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🇮🇹 Road To Malmö: Italy

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Italy.

Angelina Mango

Born on April 10, 2001, in Maratea, Italy, Angelina Mango has emerged as a gifted Italian singer-songwriter. Raised in a musically inclined family, her father was the well-known singer Mango, and her mother, Laura Valente, sang for Matia Bazar. Angelina grew up in Lagonegro with her older brother Filippo, absorbing musical influences from the Rolling Stones to Venetian school composers like Giovanni Gabrieli.

Angelina’s formal education at a scientific high school was paused due to her father’s sudden death, leading the family to move to Milan in 2016. Here, she continued her studies and explored music alongside her brother. Angelina’s career took a significant turn with the release of her debut single “Va tutto bene” in 2020, soon followed by her first EP “Monolocale.”

Her musical journey flourished with performances at Milan Music Week and a collaboration with Sony Music and producer Enrico Brun in 2022. Angelina also made notable appearances on television shows and festivals, excelling in the twenty-second season of “Amici di Maria De Filippi” where she finished second and won in the singing category. Her song “Voglia di vivere” became a summer hit in 2023, reaching triple platinum status.

Most recently, Angelina won the 74th Festival Di Sanremo with her performance of “La noia,” continuing her rise as a prominent figure in Italian music.

Festival di Sanremo

The festival of San Remo (Festival di Sanremo) was first held in 1951. The festival was a blueprint for the Eurovision Song Contest. In all those years, many classics came from the Festival Di Sanremo, as well as many stories. The winner of the festival was, on many occasions, the Italian participant for the Eurovision Song Contest. This year, the winner had the first choice to represent Italy. Angelina Mango said yes rightaway. She won the contest out of 30 contenders. Mahmood, Diodato, Il Volo, Ricchi e Poveri and Emma were among them.

Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest

Italy debuted at the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. It was in 1964 when they had their first victory with Gigliola Cinquetti’s “Non ho l’eta”. It took until 1990 when this happened again with Toto Cutugno and his “Insieme: 1992”. In 2021 Måneskin won with “Zitti e buoni”. However, many Eurovision classics came from Italy. What to think about Domenico Modugno’s “Volare” and “Piove”? Do you remember Alice & Battiato singing “I treni di Tozeur”, or Tozzi & Raff presenting “Gente di mare”. And let’s not forget, in more recent years, Mahmood’s “Soldi”.

Måneskin, photo: EBU

The Bookmakers

Italy is placed directly for the final. In the betting odds to win this final, Italy is currently 3rd. Will Angelina Mango do the job for Italy for a 4th time? Given the betting odds, it’s not impossible…

The song

And this is the song:

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Blast from the past: Belgium 1981

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Blast from the past
Martijn

Blast from the past: Belgium 1981

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 1981, when Emly Starr represented Belgium with her song “Samson”. Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest Belgium is one of the countries that participates from the beginning on. The Belgians switch every year between the Flemish and Wallon broadcasters. Just once, Belgium won: in 1986, Sandra Kim sang she was 15, claimed she was 14 and in the end appeared to be 13. However: more Belgian songs were successful. In 1978 and 2003 Belgium was the runner up: Jean Vallee and Urban Trad were very close. In recent years, Belgium made it to the top-5 with Loïc Nottet (2015) and Blanche (2017). The best scoring Flemish entry was the 2010 song “Me and My Guitar”, sang by Tom Dice. Eurosong 1981 No less than 40 songs participated in the Belgian selection of 1981. Out of three heats, 10 finalists were chosen. The final was held in the Amerikaans Theater in Brussels, hosted by Luc Appermont. No results were made public, apart from the winner. However, in later years jury members of those days confirmed that Liliane Saint-Pierre’s “Brussel” reached the 2nd place. Fancy Free sang “De Wereld Is Een Showtoneel“ De Opera sang “De Opera“ Gene Summer sang “Zing Het Maar“ Stella sang “Veel Te Veel“ Ann Michel sang “Ik Ben Gelukkig“ Johann Stollz sang “Hello Hello“ Emly Starr sang “Samson en Delilah“ Lester & Denwood sang “Bonnie“ Venus sang “Talisman“ Liliane Saint-Pierre sang “Brussel“ Liliane Saint-Pierre Stella already participated in 1970 for the Netherlands as a member of Hearts Of Soul, and in 1977 for Belgium as a member of Dream Express. She sang solo for Belgium in 1982. Liliane Saint-Pierre represented her country in 1987, in….. Brussels! The title of the winning song was later shortened to “Samson”. Emly Starr Emly Starr, born Marie-Christine Mareels on September 5, 1957, in Wetteren, Belgium, is a singer best known for representing Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981. She began her career at a young age under the stage name “Heidi” but later adopted the name Emly Starr, performing English-language pop and disco songs. In 1978, she appeared in the short film Santiago Lovers. Starr gained recognition with her disco act “Emly Starr Explosion,” and in 1980, she participated in the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, finishing eighth with the song Mary Brown. The following year, she won Belgium’s Eurosong contest, earning the opportunity to perform Samson at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, where she finished in 13th place. In 1985, Starr played the role of Erika in the film Springen and sang its title song, Jump in the Dark. Eventually, she transitioned from performing to the business side of the entertainment industry, working alongside her husband, Tony Winter (Frans De Schrijver). Together, they manage the Globe Show Center in Denderleeuw, which houses a television studio and organizes events. They also provide showbiz equipment rentals, contributing to the Belgian entertainment scene. Samson “Samson” was composed by Kick Dandy, a pseudonym for Tony Winter (Frans De Schrijver), and the lyrics were written by Penny Els. It is a dynamic, upbeat disco-pop track, characterized by its catchy rhythm and energetic performance, which was a popular style in the early 1980s. The lyrics of “Samson” playfully reference the biblical story of Samson, known for his great strength, and Delilah, who betrays him. However, the song reinterprets the tale, using it as a metaphor for a romantic relationship, with the singer comparing herself to the powerful figure who falls for a lover’s charm. Emly Starr’s lively stage presence and the colorful, engaging choreography added to the song’s appeal. The daring dress with a high slit contributed to the festive atmosphere. Despite the spirited performance, “Samson” scored 40 points at Eurovision and finished in 13th place out of 20 entries. Although it did not achieve a top ranking, the song remains a memorable part of Emly Starr’s career. Share

Share
Read More »