Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Belgium is having a small scale national final this year. There will be three shows; on January 3 the artists will be performing covers, the week after their entries and in the final on January 17 they will perform their songs the way they plan to do it in Stockholm if case they win. There will be 50% televote and 50% international juries (10) combined vote.  Laura Tesoro is a 19-year-old singer-actress known from a soap opera and participating in the Voice.  Adil Aarab (25) is the frontman of Adil & A.K.A. a soul and blues band but it seems he's taking on this adventure solo.  Amaryllis Uitterlinden (33) is also a singer/actress/songwriter who got her first notoriety in a talent show. She's done musicals, theater and television besides recording a couple of albums.  Tom Frantzis (24) is a singer-songwriter and Astrid Destuyver (23) completes the cast. At this point I'm looking most forward to Adil's effort.....

The Italian speaking Swiss television has chosen internally their three entries for the expert check or semifinal to be held on December 6, 2015. Elias Bertini is no stranger as he was the frontman of Zero In On . This multi instrumentalist has already variable international recording career behind himself. Nathalie Cadlini is Swiss-Brazilian singer and actress living between London and Lugano. Theo or Matteo Rossi is Swiss-Italian 21-year-old singer-songwriter. He already tried to get to Eurovision 3 years ago without luck.  All three songs are nice . Either of them could qualify, and being Switzerland even win the national final being rather harmless, quite charming in a way if we push it. A good live performance could lift them and get people voting if the momentum is right, but are we heading to Switzerland in 2017 thanks to them? No.  Elias Bertini - Elephant Nathalie - Share love Theo - Because of you

Mais je suis là, je n’oublie pas Dans mon village balayé par l’histoire Et je vis là, n’oubliez pas Effacé des cartes et des mémoires

Time for holidays! I'll be back on November 16..... See you!

The biggest and best Eurovision fan voting is coming again! The already legendary Eurovision Top-250 will be once again broadcasted by escradio on New Year's Eve.  The very best 250 Eurovision songs from 1956-2015 - chosen by YOU!  You can check out the event's Facebook here .  The voting will be on from November 13 to December 13 here . #ESC250

The names are out. These 12 will be fighting for the six places in the Sanremo 2016 newcomers final.  The live broadcast will take place on November 27 on Raiuno from Teatro Ariston in Sanremo. Then the lucky six will return next February for real.... Click the titles below to listen their entries. Beatrice Visconti - Paulette Cecile - N.E.G.R.A Chiara Dello Iacovo - Introverso Ermal Meta . Odio le favole Francesco Gabbani - Amen Francesco Guasti - Io e te Irama - Cosa resterà Michael Leonardi - Rinascerai Rumor - Il grande salto Siberia - Gioia Una - Amare stanca Valeria e Piero Romitelli - Mai abbastanza I didn't listen to all the entries and if these are the 12 best I'm glad I never bothered. And if I did I would now only be very disappointed and pissed as most likely all my favorites would be out.... Out of these 12 I liked with the first hearing.... none.  I'm not really a fan of Madh but it seems his exclusion is already causing scanda...

Laura Põldvere returns to Eesti Laul! I looooved her entries in Eesti Laul 2005 ( Moonwalk ), 2007 ( Sunflowers ) and 2009 ( Destiny ). But she did also win in 2005 as a member of Suntribe with less wonderful Let's get loud . She has always finished in top-3, it's time for her to win! Her 2007 album Muusa is fabulously wonderful!  Other familiar names are Greta Paia and  Põhja-Tallin   but as usual the Estonian national selection is filled with weirdly named bands. Stig Rästa has written Pootsmann's song.  Here they are: First semifinal (13th of February 2016) Põhja-Tallin – Ei ole mul olla Indrek Ventmann – Hispaania tudruk Zebra Island – How many times Würffel – I’m facing north Cartoon & Kristel Aaslaid – Immortality Kati Laev – Kaugel sinust Kéa – Lonely Boy The Jingles – Love a little bit Púr Múdd – Meet halfway Gertu Pabbo – Miljon korda Second semifinal (20th of February 2016) Meisterjaan – Parmupillihullus I Wear*...

It seems Cypriot televison has confirmed Minus One will be representing the island in Stockholm - with a song writtten by Thomas G:son. I kinda liked them in the national selection 2015 but now with this G:son connection leaves me all cold..... Shame on you! 

