Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

And last but not least, Mahmood wins tonight's Sanremo Giovani and joins the Sanremo 2019 cast. He won also the Critic's award.  Enrico Nigiotti - Nonno Hollywood (2nd time, first Big) Nino D'Angelo & Livio Cori - Un'altra luce (2nd/Debut) Francesco Renga - Aspetto che torni (5th tim, Winner 2005) Boomdabash - Per un milione (Debut) Achille Lauro - Rolls Royce (debut) Arisa - Mi sento bene (6th time, Newcomer winner 2009, Winner 2014) Daniele Silvestri - Argento vivo (6th time) Ex-Otago - Solo una canzone (debut) Federica Carta & Shade - Senza farlo apposta (debuts) Patty Pravo & Briga - Un po' come la vita ( 11th time & debut) Negrita - I ragazzi stanno bene (2nd time) Einar Ortiz wins tonight's show and gets the ticket to the festival! Il Volo - Musica che resta (Winner 2015) Ghemon - Rose viola ( Debut) Nek - Mi farò trovare pronto (3rd time) Motta - Dov'è l'Italia (Debut) Ulti...

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...

The names for Sanremo 2013 are out today and it's a very fresh and young cast. Well done, Fazio! Gone are the dinosaurs and the usual festival goers that in the end give nothing to the event except their xxth presence. And among the artists is also Raphael Gualazzi making his debut in the Big category and several artists that the fans consider very Eurovisionary: Modà, Marco Mengoni, Malika Ayane and the duo Simona Molinari & Peter Cincotti. So it's promising very well for the Italian Eurovision adventure 2013 if and when Sanremo is once again used for the selection somehow. Surprisingly the names given as certain like Gino Paoli and Nesli are out, as well as various Anna Oxas and co.  As we know each singer will perform two songs this year, and one of them will go to the final. So everybody gets to the final, too.  Almamegretta Mamma non lo sa and  Onda che vai Annalisa Non so ballare and  Scintille Chiara L'esperienza dell'amore and ...

Italy is not participating, we all know that but like most every year some Italians have sneaked in anyways. Or artists with Italian connections at least. Thea Garrett from Malta basicly started her career in Italy two years ago with Gigi D'Alessio. The Albanian violinist Olen Cesari also got his big breakthrough in Italy back in 1993 by winning Partita doppia TV-show. Since then he has worked with most Italian big stars and lives and works in Italy. He has even arranged the strings for one Sanremo winner, Ti regaleró una rosa in 2007. Georgia has a lot of Italy in it. One of the writers, Christian Leuzzi, one of the dancers Francesca Lavecchia and the dress, by Dolce & Gabbana. Croatia's Feminnem recorded an Italian version of their song. And on top of that there are two (2) Italian accredited journalists! Two! (Eddy, is that you?)

Back to normal. Or two categories that is but with a surprise winner. Last year's runner up in Newcomers Simone Cristicchi  takes revenge in Big and wins with Ti regaleró una rosa , followed by veteran Albano with Nel perdono and another practically unknown, Piero Mazzocchetti and his Schiavo d'amore . Paolo Meneguzzi is only 6th with his masterpiece Musica that maybe was the moral and the commercial winner of this festival. Antonella Ruggiero is there once again but scores a last place in the final (10th). Elsa Lila tries for the second time to break through in Italy in Newcomers with Il senso della vita but doesn't reach top-3 but a place in the final only. For me this is a poor and weird year and Paolo Meneguzzi deserved so much more, snobbed by the so called Jury of quality - of course!