Italy

🇮🇹 This is the week of Sanremo

Festival di Sanremo 2024 is going to start tonight. Tonight, all the artists will sing their song for the first time. The upcoming five days, you can watch Sanremo every night. After the final, the winner will let us know whether he or she will represent Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö this year. Tonight’s show starts at 20.40 CET. You can watch the show live here. The participants are: Alessandra Amoroso sings “Fino a qui” Alfa sings “Vai!” Agelina Mango sings “La noia” Annalisa sings “Sinceramente” BigMama sings “La rabbia non ti basta” Bnkr44 sings “Governo punk” Clara sings “Diamanti grezzi” Dargen D’Amico sings “Onda alta” Diodato sings “Ti muovi” Emma sings “Apnea” Fiorella Mannoia sings “Mariposa” Fred De Palma sings “Il cielo non ci vuole” Gazzelle sings “Tutto qui” Geolier sings “I p’ me tu p’ te” Ghali sings “Casa mia” Il Tre sings “Fragili” Il Volo sings “Capolavoro” Irama sings “Tu no” La sad sings “Autodistruttivo” Loredana Bertè sings “Pazza” Mahmood sings “Tuta gold” Maninni sings “Spettacolare” Mr. Rain sings “Due altalene” Negramaro sings “Ricominciamo tutto” Renga & Nek sing “Pazzo di te” Ricchi e Poveri sing “Ma non tutta la vitta” Rose Villain sings “Click boom!” Sangiovanni sings “Finiscimi” Santi Francesci sings “L’amore in bocca” The Kolors sing “Un ragazzo una ragazza” Several participants took part in previous festivals in years that the ESC participant was chosen from Sanremo. No less than 4 participants represented Italy in ESC: Emma (2014), Il Volo (2015), Mahmood (2019 and 2022) and even Ricchi e Poveri (1978!). Diodato was supposed to do the job in 2020, but in that year the festival had to be cancelled due to COVID19. Ricchi e Poveri sing “Questo amore”, 1978 Emma sings “La mia città”, 2014 Il volo sing “Grande amore”, 2015 Mahmood sings “Soldi”, 2019 Diodato sings “Fai rumore”, Eurovision Shine a Light 2020 Mahmood (in duet with Blanco) sings “Brividi, 2022

Michele Perniola

© EBU/Elena Volotova About Quick Facts NameMichele Perniola Born06 September 1998 Nationality🇮🇹 Nationality National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongChain Of Lights (& Anita Simoncini) Biography Michele Perniola was born on September 6, 1998, in Mottola and lives in Palagiano, in the province of Taranto. In 2012, he participated and won the sixth edition of the television program Ti lascio una canzone (I Leave You a Song), mostly performing songs of Michael Jackson. In 2013, he represented San Marino at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song “O-o-O Sole intorno a me”. In 2014, he made a brief appearance in the first season of the TV series Braccialetti rossi. In May 2015, he represented San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 alongside Anita Simoncini, performing the song “Chain of Lights,” written and produced by German composer Ralph Siegel. They received 11 points in the second semifinal, ranking only ahead of Switzerland, and thus, did not qualify for the final stage of the competition. In October 2015, he participated in the New Wave singing event in Sochi, Russia, representing Italy and finished in 4th place in the overall ranking. Since January 2017, he has been participating in the sixteenth edition of the talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi. However, he was eliminated at the end of the first episode of the live shows on March 25. In July of the same year he released the single “Déjà vu”. He did a tour throughout Italy with many performances. After this, Michele Perniola started performing under the name 3x3n. He released the song “Emerald eyes” in 2020. In February 2021, this song was followed by “Amare invano”. At the same time, the song “RE4 Freestyle” was released on YouTube. Entries Chain Of Lights (& Anita Simoncini) Country🇸🇲 San Marino Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsJohn O’Flynn (Bernd Meinunger) MusicRalph Siegel BackingsKatrin Schild von SpannenbergPat LawsonRon van LankerenJulian Feifel Results Semi Points: 11Position: 16Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/FE1KJYNvVAE

