Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Area Sanremo is the selection that will bring two of the eight Sanremo Giovani finalists to the festival (five come from Sanremo Giovani selection and one from Sanremo Young competition held earlier this year, or Tecla Insolia ). Since 1997 from here have jumped to the festival names like Anna Tatangelo , Arisa , Renzo Rubino , Roberto Amadé and Mahmood . This year there were 850 submissions, then 65 passed the auditions, now only eight are left. And they will be only two in the end.  Jaqueline Branciforte – Game over Matteo Faustini – Nel bene e nel male Gabriella Martinelli e Lula – Il gigante d’acciaio Alessia Gerardi – Atipica  Leo Alex – A cuore fermo Camilla Magli – Eterno rosso Arianna Manca – Andarsi bene  Messya (Andrea Riso)   – T.S.O.

Reigning Eurovision song contest winner Duncan Laurence has released the video for his follow up single Love don't hate it . Very simple video fitting perfectly the mood of the song that is pretty fabulous and grows with every listen. Good job, Duncan! and while at it, have a rewatch if his Arcade , too:

  My love, there's only you in my life....    Diana Ross indeed was my first artistic love. Hers was the very first vinyl I bought. I have followed her ever since through the 80's to the 2010's and soon to the 2020's as she's still there, touring and performing. Thanks to her I discovered Motown and fell in love with the Motown sound and totally fell for The Supremes who brought the 60's music to my life and also Diana's 70's music. Too many songs to feature here. She's been the soundtrack of my life and she's the One artist I wish I would see live one day. I came close years and years ago in Rome and regret still I didn't stick around in Piazza Navona one day when some show was taking place in a few hours and watch the show live there (I didn't know she was to perform there, too) and was rather pissed to see it at home a few kms away that evening on tv. Another time I had front row seat for her concert in Helsinki that was then ...

  Il Volo celebrates their 10 years together with a greatest hits album and DVD of their last summer's tour in Italy. Talking about tour they are heading for a 23-date Northern America tour in January-March 2020. The album is also released as a Japanese version with a slightly different track list, and the third version is made for the Latin market and will be released on December 6, 2019.  Check out below the track list with links to their performances and videos over the past decade. Il Mondo    - 'O Sole mio (Live in Matera)* - Surrender (Live in Matera)*    - Smile (Live in Matera)   - Caruso (Live in Pompei)    - Un amore cosi' grande     - Granada (Live)- My Way (Live)  - Grande amore   - Nel blu, dipinto di blu (Volare) - Turandot: Nessun Dorma (Live) - La Traviata - Libiamo ne`lieti calici (Live) - People - Arrivederci Roma   - Musica che resta (Live in Mater...

 Last but not least two ladies: Diana Rouvas and Jaguar Jonze . Diana (35) is the current winner of The Voice Australia, of clear Greek origin she's not afraid to underline, and has toured for years as Tina Arena's backing singer. Her song is titled Can we make heaven .  Jaguar is mixed Taiwanese-Australian, born in Japan filling in with the alternative indie slot in Australia decides. Her entry will be titled Rabbit hole .  Next up to talent guys for the line up: Jack Vidgen and Jordan-Ravi . Jack won Australia's Got Talent as 14 year old. Burn out and apparently several plastic surgeries later now at 22 he's aiming for  Eurovision after trying his luck in The Voice. His entry I am king, I am queen is below.  Jordan-Ravi (19) got his shot at fame not in  Australia but America's Got Talent. His entry will be called  Pushing stars .  Two indie artists revealed next for the Australia decides Eurovision national se...

  Motown, my great love, has given me so many favorite artists and Lionel Ritchie was one of them. He went solo in the 80's and scored some great hits and once again Diana Ross was there for the launch. Their duet Endless love was a #1 hit and Lionel would score four other solo ones. A true legend. And still around. Check out also

Festival da Canção 2020 composers have been revealed by RTP. As in previous years that has brought Portugal its long lost first victory and also a couple of not so succesful but very memorable entries the chosen composers have a full artistic freedom to create the song and choose the artist, even themselves. There will be two semi-finals (February 22 and 29) and the grand final is set for March 7 (along with Sweden, Finland and Denmark so far!). The songs and artists will be announced in due time.  Click the names below for hints of their styles and possible chances as performing the songs themselves... Rui Pregal da Cunha Tiago Nacarato Filipe Sambado  MEERA Pedro Jóia Throes + The Shine Eliza Rodrigues Marta Carvalho António Avelar Pinho João Cabrita Hélio Morais Dino D’Santiago Jimmy P Blasted Mechanism Dubio ft. +351 (Open Submissions selected song) Cláudio Francisco António (Antena 1’s Masterclass show)

  What can I say? Toto's Africa still plays everywhere and I have always had a soft spot for Rosanna, too. Fantastic songs and arrangements that have proven timeless. And Toto's musicians have popped up here and there in my favorite artists albums all these decades so it feels like Toto is ever present.  Check out also

  Gianni Togni may not be exactly a name on everyone's lips these days but he did have his moment in the spotlight in the 80's with Luna at least. He has continued to release albums and has written also a few musicals. My favorite is Giulia, love its piano arrangement that I still play in my head every now and then. It has also a fantastic remix by Gabry Ponte. Check out also

  The jury has spoken and the 20 chosen ones are out. Only three female voices made it (and two of them are back from last year!). This blogger is pleased to see Raimondo Cataldo aka Raim is back and made it through. The televised selections start on November 16 until December 7 and only ten of them will make it to the grand final on December 19 wherefrom five will make it to the festival in February 2020. You can listen to the songs here   The semi-finals were done in duels which is just about the most unfair game to play and pretty much all favorites of mine (or in general) were kicked out by the televoting teenagers..... I suppose.  Ainè (Arnaldo Santoro, 28) - Van Gogh eliminated Marco Sentieri  (Pasquale Mennillo, 34)  - Billy Blu -  finalist Fadi  (Thomas Olowarotimi Fadimiluyi, 31)  - Due noi -   finalist Raim  (Raimondo Cataldo, 28)  - Labirinto -  eliminated Fasma  (Tiberio Fazioli...