But hold your horses. This has (unfortunately) nothing to do with their Eurovision 2016 selection, even if does sound like a quite perfect platform for it. This is a joint production by Banca di San Marino and SMRTV.  Anyways, the tiny state is made of nine castelli, or castles. Each of them has an act in the running, among them Anita Simoncini for her Montegiardino. This show benefits both the artist with fame and money (2000 euros) and the winning castle that gets 3000 euros to use for some common project in their community. The entries will be presented on November 26 and reruns on SMRTV three more times in December leading up to the grand final in the annual Christmas show Tombola di Natale. The voting is by WhatsApp and Facebook (oh oh oh) and there is also a jury. Sounds very Eurovision, doesn't it? Let this be a dress rehearsal for a national final in 2017, ok? :-) 1. Piero Piva - Acquaviva 2. Irol MC (Lorenzo Salvatori) - San Marino Città 3. Bradipoteatar Junior...

The Italian version of 2-CD project We love Disney features also two Italian Eurovision veterans singing Disney movie classics. Nina Zilli does Una stella cade from Pinocchio, and Emma duets with Antonino in Il mondo è mio from Aladdin. The other Italian artists are Clementino, Carmen Consoli, Carola, Giuliano Palma, Karima, Moreno, Francesco Sarcina, Il Cile, Andrea Nardinocchi and Kutso, so all in all rather young and hip crowd.  The other CD features interntional stars like Gwen Stefani, Jason Derulo, Ariana Grande, Fall Out Boy and Jessie J.  This series started back in 2013 when France did the first one, followed by another one the year after when also Australia did one. This year also Indonesia got one, and now this US one that gets the Italian CD in the same package for the Italian market. . 

Or so the story goes. Apprently the Soviet propaganda wanted to take also the Eurovision trophy in the crazy years of change in the late 1980's. Back in 1987 the Minister of Education for the Soviet Union Veselov brought out the idea. He even had proposed popular singer Valery Leontiev as the ideal debut artist but both president Gorbachev and the leaders of Communist Party considered the idea "too radical". LOL. The talk continued until the whole union was gone by 1991. Russia did enter the contest in 1994 and despite sending local superstars Philip Kirkorov and Alla Pugatseva among others failed to make an impact, even not qualifying in the 1996 pre-selection. They took a break of a couple of years before re-entering and have been very succesful ever since with one victory, 4 second places and two third places so far.... Nine other former republics of the Soviet Union have entered the contest since 1990's though: Lithuania 1994, Estonia 1994, Latvia 2000, Uk...

Ever since I visited the Kazakhstan's paviglion in the Milan World EXPO 2015 this summer I have been a bit taken by this huge country, bigger than Western Europe,  in Central Asia bordering Europe and so willing to take part in the Eurovision song contest. They have been broadcasting the show since 2010 while waiting for the EBU membership since 2008. They apparently even sent a delegation to sneak around a bit in Vienna 2015. It seems that even the president Nazarbayev is eager to get Kazakhstan into the Eurovision family and that's fine so long he keeps his presidential election methods out of the Eurovision voting*.... And judging the video medley below the country has a very flourishing pop music industry, and also music video industry. They would surely come and show how it's done to a few other countries. But then, like Azerbaijan, they do have the money to do it. Also there is the danger they would ignore their own music industry and play it safe and shop aroun...

Last but not least Pave Maijanen got his day. His career covers five decades so there was where to choose but all went for his golden era the 1980's with the exception of Vicky Rosti. No one covered his Eurovision song contest 1992 entry Yamma yamma , but it was remembered in a short clip. As we remember he came last and the tabloid were screaming the day after "Worst in Europe!" and Pave told his gigs vanished for three years when no one wanted him anymore. He was also worried for his kids that they would be bullied at school.... rough times. Once again mostly very enjoyable versions and the first ever Vain elämää duet (other than the day's artist's final one) Maija Vilkkumaa Vs. Pave Maijanen - Jano One of Pave's biggest and well known hits. Quite similar arrangement to the original but Maija's vocoder, simplified approach and touch of orient sounds made it very good and fresh. Vicky Rosti Vs. Royals - I'm gonna roll Vicky confessed ha...

Treat or trick, Globen?

Sanremo newcomers or Nuove proposte wilL have eight artists. Two of them will be chosen among these AreaSanremo ones , while the other six from these 61 hopefuls, picked among the 648 submissions plus the latest winner of Castrocaro festival for the new voices, Dalise , who recently also won the Festival della Canzone in New York. Another well known name among them is Albanian Ermal Meta , who has already participated among newccomers as the leader of band La Fame di Camilla and is now one of the most succesful songwriter for names like Annalisa and Chiara.  The we have from the other talent shows several names: from The Voice Dinastia, Timothy Cavicchini , Tommaso Pini , Francesco Guasti, Valentina Tioli and Gianmarco Dottori. From X Factor we have Violetta Zironi, Madh , Antonella Lo Coco , and Lavinia Desideri. There's even Piero Romitelli supporting his sister Valeria. Piero is the co-author of San Marino's Jesc song this year as well as that of Michele Perniola's....

The preorder will start on October 30 and the album will be in stores on December 4, 2015. It's the second part of Parole in circolo or 2Due/Di2Due, also titled Le cose che non ho or Things I don't have. Meanwhile he has announced he will be soon in Spain and in Latin America, that market being his next target. 

AreaSanremo has cut down to 40 the submissions from the original 284 and we say goodbye to many reality singers and The Peppermints' Sara Dall'Olio. Instead we get Davide Papasidero from X Factor UK and Italy and Castrocaro. Will he finally make it or will some wardrobe malfunction be in his way again? Those reality ones who made it to this stage are from The Voice Giacomo Voli , Giorgia Pino and Valentina Ranalli ,  and from X Factor Alessandro Mahmoud , Roberta Pompa and NaElia . The we have also Ruggero Ricci from Karaoke 2015. Here are the 40: Annalisa Andreoli, Maurizio Chi, Vala (Valentina Ciaffaglione),  Carole (Carolina Cirignaco), Giulia Coda, Marlò (Federica Di Marcello),  Ciri Ceccarini (Christian Di Pasquale),  Charlotte Ferradini (Marta Charlotte Ferradini),  Chiara Filomeni, Inigo (Inigo Giancaspro),  Loris Iannamico, Primiano Stesso (Lorenzo Lombardi), Ylenia Lucisano (Ylenia Carla Lucisano), Mahmood (Alessandro Mahamoud),  T...

2010 Best Italian act, Best European act 2013 Best Italian act, Best Southern European act 2015 Best Italian act,  The Worldwide act Europe

Whereas most artists and Eurovision winners prefer to show themselves as pretty and glittery as possible living in a fancy bubble Marija Serifovic does the complete opposite. I have no idea what she's singing about but I buy it all. She proves once again she's got one mighty voice and the song is full of Balcan melancholy. Love it! 

Last night. Enjoy! (Guerriero - Esseri umani (Spanish) - Pronto a correre - L'Essenziale -  Ti ho voluto bene veramente - I got the fear - Io ti aspetto)

Switzerland has one of the most insane selection formats there is. SRF has the open internet submission that closes tomorrow, and you can find pretty much everything in there. Old Swiss Eurovision participants like Barbara Berta or other veterans like Slovenian  Omar Naber , national Swiss finalists like Gisel de Marco or Swedish like Velvet , or names like Ylva & Linda , who are everywhere, have submitted a song. Along with some illusional people who actually seem to think they have a voice and can sing or write a song. 

Sanni is the youngest and with the shortest career in this season. Yet she has won Emma, the Finnish Grammy as the best female artist, and her 2080-luvulla has been voted the best song of 2015 already. She writes her own songs and plays violin and guitar. But surprisingly the oldest artists really convinced with her songs making them their own and showcasing their quality. Sanni's electronic sound and style was turned into something else with excellent results...... Somehow I almost like all the Sanni covers more than the originals.... what it tells about me. Or Sanni? Anssi Kela Vs. Sanni - 2080-luvulla Anssi brings this song to 1980's in the sound and in my opinion does his best cover so far. Excellent, I almost like this more than Sanni's original! Incredible but true. His falsettos and Sanni's tears mean a success. This could become the next iTunes chart topper. VilleGalle Vs. Sanni - Prinsessoja ja astronautteja Sanni's debut single. The one that m...

After releasing the second part of his album project that is. Another must! Meanwhile his latest single that shot dirextly to #1 in all download and streaming charts has made it straight to #1 also in the official Italian charts.... 28.04 Torino PalaAlpitour 30.04 Padova Kioene Arena 01.05 Bologna Unipol Arena 03.05 Firenze Mandela Forum 04.05 Genova 105 Stadium 06.05 Milano Mediolanum Forum 10.05 Perugia Palaevangelisti 12.05 Roma Palalottomatica 15.05 Acireale Palasport 17.05 Eboli PalaSele 19.05 Livorno Modigliani Forum 21.05 Verona Arena

Emma has released the single off her new album to be released a bit later following excellent Occhi profondi . Arriverá l'amore is an anthem for love that will come eventually and in the end, and she shounds more Gianna Nannini-esque than ever.... For the first time she has participated in the production big time as you can see in the video. Apparently it isn't that easy always :-)

Swiss paper 20 minuti has been running a competition this fall and four singers/groups were chosen to record a song together, one for each official language of course. So many things could go wrong with a project like this but the result is great! Anna Känzig for the German, Alejandro Reyes for the French, Make Plain fo the Italian and rapper Snook (Gino Clavuot) for the Romansh. So klingt die Schweiz! seems to have made all agree it isn't just a great song but also represents Switzerland in its variety the best possible way. All they need now to catch the moment and send this to the Swiss selection. It's already #1 in the Swiss iTunes....