Introducing 2011: Italy

by Marcus Klier 158 views

All songs for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 have been selected. During the weeks between the national final season and the actual Eurovision Song Contest, we will introduce all 43 entries in random order. Part two of the series is dedicated to the Italian entry.

Basic information

Performer: Raphael Gualazzi
Song: Madness of love
Language: Italian and English
Music: Raffaele Gualazzi
Lyrics: Raffaele Gualazzi
Draw:

12th in the final

The song

Madness of love (Follia d'amore in Italian) is a mid-tempo piano pop song with jazz influences. The lyrics, which mix words in English and Italian, tell about the emotional troubles one has to deal with during a separation, which eventually lead to a sort of paranoia:

Ma vedrai un altro me
In un sogno fragile
Riderai come se
Non ti avessi amato mai
Cercherai un altro me
Oltre l’ombra di un caffè
Troverai solo me
But you will see another me
In a soft dream
You will laugh as if
I had never loved you
You will search another me
Behind the shadow of a cup of coffee
But you will just find me

The performer and songwriter

Raphael Gualazzi is an alumnus of the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro. Having already competed in many music festivals, he became better known to a wider public when her recorded a cover version of the Fleetwood Mac song Don't stop for a television commercial. His first CD Love outside the window was released in 2005.

In 2011, the singer entered the newcomer's competition of the prestigious San Remo festival. He won the section with his own composition Follia d'amore, which would go on to become his first hit on the Italian single charts peaking at number eight. Simultanously, the song was chosen as Italian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The English version of the song is also included on the soundtrack of the film Manuale d'amore 3. Furthermore, it is the first track on Raphael Gualazzi's album Reality and fantasy.

The national selection

Italian broadcaster RAI appointed a special jury to choose the country's song for Düsseldorf among the entries in the 2011 San Remo festival. Among the judges was Gianni Morandi, Italian representative in the Eurovision Song Contest 1970.

Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest

Italy was one of the seven countries that competed in the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. Over the years the country won twice, first in 1964 and a second time in 1990. Italy was very successful in general with a high number of top five placings. The only last place to date came in 1966 with nul points. The country had already taken many breaks when they eventually withdrew from the contest after 1997. 2011 marks Italy's return.

Statistics

This will be Italy's 37th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. The country returns to the contest after 14 years making it the third longest gap between two participations behind Malta's 16 years of abstinence from 1976 to 1990 and Monaco's 1980-2003 break. It will be the second time that the Italian entry is performed mainly in both English and Italian. The first time this was the case in 1976, when Al Bano & Romina Power sang We'll live it all again in The Hague. The duo's other entry Magic oh magic (1985) also included a few words in English. It is the 20th time already that Italy is being represented by a male soloist – Italy is one of the very few countries that sent more male than female singers to the contest.

The song will be performed as the 12th in the final. Last year, another big five country – the United Kingdom – finished last from that spot. However, the other two entries performed twelfth in the years since 2008 (with two semi finals and 25 songs in the final) both reached the top ten. A minor disadvantage (or maybe even advantage?) might be the fact that Italy follows right after France. Both countries compete with young male singers, who perform songs that are not typical for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Auguriamo all'Italia e a Raphael Gualazzi buona fortuna ed un buon risultato a Düsseldorf!

Videos

Live performance in San Remo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S98ONZOuS0Q

The preview video:

Don't stop:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz-9YhN5B4A

Remix of Reality and fantasy:

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Croatian entry.

Previous parts of the series:

  1. Estonia