Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Rai1 started today the simple talkshow like shows hosted by Eurovision veteran Luca Barbarossa presenting the competing songs and the artists with short interviews and small talk before they sung their songs live in the studio set in the Casinò di Sanremo ahead of the two final nights in prime time later this week that will determinate the two artists joinng the Big artists in the festival next February. Symo started with her Paura di amare . A bit shaky vocals and nervousness all over while she performed her simple little ballad that did't leave much of a mark to remember.... Roman siblings Fedrix & Flaw followed with their ukulele driven L'impresa . Flaw is only 17 and the vocals left room for improvement for both of them. Kinda nice little tune. Andrea Biagioni performed flawlessly his Alba piena , Beautiful arrangements, good vocals and the only negative thing I can say is he kept his eyes shut most of the song. Open them up and deliver! I Ros is ...

  Albania has its Festivali i Këngës 57 this weekend and as usual it also serves as their national final for the Eurovision song contest. The semifinals are on 20 and 21 December, with the grand final on 22nd. FiK has been a rather distant from today's Eurovision on style and sound, somewhere between old Eurovision and Sanremo festival with live orchestra. The winner has then been shortened, rearranged and sadly often covered in English for the occasion and in some cases the result has been almost a different song. Now things might be changing a bit. They are looking for a younger audience - hopefully that also translates into having more modern sounding songs - and kids as a significant part of the jury. Also, the second night performances will be "Eurovision style" with performances including more than standing by the microphone in evening gown using props, lights and other tehniques - more of Eurovision vibe that is. Bring in the glitter and lights! But that wil...

Several Eurovision stars seem to be aiming for a Sanremo comeback. As the Sanremo rumors are running wilder and wilder when the day of announcement is getting closer out of the blue come whispers that Il Volo have a song ready and they are willing to spread some grande amore in Sanremo again. Could the 2015 Sanremo winners and Eurovision song contest televoting winners really be willing to do it all again? We'll see! But if Il Volo scored 3rd place in Eurovision Raphael Gualazzi did even better placing 2nd in 2011 when Italy made its grand return to the contest. He has been twice to Sanremo since winning the Newcomers in 2011 placing 5th and 2nd, so can't be ruled out if he does participate.  The 1988 Sanremo winner and 1971 and 1973 Eurovision entrant Massimo Ranieri is apparently on Claudio Baglioni's wishlist but seems not so eager to take part again. If he does it's his 7th time since 1968. Another name, causing some controversy, is Anna Oxa . 1989 and 1991...

Whitney Houston , Eurythmics or Annie Lennox, Donna Summer , Madonna , Rihanna . All these female artists must have influenced the Italian superstar Giorgia, often said to have the best Italian voice. But not only, she has released an album full of covers from artists she admires herself, including Italian Eros Ramazzotti, late Mango , Jovanotti, Elisa , Zucchero , Tiziano Ferro , hauntingly beautiful Ultimo bacio by Carmen Consoli, late Pino Daniele , Vasco Rossi and Sanremo winner, Eurovision entrant Marco Mengoni's L'essenziale . But that's not all: Tiziano Ferro duets, Elisa and Aliné are featured and even Eros Ramazzotti makes a cameo. What could you ask for more? Already #2 in the Italian charts this one's c´going to yet another multiplatinum selling album for her.  This album follows multiplatinum selling  Oronero , released in 2016 with hit singles Oronero , Vanità , Credo , Scelgo ancora te , and Come neve , the duet with Marco Mengoni off the re-releas...

Italian megastars are dropping new albums for the Christmas and after Giorgia, Eros Ramazzotti and Marco Mengoni here comes Il Volo . But if you except the usual pop opera we have heard from them before be warned: this album is pure Latin music with some reggaeton thrown in and with guests from the Latin Music royalty: Cuban Gente De Zona and Gloria Estefan , El Micha   and  Jomal . The album has been released physically for Latin market only so far but the guys are heavily rumored as guest stars in Sanremo 2019. The first single Noche sin dia was released already in May and features propably the biggest Cuban name in Latin market, Gente De Zona . The Cuban duo is collaborating and remixing all the biggest names for years already and this blogger is waiting for their world domination happening sooner or later as themselves. Gloria Estefan needs no presentation being one of the first big Latin names to become worldwide name. Her Mi tierra is one of the best Latin albu...

The wait is over. Marco Mengoni's new album Atlantico is out and already topping the charts and no wonder. The two singles released to launch it earlier, Voglio and Buona vita were said to represant the two ends of the album and indeed they do: the sound varies from electric pop to latin sounds and everything in between. Tom Walker duets in Hola (I say) and  Latin Grammy winner, Brazilian Vanessa Da Mate and Seiton in Amalia . Among the writers we have Fabio Ilacqua (in Buona vita, La casa azul , La ragione del mondo , Amalia, I giorni di domani , Dialogo tra due pazzi , known for his work with Francesco Gabbani), Mahmood, who's in Sanremo Giovani and could end up winning Sanremo and going to Tel Aviv 2019 (in Hola, Mille lire , Rivoluzione ), Tony Maiello of San Marino Eurovision wannabe fame and hitmaker for Laura Pausini ( Muhammed Ali ) and even legendary Adriano Celentano makes a cameo in La casa azul . Mengoni himself is credited as writer for each song as well, e...

It's been a long autumn but finally we have the first artist for the Eurovision song contest 2019. Armenia revealed today their internal choice and it is 24-year-old Srbuhi Sargsyan aka Srbuk (apparently pronounced Serbuka, phew).   She has already done X Factor Armenia 2012 and The Voice of Ukraine 2017 and finished in top-4 in both. Two singles to her credit so far - Yete karogh es and Half a goddess - Armenian tv has now launched a song search for her that runs until January 10, 2019. W will hear the chosen one propably only in March....

This blogger has been a fan of Eros Ramazzotti since the beginning, I loved Terra promessa when he won the very first Sanremo nwcomers category back in 1984, and his next songs and albums were eagerly waited by me. Over the 35 years my fanhood has had its ups and downs and even if I have seen him live in Helsinki already a couple of time (and front row seats for October 2019 are booked) I was very pleasantly surprised with his latest album Vita ce n'è. If his resent albums have been a bit the same old, this new one - his 13th studio album - has a fresh air to it. The classic Ramazzotti ballads are there but there's also a nice mixture of more modern sounds and Latin flavor to make fresh, interesting, catchy and highly enjoyable!  Maybe it's thanks to the authors of the album next to Eros himself: Federica Abbate ( Nessun grado di separazione and Roma-Bangkok among others) is present in eight songs, Jovanotti in one ( In primo piano ), as is Fortunato Zambaglione ( Nat...

Claudio Baglioni has today revealed the 24 that made it through to the Sanremo Giovani selection next month among the nearly 2000 applications. Two of them will make it to Sanremo 2019 among the Big, and who knows.... all the way to Tel Aviv and Eurovision song contest 2019? I'm quite pleased to notice 11/18 of my picks made it (I didn't have energy to listen well the Area Sanremo ones...) Update 15.12.18: Laura Ciriaco's L'inizio has been sacked because too similar to Jason Mraz's I won't give up . She is replaced by Federico Angelucci and L'uomo che verrá .  Andrea Biagioni - Alba piena   Cannella - Nei miei ricordi Cordio - La nostra vita Diego Conti - 3 gradi Einar Ortiz - Centomila volte Federica Abbate - Finalmente Fosco 17 - Dicembre Giulia Mutti - Almeno tre La Rua - Alla mia età si vola La Zero - Nina é brava Laura Ciriaco - L'inizio Le Ore - La mia felpa è come me Mahmood - Gioventú bruciata Marte Marasco -...

SVT revealed the artists and songs for the Melodifestivalen 2019 and most names were already leaked beforehand so there were only three surprises among the 28: Zeana feat. Anis Dom Demina, Omar and Pagan Fury. And minor surprise that LIAMOO and Hanna Ferm were actually together in a duet. Besides Arja Saijonmaa also High15 has a Finn in it. Göteborg, February 2, 2019: Anna Bergendahl - Ashes to ashes **** AC Thomas G:son, Bobby Ljungren, Erik Bernholm, Anna Bergendahl Nano - Chasing rivers **** AC Lise Cabble, Linnea Deb, Joy Deb, Thomas G:son Mohombi - Hello ****  FINAL Alexandru Florin Cotoi, Thomas G:son, Mohombi Moupondo, Linnea Deb Zeana feat. Anis Dom Demina - Mina bränder * 5th Thomas G:son, Jimmy Jansson, Anis Don Demina,  Pa Moudou Badjie Arja Saijonmaa - Mina fyra årstider * 7th Arja Saijonmaa High15 - No drama * 6th Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Kate Tizzard Wiktoria - Not with me *** FINAL Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Wiktoria Joha...