Liverpool live: rehearsals on coronation day

Today, king Charles III will be crowned. You can follow the coronation live on YouTube. However, because you visit our site we think you will be more interested in the Eurovision Song Contest. In that case, you are in the right place! Today is the day of the last few rehearsals. We saw the Big 5 and Ukraine today. Also, the decision will be made today which country performs where in the final. photo credits: EBU/Corinne Cumming/Sarah Louise Bennett/Chloe Hashemi Germany As we only get to see some pictures, it is hard to say whether there is any change or improvement. On the current pictures, the triangle structure behind the band is more visible and notable. Furthermore, it gives the same impression. Germany is currently 15th at the bookmakers. Not a top position, but at least much higher than the last few years. France Also for France there are no differences. La Zarra is still standing on a high structure with the long black rug on it. France is currently strongly on the 3rd place in the betting odds. There are even people who talk about the French song as the potential winner. So who knows…. Italy Marco Mengoni has returned to perform on stage and has changed his outfit. He is no longer wearing the silver vest he wore on Thursday. Instead, he is now wearing a longer silver vest that gradually fades from silver to black, giving it an ombre effect. To create a cohesive look, sparkles have been added to one side of his leather trousers. Italy is currently number 8 at the bookmakers. Ukraine According to eurovision.tv, the graphics are working well in the act. Note that this is their opinion, we have to judge for ourselves. Also, they mention something about the timing that goes perfect. Again, let’s wait and see. Not that we don’t trust TVORCHI in this, but we haven’t seen it ourselves. The bookmakers say the Ukrainian entry would end up in 4th place, which would be a great score for the country. Spain No changes whatsoever in the Spanish act. Still she is wearing the white platforms and the stage is almost red during the whole performance. It is said that she vocally does well. All we heard so far is that this is true. Spain has a 5th place at the bookmakers, which would be a wonderful score for Spain for the second year in a row! United Kingdom Also no changes in the act like it was at the first rehearsal is noticed. Still the graphics with the split head. What the people of eurovision.tv noticed, again for what it is worth, is that she had more energy in this performance. The United Kingdom is 10th at the bookmakers. That would be top-10 twice in a row for the UK, and it is quite a high score for a host country. In collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool Live: rehearsal schedule

On this day of celebration in the United Kingdom, the last 6 countries will have their individual rehearsals. And after that, we have the turquoise carpet on Sunday. This is today’s schedule: 11.00 – 11.15 Germany11.25 – 11.40 France11.50 – 12.05 Italy12.15 – 12.30 Ukraine12.40 – 12.55 Spain13.05 – 13.20 United Kingdom

Liverpool live: Fireworks, LED-screens and a moon

This is the day when we first see the Big 5 and Ukraine to rehearse. Of course Ukraine is added, not as the organizer but as last year’s winner. photo credits: EBU/Corinne Cumming/Sarah Louise Bennett Germany Lord of the Lost is wearing red costumes, like in the national final. Singer Chris ‘Lord’ Harms wears a collar of flames. The band is elevated on a triangular metal structure, adorned with red and black LEDs, and an unrelenting flashing light display that persists throughout the entire three-minute performance. And of course we spot a lot of fireworks in the performance. France La Zarra is standing on a tall, moving column covered in sparkly black fabric that goes all the way to the ground. The column has a mirror-tiled top, and La Zarra is wearing a fitted gown made entirely of black and red sequins. She is singing her heart out on top of the column, and there’s a French flag displayed on the LED wall behind her at the end of her performance. Italy Marco Mengoni sings his ballad while standing alone on stage. Marco is wearing leather trousers and a silver sparkly vest, while a backdrop of swirling clouds on an LED wall. An oversized moon provide a dramatic visual setting. Ukraine TVORCHI-member Jeffrey wears a black suit covered with gold images. Andrii wears black clothes with a silver jacket over it. During their performance, TVORCHI effectively utilize lighting and an LED wall, with four boxes on stage providing a backdrop for their two dancers dressed in black. Their are big flames during the performance. Spain The staging for Blanca Paloma’s performance resembles the setup seen during Benidorm Fest in January. It features two fringed red semi-circular structures at the center of the stage, forming a circle where Blanca and her five dancers perform. The background is set aglow with black, red, and white lighting. There has been some low smoke during the performance. United Kingdom Mae Muller wears a corset jacket and black trousers, and commences her performance on a raised plinth before the LED wall. The wall features pop art-style graphics. At the beginning, there’s a section where Mae’s face splits horizontally, giving the impression that she’s inside her own head, which enhances the pop video quality of the performance. four dancers dressed in black and red accompany Mae, particularly during the second half of the performance, when they join Mae at the front of the stage for a synchronized dance routine. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule

We already head to day 5: some rehearsals of the 2nd semifinal, and….. the big 5. 11.30 – 11.50 Denmark11.55 – 12.15 Armenia12.20 – 12.40 Romania12.45 – 13.05 Estonia13.10 – 13.30 Belgium 14.40 – 15.10 Germany15.20 – 15.50 France16.00 – 16.30 Italy16.40 – 17.10 Ukraine17.20 – 17.50 Spain18.00 – 18.30 United Kingdom

