ITALY 🇮🇹
Amedeo Umberto Rita Sebastiani aka Amadeus will be the artistic director and host of the 2020 Sanremo Festival. Born in Ravenna, son of Sicilian parents, Sebastiani grew up in Verona. He started his career in 1979 as a deejay for a small radio station in Verona. In 1982, Sebastiani adopted the stage name ″Amadeus″ and started working for Radio DeeJay; he made his television debut in 1988, appearing in the Radio DeeJay spin-off DeeJay Television on Italia 1. During his career Amadeus hosted several high profile programs, both for RAI and Mediaset, including Domenica in, five editions of Festivalbar, four seasons of L’eredità, and several early evening quiz shows. It was also announced that the cover night will return.
DENMARK 🇩🇰
Vocal Line have reacted to their victory in Eurovision Choir 2019, with the group celebrating into the night in Gothenburg. Jens Johansen the choir leader for Vocal Line has spoken to DR following their victory in Eurovision Choir 2019, last night in Gothenburg, Sweden. “We had not expected to win, but we also knew that everything could happen in this competition, because it was very different choir groups and types of music that the participants came up with. We were first and foremost concerned with delivering a message and feeling and that it was the music that was at the center.”
UKRAINE 🇺🇦
Despite her Eurovision journey being unfortunately cut short this year, Ukraine’s MARUV is hoping for success on the dancefloor. The Vidbir 2019 winner has been announced as a contestant on the country’s next season of Dancing With The Stars.
AUSTRIA 🇦🇹
2014 Eurovision winner spoke to Dutch TV about everything including the death of Conchita: “When I’m invited to shows like this I see those pictures and I’m like ‘you were flat there, and sharp there, and that was not the right thing to say and your hair was not that good’ — I’m an artist! I don’t really pay too much attention to anybody’s opinion. I’m very self-centred. I’ve never really asked for permission to do anything, I’ve always wanted to fulfil my dreams, I’ve always wanted to create my version of the best life I could live. I wanted to look like that because I thought ‘this is the most beautiful I can look’. There are some moments of insecurity, of course, because society told us the way we should feel and think and that the opinion of others is sometimes more important than our own which is not true. But I’m so thankful that in my inner core, I know that I have to make myself happy. Back in the day when I performed as Conchita in a dress, that was the version that I was feeling, that was the version that I wanted to be because with all the makeup and stuff, you’re a little bit stronger, you dare a little but more, because you have the masquerade. It was always just a disguise, and it was always just a version of me, and I think if you limit yourself you can only go so far.”
THE NETHERLANDS 🇳🇱
With the host city announcement coming closer, speculation has now become rife. Eurovision 2020 winner Duncan Laurence was spotted in Maastricht today. Duncan was together with a camera crew. Duncan’s manager won’t say anything about the visit, except that he would be visiting more cities in The Netherlands.
SWEDEN 🇸🇪
The eight artists who are in the running to win a place at Melodifestivalen 2020, have been named by Sveriges Radio. The artist that is selected to compete in Melodifestivalen 2020 is selected by a jury. The winner of P4 Nästa is not automatically given the chance to compete in Melodifestivalen. The eight finalists are:
Faith Kakembo – Through fire and rain
Hildur Höglind – Further apart
Hufo Andersson – Lovenote
Amanda Aasa – Gå hem
Zulueta – King of the ocean
Tova Glyt – No ordinary girl
Tim Lööv – All I need is you
Browsing Collection – Oh no