Softengine scored the best Finnish finish in the Eurovision since Lordi's win with their Something better in Copenhagen 2014. They released their debut album, got good critic abroad and for a while it seemed they would actually make it and become world known band. Then September one of the guys left the band and they continued as foursome, releasing singles and promised two EPs to be released. One came, the other never. Then May 2017 another guy left and they were three... Then we haven't quite  heard of them until now: lead singer Topi Latukka has released his debut solo single (but the band still exists). In Finnish. Pehmeitä pintoi is a far cry from bands rocky pop and flirts with today's radio friendly trends and thus remains rather anonymous sadly.... The year after Satin Circus was in UMK and instantly became a fan favorite with Crossroads . They already gained popularity before UMK but sadly Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät run over them for all the wrong reasons...

The 24 finalists for Sanremo Giovani in December will be selected among these  previously announced ones from open call, and among these ones below coming through Area Sanremo selection. In previous years Area Sanremo ones had two places reserved among the Newcomers, but this time it seems the 24 will be selected among all these entries without limiting the numbers. Both groups have the live auditions in front of the committee, Area Sanremo ones on November 26, while the other already had theirs on November 12. It's worth remembering one of these could become Italy's entrant for the Eurovision song contest 2019... Sanremo Giovani runs from December 17 to 22, with the first four nights presenting six entries each before the prime time and will be hosted by Eurovision veteran Luca Barbarossa. The two final nights in prime time live television are presented by Sanremo legend Pippo Baudo and Fabio Rovazzi.   Listen Area Sanremo entries here .  Adabell - Questa ...

No need for Sanremo for dummies this time, as it's going to be all very easy and simple come February 2019. As the Newcomers will have their own show already in December (two of them will join the Big) for the first time since 1983 (with the exception of the messy year 2004) when the Newcomers selection was created, won by certain Eros Ramazzotti btw, there will be one category only.  The formula of how the evenings run is very simple: the first night all 24 entries will be performed, the second and third night half or 12 of them, and the fourth night is the event night when all the songs will be performed again but this time with guests and different arrangements. For the final and fifth night all 24 songs will be again performed.  The voting is on every night and as usual it's a threesome: televote (40%), demoscopic jury (30%) and the media present in press room (30%). That voting will be the same for the three first nights, and in the end of the third night the re...

YLE has been very, very quiet about the coming UMK2019 - so much that fandom is creating such a fuss about it in chat rooms and message boards that even the tabloids are starting to talk about it. Last year this time we already knew Saara Aalto was selected in a surprise twist and YLE angered most everyone who had submitted songs to the selection that was cancelled just like that. Lack of any information or hints only fuels the idea YLE is clueless what to do or simply won't get anyone decent. The only thing known so far is that the selection will take place on March 2, 2019 somewhere, with someone with three songs. When UMK boss Anssi Autio was interviewed about it the whole affair can be summed up in this way: He didn't comment the No comment line of comments he gave to most every question. Meanwhile the fandom has desperately seeked for clues and created several lines of conspiracy theories and even a rather credible reason: Yle may have had someone booked up who then ...

Melodifestivalen artists guessing goes wild when tabloids Afronbladet and Expressen try outdo each other in revealing the names before SVT does sometime in December most likely on November 27, 2018. So far we have a 15 year old Youtube star (he'll be 16 in time though) Bishara Morad in the list, as well as 86 year old Jan Malmsjö who could return to contest 50 years after his last appearance when he tied for the win with Hej clown co-written by ABBA's Benny Andersson but lost in revote.  Other rumored returnees are Arvingarna ( ESC 1993 ). Ann-Louise Hansson (74) could return for the record breaking 14th time. She first took part in 1963 and last 2004. Her best placing so far is 4th (1966, 1969, 1973). Jon Henrik Fjällgren could become third time lucky having placed 2nd and 3rd already. Last year's 3rd placed John Lundvik seems to be back as well with other recent participants Anton Hagman , Nano , Polish Margaret and Wiktoria . Add ex-Barbados and ex-Alcazar M...