and sounds prtty much like any other song by him.... Zibbz is lost in Citylights this time in their pop-rock. It's another solid song with heavy beat yet missing it something to make it a real smash hit....

San Marino had its first rehearsal this early morning, Valentina Monetta & Jimmie Wilson took the stage together with three backing vocals performing 'Spirit of the Night' by Ralph Siegel.  The team found out few minutes later that the Eurovision star Senhit watched the snippet of the performance published on eurovision.tv after the performance and was amazed by Vale & Jimmie and the energy of their performance. She recorded a video with her comments which you can see here . She's going totally bonkers and loving the energy and the song and invites everyone to vote for it before launching into some sing-a-long.  Senhit was the artist of the return of San Marino to the Eurovision Song Contest, bringing a classy and refined performance on the Sammarinese stage in Dusseldorf in 2011. Since then her career developed and she has recently published the song 'Something on your Mind', produced by Brian Higgins, that you can listen here:

Alessandro Capicchioni, the Sammarinese Head of Delegation concludes the round of interviews with San Marino team. What kind of ideas San Marino has for hosting the contest should they win? Who he would like to represent them? Why they don't have a big Italian artists representing them? And who was the one who tried? What do Georgian drivers do with promo material? Read it all here: Alessandro, back in Eurovision again. With the same team but a completely different response by the fans. How does it feel? Well, it feels very good indeed. How scared are you that you will do very well this year? It's too early for real worries. I mean, if we win our semifinal and during the final we have 100 points more than the second and only three countries left to vote, well, then I would start to worry. But seriously, we're such a small country and everything is twice harder for us than for a regualar one. This success among fans may, and I say may, help us to get to the fi...

This week we kick off with the parody of the year; the Parody Guys are back and giving an equal marriage message treatment to the Finnish entry this year, Krista Siegfrids ' Marry me . Fabulous stuff! Sammarinese Eurovision veteran Senit is back with a groovy track One Stop shop . A total contast to her entry! Ex-pornstar Colton Ford continues with his dance track career and here comes Let me live again . His past is rather visible in his video... And finally the only real Finnish popster Antti Tuisku has made a comeback to the scene with Rakkaus on . The title translates to "Love is" and listening it links nicely to the equal marriage theme, "love has no limits, it's pure and innocent". Enjoy!

Today we continue with the Valentina Monetta interview here on Blogilkar. Time to talk about bad mouthed fans, Valentina's favourites and coming performance on the stage of Crystal Hall in Baku and her plans after the Eurovision. Here you go: Most fans didn't really welcome the song with open arms. What do you think about that? Do you want to say something to them? In the end the fan vote counts next to nothing when it's the big night and real voting. As they say variety is the spice of life. You can't please everyone. The critic and polemics also help you to grow and get better. Well, I have also got a lot of positive feedback, especially from the young people. I stand for it, I like to put myself into questioning, to find new forces and to continue loving my work. What can I say? We will see what happens. I believe in this song, so does my staff. My song is carefree and ironic just like me. Sometimes we need someting simple in this complicated world. ...

The Sammarinese entrant Valentina Monetta sat down to talk about this and that with Blogilkar. Here in the exclusive interview she tells us how she ended in Eurovision, Ralph Siegel and the song title controversy. Tomorrow in the second part she speaks about the reactions, the Eurovision fans, plans for Baku and life post-Baku. Stay tuned! Ciao Valentina and thank you for acccepting this interview. How are you? Thank you, Blogilkar.! All is fine, I'm very content. Finally I have an occasion to sing abroad and to take part in such an important event as Eurovision. I can't wait! So, who is Valentina Monetta? I'm a girl who forgets she's a woman very often. I sing since I was 5 years old and music has always been a part of my life. My father plays music and my mothers sings a little. In our household there has always been music. I first started to learn singing by myself listening to pop, black music and soul and later on I discovered jazz. During my last ...

Who will follow the footsteps of Miodio and Senit? Sammarinese TV has managed to keep their artist and entry a top secret so far. So secret there have basicly been zero rumours either who it could be! The mystery will be solved next Wednesday when they will announce the name and the reasons why this particular artist was chosen. Then on Friday night there will be a special on TV where the song will be presented. All this makes one suppose there's something very good and big cooking up. Or at least I hope so!

This blogger was a pround member of expert jury to hand out various awards for the best Italian songs in different categories and here are the results. Dove c'è Musica is just about the best Italian blog dealing with Eurovision, Sanremo, European music and other festivals in general. The readers were asked also to vote for their choice for the Song of the year and it is.... Raphael Gualazzi's Follia d'amore ! Besides that the website's editors gave out two special prizes in categories that will be part of the general ones next year: Best song in Dialect ( Yanes by Davide van de Sfroos) and The Earworm of the year ( Ostia Beach by Radio Globo morning show but there's also the parody ). And there's also Senit! But here are the other winners: Best song by singer-songwriter : Tiziano Ferro - La differenza tra te e me Best non self-penned song : Noemi - Vuoto a perdere Best song by a group/duo/band : Modà ft Emma - Arriverà Best bilingual or non-Italian so...

When San Marino was picking internally their song there was rumour it was between a ballad and an uptempo song. Eventually Senit went to Germany with Stand by , a ballad.  Later this summer she released a follow up single Through the rain . A question pops up instantly: Was this the other song? And would it have done better? What do you think? I may prefer Stand by as it has a certain elegance to it that will make it stand the passing of time.

Malta . What to say? Glen does his best and is near to perfection with the vocals. The dancers do their job well. So do the backing ladies. It's supposed to be all up and happy and bubbly and gay, but ... what's wrong? I don't know but something's missing. Maybe that something transmits through TV screens? Otherwise I doubt they will make the final - yet several songs that deserve to be there less will make it. Sigh. He is still wearing jeans, t-shirt and jumper as if he was going out on any ordinary day. Will he change to something more fabulous on Tuesday night? I want to like this just because it is so evident Glen is living his dream come true..... After one Eurovision fan and genuily happy person to be there to another one, Senit from San Marino (or Bologna in Italy actually) is again vocally fantastic, wearing a long grey dress that looks rather casual yet perfect. This doesn't have many admirers amongst the diehard fans but I think it has a small chance to ge...

It's all about the atmosphere. I mean if they manage to create it they might squuze into the final. If not, no way. Senit sings like an angel for sure and I do like the song but I also understand many might find it just plain sleepy and boring. This is classic Eurovision, no gimmicks and the traditional swaying hips by the backing singers... We can also expect her to wear something long and fabulous. In the middle of dry ice. I was just left wondering why they have those two guitarists there? Maybe it would have been better idea to replace them with two additional backing singers make the choir even bigger and more gospel. I would love to see San Marino in the final and it deserves to be there but I'm afraid they will miss out again. Shame. Here are the videos: AKOE , Escdaily , Official

It seems almost certain that Raffaella Carrà will give out the Italian votes in the Eurovision 2011 final. She is also hosting the show from the RAI studios in Rome for the occasion that is to relaunch the contest in Italy after 14 year's of absence. Rai5 will broadcast the semifinal 2 where Italians can vote while the final will be on Rai2. For San Marino the spokesperson is most likely Miodio's lead singer Nico Della Valle Miodio is the first and only Sammarinese entrant until this year when Senit tries to get to the final. San Marino's TV will broadcast all three shows on both digital and analogical channels that can be seen in some parts of Italy as well.

Belgium - Witloof Bay - With love baby * One star I hear you asking? Well, yes. I know they are good. The song isn't bad. But for me this is a toilet break song. And if their styling on stage follows the video styling I won't hurry back and will go and check the fridge as well. Qualifier: I hope not . San Marino - Senit - Stand by **** Senit is fantastic. The song could have been a bit powerful but it has a quiet quality that may not open to TV viewers until it's too late. I hope they would have a stronger backing than just one lovely Sammarinese girl - or is she just one of the choir? This is old-fashioned Eurovision as its best and almost alone in its genre this year. I hope it will be warded. Qualifier: I hope so! Slovenia - Maja Keuc - No one *** I remember I was kinda blown away while watching the Slovenian final with this song and her performance. But now I don't get it. And why's the preview video in Slovenian if she's going to sing it in English ? O...

Here is the preview video for Senit's Stand by , written by a 30-year-old Radiosa Romani from Rome. Nice to see some snowy images from the tiny country! And the song's a grower.

San Marino has just presented its song for the 2011 Eurovision. Senit will sing Stand by , a "soft rock" as she dscribed her ballad. She seems to be ready for the final and promised to do all she can do to make it happen. The official video of the song will be presented next week.

San Marino will present its song tonight in a special show live also on eurovision.tv at 20.10 CET. As we know Senit is the chosen singer, a Bolognese of Eritrean origin. The rumour is she has had two songs to work with, a ballad and an up tempo number and tonight we will know which one was chosen. The chorists are from San Marino itself. Can't wait!