Tag Archive for Valentina Monetta

Interview: GloPop catches up with Valentina Monetta

May 4, 2012 Glopop interview One comment

Last Sunday, London was the next city in line to welcome several contestants who are competing at this years Eurovision Song Contest. We caught up with lovely Valentina Monetta, who’s the 3rd participant to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest for San Marino.

The San Marino born and bred lady has lots of enthusiasm and couldn’t wait to speak to us. Prepare yourself for her findings on working with Ralph Siegel, her love for music and Facebook!

Hi Valentina, thank you so much for allowing us to ask you a few questions before heading into a really busy time. How are you? Is it your first time in London?

”Hello! Yes it is my very first time in London. I am enjoying it very much here. London is the center of music. There’s a lot of music and live clubs around here. I really love live clubs as I work there. It’s all about  music here in London, and that’s really my thing!”

Congratulations on representing San Marino at Eurovision. You were internally selected by SMRTV (San Marino TV broadcaster). Can you remember when you were selected and how you were asked?

”I’m feeling very honored and really proud to represent San Marino, my country at Eurovision. On  one night Carmella Sorella saw me in a club and she came up to me and said ”you are the person to represent San Marino at Eurovision this year”. So the next day I went to Munich to meet Ralph Siegel in his recording studio to record a song. We did the Facebook song in one take and it was clear to everybody that we had found the right song. Afterwards we had to change a few things which wasn‘t much of a big deal, as music is my salvation.”

You just mentioned Ralph Siegel. The German composer achieved huge success throughout the 8o’ies and 9o’ies with his entries, with his entry  ‘Ein Bisschen Friede’ winning for Germany in 1982. How was working with mister Siegel for you and did he give you any advice for Eurovision?

”He told me to be myself and really pay attention to connecting with my entry ”The Social Network song (Oh-Oh uh Oh-Oh). Ralph and I are very close. After five minutes we connected really well in the studio. He’s very special to me and an amazing composer, and very professional person.”

Do you hope to work more with him in the future?

”I hope so. I like his style of work and the connection was there from the start”.

Valentina, if you had to describe your entry ”The Social Network Song (Oh Oh Uh Oh OH) in three words for us. Which words would you choose and why these words?

”The word’s I’d choose are fresh, cute and ironic. The ”Social Network song” is very ironic. the song was made before I was chosen as the singer but has a very strong message: connecting. It’s about social networking so whether it’s about sharing a photo, talking to friends, making friends  it really is about bringing communities and people together.”

You have indeed been very active on Facebook connecting with people can you tell us out of your head how many facebook friends you currently have?

”Oh Gosh, I can’t remember now. I think around 1900…1870… the number of friends I make grows all the time. ”

Are you secretly hoping the EBU will allow you to have your Facebook address on screen during your performance so that the 120 million viewers who are watching the event worldwide can add you on Facebook?

*laughs* ”Yeah that would be cool, but then I think we have a big problem. I am very very happy about how the message and reaction has been.”

Which leads us to another question, about Facebook. The song was originally called ”The Facebook Song” but the EBU couldn’t allow the song and urged you to change the lyrics. How was that for you?

”Well, I keep saying in interviews that for a day I lost my Cinderella shoes hahaha. It wasn’t  a problem for me or the producer. We went back in the studio for the night changed a few lyrics and mixed a bit with the bass and that’s how the ‘Social Network Song’ is born.  For me, the new and  second version are a lot stronger. ”

We read in your biography that you are also a jazz singer. Are you thinking of rerecording the song and give it a different arrangement, such as a jazz version and sung in Italian?

”That’s actually a great idea, I have been experimenting with the song a bit and found that ‘The Social Network Song’ sounds really really nice when performed in swing style. (Valentina treated us here to an Acapella version) I tried it at home with my piano and added a bit of bebop on it too. I love bebop as well, just as Jazz. People say that jazz singers are purists. I wouldn’t categorize myself as a purist as I really love a lot of styles. I love hip hop/ R&B too for example. Music is my life.”

Tell us Valentina, what can we expect from your stage performance in Baku? Will there be a giant glittery computer? We’d love that!

”I’d like to keep it more or less secret for now, but what I can tell is to expect more energy, irony and a lot more spontaneity. As you probably noticed I am a very spontaneous person so I really hope people will connect to me and the song.”

Thank you so much Valentina for this great interview. Lovely catching up with you and good luck in Baku.

”Thank you very much. I hope to see you all in Baku!”.

See the San Marino entry by Valentina Monetta below. San Marino is performing in the first semi final on May 22.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

London Eurovision Party: What A Show!

May 1, 2012 Daily News No comments

Eurovision fans all over the United Kingdom, gathered in London this sunday, as it was THE place to be for another huge Eurovision treat. For the fifth year, the London Eurovision Party, saw entrants of this years Eurovision Contest performing, joined by two surprise acts; Slovenian entrant Omar Naber, who represented his country in 2005 and last year’s Kati Wolf, representing Hungary in Dusseldorf. And what an amazing event it was.

The event, which was sold out and took place in Soho’s shadow Lounge celebrated the annual Eurovision in witty style full of atmosphere. Paddy O’Connell, former Semi final commentator on BBC3, and Nicki French, UK representative in 2001, were once again the dynamic presenters of the show.  Full of humour, joy and engagement  it has to be said that these two go so well together and have such a great personality that no one could do the presenting job better. BBC, if you hear this, these two are your hosts if Eurovision returns to the UK. Highlights from Nicki, were the several dress changes (Beat that Marie N) and her performance which included a Eurovision medley and her own entry ‘don’t Play that Song Again’ which the crowd went wild for . Paddy of course was himself, and proved to be the ‘joker’ throughout the whole evening.

Despite the overall Eurovision year being one of many ballads, we’re so happy to see that the organizers brought a varied line up of artists making the whole event a string of highlights. Opening the show was 2005 participant Omar Naber, who treated the audience with three songs, including his entry ‘Stop’,  followed by fellow country-woman Eva Boto, representing the country this year with ‘Verjamen’. The girl is only 16 years old but proved to be an immense belter and almost tore the house down. Filipa Sousa, the Portuguese entrant got the crowd going completely treating us with her entry ‘Vida Minha’ and won over the crowd completely with her rendition of ‘Conquistador’ and the UK entry in 2009 ‘My Time’. Performing as well, were The Hungarian band Compact Disco, singing their entry ”Sound of our Hearts’ followed by one of their new tracks. In the crowd supporting them was last years representative Kati Wolf, who would later on, be on stage herself to perform her Eurovision entry, leaving with a message to everybody never to give up on your dreams.

The second half of the show saw birthday girl, and gorgeous looking Anggun, the French representative, singing her song followed by Valentina Monetta, the San Marino representative singing the initial and new version of her entry, and a jazzy ‘bebop’ song, which was really good. Azerbaijani representative and this years host Sabina Babayeva was present too and last but definately not least, Macedonian Kaliopi, closed the show with an amazing rendition of her song ‘Crno I Belo’, which she later on performed again in English behind a piano. Absolutely breathtaking.

Each of this years representatives was also treated to a suprise and received a pop icon figure on a poster, made by Minipop Icons. There were prizes handed out to people in the crowd, the birthday cake for Anggun, and so much more.

As a first time visitor to a Eurovision event, being on my own, and not sure whether to fit in, the whole experience has been breathtaking and a ‘Must Go Event’ for next year. Eurovision is like family and that’s how the whole London Eurovision Party has worked so well. Never in my life did I go to an event where the whole room was filled with people singing along every single song  performed and played during the afterparty. It was Absolutely Fabuluous and an event which is definately not too miss next year!

We’ve also had the opportunity to interview a few of the representatives of this years contest so keep an eye on the website for those.

 

 

 

 

ESC 2012 Review Part 5 – San Marino, Cyprus & Denmark

April 3, 2012 Cyprus, Denmark, Eurovision, San Marino One comment

Time for another Eurovision update, with San Marino, Cyprus and Denmark lined up to be reviewed. What can you expect this time? A song about Facebook (?), a Cypriotic eurodance number and fluent radiopop from Denmark. Are you excited?

San Marino: Valentina Monetta – The Social Network Song

The tiny microstate San Marino, is yet to qualify for its very first Eurovision final since they debuted in the contest in 2008. This year they’ve internally selected Valentina Monetta, a jazz singer to represent her country with a Ralph Siegel song. The man is a rather familiar face in Eurovision having written the Eurovision winner in 1982, and responsible for many more eurovision songs. Now… Valentina is not exaclty singing jazz… but a song about yup… Facebook! Well social networking… San Marino was forced to rework the song as it was in breach with the EBU rules and decided to slightly alter the lyrics to the social network song. Eurofans everywhere are shocked and dare to make the comparison with Rebecca Black’s ”Friday”. Might be a bit harsh because ‘The Social Network Song’ is actually pure kitsch, it’s a a song about facebook on a disney beat and autotuning… and that’s what Eurovision is about really. Probably your highlight of the night, during the first semi final, whether it qualifies or not.

Cyprus: Ivi Adamou – La La Love

Cyprus could be called the weaker little ‘’brov’’ of Greece in Eurovision the past few years, but not this time. In fact, Cyprus is showing the Big Bro how you deliver a proper europop track. Ivi Adamou, was selected quite early during the summer that she would represent the island at this years Eurovision. In January, a final with three songs whas held, where a jury and televoting chose ‘La La Love’ as the Cypriot song for Baku. And quite a clever song choice, as Eurodance pop style is rather absent this year, a genre many of the fans absolutely love. We’re loving the dancebeats throughout the song and it sounds modern enough to become one of the huge summer hits in Europe & Ayia Napa alongside the Romanian entry! Let’s now hope Europe doesn’t mistake this to be Greek entry. Cyprus is one of the countries who have never won the Eurovision before, despite taking part 29 times. They’re best result to date is fifth in 2004 with Lisa Andreas.

Denmark: Soluna Samay – Should’ve Known Better

Final country for the day and we’re off to Denmark. In January the country held its national final with 9 finalists. Three of them made it to the superfinal, where an international jury of 4 countries (Azerbaijan, Germany, Norway & Russia), the Danish Jury and televoting decided upon their representative; Soluna Samay won the competition with ‘Should’ve Known Better’, a genuine radiofriendly pop song which reminds us in many ways to a young ‘Alanis Morissette in a poppy radio mood’. The Danish, have really raised their game in the Eurovision Song Contest, having survived the semi’s 6 out of 8 times, and the past two years ended up in the top five. And by the looks of it, ”Should’ve Known Better” is going to keep up with that trend. An easy one to qualify.

 

Our Verdict So far

1 Denmark

2 Romania

3 Finland

4 Belgium

5 Switzerland

6 Latvia

7 Cyprus

8 Israel

9 Iceland

10 Albania

11 Montenegro

12 Greece

13 San Marino

 

Next up are Russia and Hungary

 

 
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