Road to Liverpool: Italy

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Italy. Marco Mengoni Marco Mengoni won the Festival di Sanremo 2023. He became the first choice to go to Eurovision, and accepted it. However, it took him some time to decide that this would be with “Due vite”, his Sanremo song. He wrote the song together with Davide Petrella and Davide Simonetta. Marco Mengoni won the X-Factor in 2009. His prize: participation in the Festival Di Sanremo 2010. He also scored his first hit “Dove si vola” with the X-Factor final song. In total, Marco released 7 studio albums and 4 live albums. In 2013 he won the Festival di Sanremo with the song “L’essenziale”. With this song, Marco went to the Eurovision Song Contest, were he got the 7th place. Mengoni reached the number 1 spot in the Italian charts several times: with “Dove si vola” and “L’essenziale”, but also “Guerriero” and “Ti ho voluto bene veramente“. Eurovision vs Sanremo Marco Mengoni was first choice for the Eurovision Song Contest because he won the Festival di Sanremo. He chose to do the job and represent his country. In Eurovision history, the contest and the Festival di Sanremo are closely connected. The idea for the Eurovision Song Contest came from Italian producers. They were enthousiast about Sanremo and wanted to implement it in Europe. The first years, until 1966, the winning song and singer automatically went to Eurovision. After that, sometimes the winner was the contestant, sometimes the winning song. And a few times, another participating song went to Eurovision. Only in the seventies and early eighthies, the festivals were not connected. Most of the times, the winner also had the right to refuse a trip to Eurovision. That happened in 1990. Winning band I Pooh decided to reject the Eurovision offer. Runner up Toto Cutugno accepted it an won the contest. Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest That brings us to Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest. Toto Cutugno was one of the three winners. In 1964, young Gigliola Cinquetti reached the first place with a landslide. Quite recently, in 2021, the band Måneskin did it. Other Italian Eurovision entries became classics. Who doesn’t remember “Piove“, “I treni di tozeur” or “Gente di mare“. The 1958 Eurovision entry “Nel blu dipinto di blu“, later named “Volare”, was probably the most selling Eurovision Song ever. Bookmakers The bookmakers currently predict an 11th place for Marco Mengoni. That is probably not what the Italians expect from “Due vite”. Italy does score very well in Eurovision most of the time, so let’s hope for a high score for Marco. The song And of course, you can listen to the song here. Enjoy “Due vite”!

Piqued Jacks

© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts MembersE-KingMajic-olittleladieHolyHargot Founded2006 Nationality🇮🇹 Italian National SelectionUna Voce Per San Marino 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongLike An Animal (2023) Biography The Piqued Jacks are an Italian musical group formed in 2006 in Buggiano and composed by E-King (vocals, piano, synthesizer), Majic-o (guitar), littleladle (bass) and HolyHargot (drums). The Piqued Jacks were formed in 2006 in Buggiano, in the province of Pistoia. In 2010 and 2011 they released their first two EPs. They then worked with producer Brian Lanese on their third EP, “Just a Machine”, released in January 2013. In March 2014 they worked with Matt Noveskey of Blue October on the singles “Upturned Perspectives” and “No Bazooka”. Their first album “Climb like Ivy Does” came out in 2015, and in 2016 the acoustic version was released, titled “Aerial Roots”. In 2016 drummer ThEd0g was replaced by Damiano Beritelli, who was in turn replaced in 2017 by HolyHargot. In June 2018 the single “Wildly Shine” was released, produced by Michael Beinhorn. Four months later “The Living Past” followd, the band’s second studio album. In April 2019 guitarist Penguinsane left the group and was replaced by Majic-o. In the same year the Piqued Jacks won the prize in the rock category at the Sanremo Rock festival. In 2020 they were selected by MTV for the New Generation platform. In September of the same year the single “Safety Distance” was released, which anticipated the third album “Synchronizer” in March 2021. In 2023 they participated in the second edition of Una voce per San Marino, where they presented the song “Like an Animal”. They won the contest and thus represented San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. However, they did not make it to the Grand Final. Entries Like An Animal Country🇸🇲 San Marino Year2023 LanguageEnglish LyricsPiqued Jacks MusicPiqued Jacks Backings– Results Semi Points: 0Position: 15Running order: 12 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/pIdHjcqyLfo

Marco Mengoni represents Italy

After he won the Festival Di Sanremo yesterday, Marco Mengoni confirmed today that he will go to Eurovision. He confirmed that during the winners press conference this afternoon. The signs that he would do the job were already there. Yesterday, he said in a BBC-interview that he would like to go. Marco Mengoni will sing the song “Due vite” in Liverpool. The song is written by Marco himself with Davide Pretella and Davide Simonetta. Italy is placed directly for the final.

Marco Mengoni wins San Remo 2023

(photo by Alvaro Sanabria-Rangel) It’s “Due Vite”by Marco Mengoni that won the 73rd edition of the Italian San Remo festival! Every night he participated, he won the first place. It’s the second time he won the competition. In 2013, it was his first time winning the competition with “L’Essenziale”. Back then he went to the Eurovision Song Contest, and ended up quite high with 7th place.” The question is, will he participate in Eurovision again this year? Well, we only need to wait and find out. You can find the San Remo performance of “Due Vite” right here: The San Remo 2023 top 5 were: Marco Mengoni – “Due Vite” Lazza – Cenere Mr. Rain – Supereroi Ultimo – Alba Tananai – Tango