  Nik Kershaw's spotlight in fame didn't last very long but he left us with some great hits and his career peaked at being one of the performers in the Live Aid concert and then he kinda faded away. Also from my radar. Over the years he has released some albums and written and produced songs to many others scoring occasional hits by Tony Banks of Genesis, Elton John, Sia, The Hollies , Let Loose, Gary Barlow, Bonnie Tyler..... Check out also

  Pat Benatar has toured in 2019 with her 40th anniversary tour even if her latest album came out in 2003. Her career highlight was the 80's with nine US top-20 hits, and those are the songs I remember well.... especially Shadows of the night , a kind of early Heaven is a place on earth (by Belinda Carlisle), and We belong .  Check out also

  Born in Saigon and having flourishing careers going on in both Italy and France Cocciante has been releasing amazing songs already for decades. He has enjoyed also fame and success in Spain and South America, especially with Margherita . I came across him in the 80's but really got into him after his Sanremo 1991 win with Se stiamo insieme . In late 90's he has great success with musical Notre-Dame de Paris in France, with megahit Belle . In 1995 he also released a Spanish cover of one of my favorite songs ever, William Sheller's Un homme heureux , that indeed fits his repertoire perfectly. Check out also

  Bruce Springsteen, the future of rock'n roll as someone said back in the day. He's still around and even if I'm not a big fan these days in the 80's a few songs got my attention and I was a fan. A little. To certain songs. Like The River that is beautiful still. Who would have thought the girl dancing in the dark would still company me on telly most every night for the zillionth rerun of any Friends  episode? Check out also

The submission window for UMK2020 entries is now opened in Finland and will close on November 8 midnight. Read more here .  The chosen ones will be informed by November 30, but the public get to know them only on January 21 when also the jury who picked them up will be made public in a press conference that will be also streamed live on Yle Areena. The UMK2020 final will be in Mediapolis TV- studios in Tampere with a limited audience (one can apply later on) and will be broadcasted live on Yle1 and Yle Areena on March 7 - the same date we already have both Swedish and Danish finals.... UMK returns to open contest after two internal choices. Hopefully songwriters have forgotten and forgiven this disaster though ....

  I got to know about Milva thanks to Franco Battiato and she joined as my favorites next to Alice and Giuni Russo thanks to two albums he wrote and produced to her in the 80's (and he would do a third one in 2010) Natural step was to discover her better and her career in German and French as well. She has released 173 albums singing in various languages (studio/live/compilations) but is retired  since 2012 because of poor health. Milva holds the record of participations in Sanremo (with Peppino Di Capri and Toto Cutugno): 15 times between 1961 and 2007 with one 2nd place (1962) and four 3rd places (1961, 1968, 1969, 1973) and further six top-10 placements. One of the last true Divas. In a good sense.  Check out also

  Unlike most Stock, Aitken and Waterman artists Rick wasn't thrown into studio and easy hits made right away and he worked in the studio learning the business and overcame his shyness, while he waited his moment to shine. It came with a single that hit #1 in 25 countries and pretty much saved the company that was starting to fall apart a bit. Three hit albums later they parted the ways, Rick's career pretty much flopped and he retired for many years. He made his second comeback in 2016 with a #1 album in the UK.  I had no idea. I'm stuck in the 80's with him. Everyone of us sounds great though! Check out also

Albania's Festivali i Këngës reaches its 58th edition this December and the dates have been set to 19 and 20 for the semi-finals and after one night break the grand final on 22nd. Among the participants again familiar names from Olta Boka (ESC 2008) to already ever present Bojken Lako and Kamela Islamaj and Era Rusi. Local megastar Elvana Gjata appears on the list as well as Arilena Ara who has already enjoyed some international success.  Wendi Mancaku – Ende (Endrit Mumajesi/Wendy Mancaku) Valon Shehu – Kutia e Pandorës   FINALIST (Elvis Preni/Eugent Bushpepa) Tiri Gjoci – Me gotën bosh   FINALIST (Pandi Laço/Everest Ndreca) Sara Bajraktari – Ajër   FINALIST (Adrian Hila) Robert Berisha – Ajo nuk është unë   FINALIST (Filloreta Raçi) Renis Gjoka – Loja (Ilir Krasniqi/Renis Gjoka) Olta Boka – Shkrime në mur   FINALIST (Genc Salihu/Florent Boshnjaku) Nadia & Genc Tukiçi – Ju flet Tirana (Agim Xheka/Genc Tukiçi) Kastro Zizo (a...

Everyone knows Paula today as the American Idol judge, but she's been judging X Factor, So you think you can dance and many others. Her career however started when she was discovered by The Jacksons when she was cheerleading the Lakers. Soon she was choreographing their video and tour, and later Janet Jackson's Nasty and Control , did choreographies for movies and shows and then someone asked: Can she sing? The rest is history. Three hit albums in late 80's-mid 90's and a string of hits followed with six US #1's in a row with wins MTV Music awards and others. I was a fan. Extra points for taking Ofra Haza along to My love is for real .  Check out also: