A possible comeback for Eurovision winner Toto Cutogno, but not for Jalisse and Emma. There is still a few days left until the reveal of the now 22 candidates in the Campioni division of Sanremo 2017, but that’s what it looks like now.
Carlo Conti surprised us again as he revealed that there will be 22 artists competing in the upcoming Campioni division of Sanremo, instead of the usual 20. The bids were so good so it was hard to choose, Conti mentioned.
According to local media (which is usually right) new names emerged as this year’s Sanremo hopefuls. Amara, Loredana Bertè Samuel Romano, Riccardo Sinigallia and Paola Iezzi (ex Paola & Chiara) are some of them. Sister Christina who won The Voice of Italy in 2014 is among the rumoured list of participants. Chiara and Giusy Ferreri should be in the line-up as well. Fiorella Mannoia, one of the most established artists in Italy, is listed ready for a Sanremo comeback after 29 years. The biggest surprise although looks to be the last Italian Eurovision winner Toto Cutugno. Toto Cutugno won the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest in Zagreb. The following year he hosted the event in Italian capital of Rome.
Who won’t be in Sanremo 2017
It has been confirmed by thevfollowing artists that they haven’t submitted an entry for the upcoming Sanremo music festival. So we won’t see Emma, Nina Zilli, Raf, Nek, Anna Tatangelo, Alessandra Amoroso, Malika Ayane, Giorgia, Irama, Noemi, Edoardo Bennato.
It seems also pretty sure according to the same Italian media that previous Eurovision participants Jalisse didn’t manage to qualify to the live shows of Sanremo. Other artists that didn’t make it are Albano, Gerardina Trovato, Loredana Errore, Bianca Atzei, Francesco Sarcina, Marcella Bella, Levante, Francesco Di Bella and the girl group Simonetta, Greta, Roberta and Verdiana.
Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest
Italy has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 41 times since making its debut in 1956. It was one of only seven countries that competed in the very first contest. Italy competed frequently in the contest until 1997. After a fourteen-year absence, the country returned for the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest, with a respectable second place achieved by Raphael Gualazzi and Madness of Love. Italy has won the contest twice (1964 and 1990).
Along with Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom, Italy is one of the Big 5 who are automatically allowed to participate in the grand final because of their contribution to the Eurovision Song Contest, both with a substantial amount of viewers and economically.
This year in Stockholm, RAI had appointed the runner-up of Sanremo 2016 Francesca Michielin, as the Italian representative. Michielin performed a bilingual Italian and English version of her Sanremo entry at the Eurovision Song Contest and placed sixteenth out of the 26 participating countries with 124 points.
Below you can watch Francesca Michielin performing No Degree of Separation in Globe Arena:
