I think everyone knows the final ranking of Sanremo, Il Volo came in eighth place.
I must say that given how the jury votes were going, I had doubted a worse result and instead they managed to get back into the top ten.
It was a beautiful dream, but there were many nightmares and not all of them were driven away.
Il Volo certainly deserved much more, not in terms of final position, but in terms of respect.
Respect for three young men who are excellent singers and performers, they have always been polite people, who worked hard, put themselves on the line, even though they didn’t need it, and therefore deserved everyone’s respect.
But let’s start by looking at their final night performance.
Click Here to view the final night performance
Well done, impeccable, as they have been in all these evenings.
After the performance of all the singers, the partial ranking is read which adds up all the previous evenings and so we discover that Il Volo is in place number 11.
Honestly, after the verdict of the cover evening, I thought they were positioned worse. So we all vote, and, despite there being a blackout of the switchboards due to the large mass of televoting, Il Volo manages to recover three positions and ends up in eighth place but out of the final games.
Perhaps if the switchboards hadn’t gone haywire, Il Volo would have recovered more votes from home, and they would have risen further in the rankings.
However, the thing that outraged me the most and I think I can say that it also annoyed everyone was the treatment given to the juries at the covers evening.
Ignazio, Gianluca and Piero paid a spectacular tribute to QUEEN, and it wasn’t easy, they did it very well and would have deserved first place and the consequent award for the best performed cover.
RAI has published the voting tables and here is the general ranking of the cover evening only, Il Volo placed ninth after a perfect performance.
But what did the juries evaluate?
The cover night was absolutely perfect, the singers had to be judged for the cover they were presenting. Is it possible that journalists and radio stations didn’t appreciate this masterfully performed piece? As for the televoting, also in this case there were switchboards that were not perfectly up to the task of the evening, the votes of many fans were not reflected.
But let’s review that beautiful performance together: WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER.
Without words!!!! A splendor. 👏👏👏
And now instead I offer you a comment from a journalist to their performance🤬 :
IL VOLO = “WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER” with Stef Burns: on the singing level they are, as always, impeccable. But there always remains that musical feel that doesn’t fit well with the tastes of the contemporary world. They always seem out of time. Rating 6.5.
And now listen to this short video of one of the hundreds of interviews, this one was with Stefano Fisico of Radio Number One.
I translate for you.
Only Gianluca and Piero are present. At the beginning I think Gianluca said Il Volo wanted to change and Piero seemed a little annoyed.
This piece is a preview and we will find the discussion later on.
PIERO= But can we always speak for all three? You want to be something else, you can be something else, but don’t speak for me.
(The radio logo appears, then Gianluca says very interesting things for those who love QUEEN)
GIANLUCA= That piece was a great responsibility, because if you do it badly…….Freddy Mercury, Queen, consider that we also sent it to Brian May and he went crazy for our version. They are on tour in Japan. Otherwise, who knows, maybe he would have come too.
STEFANO= I’m convinced that you will do something (look at Piero’s face)
GIANLUCA= I must admit that we were happy to share the stage with Stef Burns, Vasco Rossi’s guitarist.
It was a different touch, because maybe people are used to seeing us in an almost too serious way, right?
STEFANO= Actually we can say that you are a bit like that.
GIANLUCA= Yes, we are like that, but we can be other things and so it’s nice that people appreciated it.
PIERO= Now I’m a little annoyed….
STEFANO= Oh, I want you to be a little aggressive…
PIERO= But can we always speak for all three? You want to be something else, you can be something else, continue to be something else, don’t speak for me.
GIANLUCA= No! You performed Queen last night and maybe people didn’t expect it.
PIERO= But we did it the Il Volo way. Speak for yourself!
GIANLUCA= Don’t get angry, you understand what I want to tell you….
STEFANO = ( he laughs) ….sorry, he hasn’t run all week….
PIERO= You understand, people think…the guys from Il Volo….”do you all sleep together???”…….(he means that people are convinced that all three do the same things, have the same tastes etc.)
There have been countless interviews, but I want to conclude the pages dedicated to Sanremo with some interviews in which important things were said and others that are funny. (turn on subtitles)
This is an extract from the Sanremo press conference.
So you guessed it, there will be a PBS special taped under the pyramids in Egypt in June. It will be amazing!!!!
I think that’s what they were saying, that they’re preparing something nice for their American friends, then of course there will be the tour.
In this conference they also said what their biggest regret is and was reported by the EUROFESTIVAL ITALIA newspaper.
“The only moment of bitterness, in these 15 years of our career, I think was Eurovision”, he then said, in the awareness that having represented Italy in that competition was something important. “At the time, few people in Italy knew what Eurovision was. When we won Sanremo and we were there, we really realized in those days the importance (of that competition, ed.) and how much it was felt by other countries, unlike Italy.”
Continuing, Piero then spoke of the disappointment that arose in having then learned, “after days”, the outcome of the vote, according to which “we had won the televoting – and among other things it was the first time that this had happened in the history of Eurovision”. This awareness therefore brought them “the only bitterness” with which they began. “We would have been very pleased to win, because we really felt that moment and gave our all.”
Another nice thing that was said is that on the new CD there will be a duet with Irama, (remember the beautiful duet they did for ALL FOR ONE?).
Irama also announced this duet. 🥰
This is a nice interview (turn on subtitles)
Il Volo plays loves me or doesn’t love me? 😂😂
IGNAZIO= I would say let’s spin the wheel and see what comes out.
PIERO= Tell us about a Horror date.
GIANLUCA= When I met them for the first time in my life.😂 Alright guys, let’s move on.
PIERO= Dance….nooooo
GIANLUCA= But we don’t know how to dance.
IGNAZIO= I’ll show you.
GIANLUCA= Well done, well done, better if you sing!😂
GIANLUCA= Tell us about a surprise you loved giving or receiving.
Unexpectedly at the station, as soon as she gets off the train, you wait for her there with a rose in your hand…nice. 🥰
PIERO= I don’t like surprises, neither giving them nor receiving them.
GIANLUCA= Can you tell us the worst joke you’ve ever suffered?
PIERO= In Bologna I faked a burglary at home, I called my brother, he left work, came home and it was a joke.
I’ll let you imagine what happened.😂
IGNAZIO= You’re an asshole! 🤪
GIANLUCA= How you love to show affection to others.
IGNAZIO= Gianluca bothering me.😂
GIANLUCA= Yes, I hug, pinch, kiss, I’m very carnal.😂
PIERO= I dedicate the song Capolavoro.
IGNAZIO= He dedicates it and I sing it.
PIERO= Can I do the last one? Tell us about a trip you loved taking. Guys, everyone go to Japan, it’s the best trip you can do in your life.
IGNAZIO= It will also be a little strange for those who go for the first time because the sushi tastes completely different from what we are used to.
The first time I thought the people had fallen asleep at the concert, but instead they were attentive. 😂
Someone backstage says he’s going to Japan in March.
PIERO= In March? We’re going in March too.
You saw, he said he’s changing the date.😂
GIANLUCA= If there’s a flight I won’t go! 😂😂😂
Il Volo also received an award for their new official video for Capolavoro.
Click here to view the Casa Sanremo Soundies Award article
The award for the best video clip was awarded to the world-famous Italian group
10 February 2024 – Today, Saturday 10 February, the Casa Sanremo – Soundies Awards was presented by the Patron of Casa Sanremo and President of the Events Group Consortium Vincenzo Russolillo to IL VOLO, a much loved group in Italy and around the world, competing at the 74th edition of the Festival with “Capolavoro” (Epic Records/Sony Music Italy), a contemporary ballad that celebrates universal love.
Born from an idea by Russolillo himself, the award represents the first prize in Italian history dedicated to video clips of the songs competing at the Sanremo Festival, intended for record companies.
“Your work was selected by a quality jury, chaired by Laura Delli Colli, President of the National Union of Italian Film Journalists (Sngci) of the Nastri d’Argento. – said Vincenzo Russolillo from the stage of the Casa Sanremo Lounge, addressing Il Volo – I give you the Soundies Awards 2024, on behalf of the Municipality of Sanremo from the hands of Councilor Sara Tonegutti, together with a voucher for the production of the next video clip from be carried out in the territory of the Municipality of Sanremo”.
Il videoclip, prodotto da Cardigan S.r.l. – Sugarkane Studio e diretto da Leandro Manuel Emede it was chosen from among those that accompany the songs competing at the Festival by a jury of music and cinema experts.
The trio transports music to new heights through video, exploring the stars and the mysteries of the infinite. A visual odyssey that combines the musical talent of IL VOLO with the grandeur of space, providing a sensorial experience that challenges the boundaries of the imagination.
And here is the award-winning video clip of Capolavoro.
And now a nice roundup of beautiful and also funny photos.
Piero, Torpedine, Gianluca, Barbara and Ignazio ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
IL Volo with Loredana Bertè.
Piero, Gianluca, Ignazio and Diodato
With the mascots of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Gianluca and Ernie, with the three composers of Capolavoro.
I really believe that in any case our dear Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca also had a lot of fun in Sanremo, this is the spirit of friendship that must hover in all competitions.
Of course there were many bitter pills, but also many happy moments. and among these we remember Gianluca’s birthday, the day after the end of Sanremo.
And then on Sunday, after the Festival ended, all the singers were guests of Mara Venier on the “Domenica In” show, right there at the Sanremo theater, and therefore I propose the passage of Il Volo.
Click Here to view the video
I will explain to you in a few words what happened.
Mara welcomes them with affection and when she discovers that it is Gianluca’s birthday she makes everyone sing happy birthday.
The kids enter and politely greet everyone, even the journalists sitting to the left of the screen
This show takes place every year the day after Sanremo and journalists can ask questions or even make compliments. The journalists with Il Volo in 2015 were biting and rude, in 2019 Il Volo did not attend the show, because due to the shouting and bad words from the press room, they immediately left Sanremo.
Mara shows a clip of the cover evening and compliments the boys. No compliments from journalists.
Mara says that they are international artists and bring Italian music to the world.
Piero specifies that it is not they who bring Italian music, but IT IS ITALIAN MUSIC THAT ALLOWS IL VOLO TO SING IN THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS PLACES IN THE WORLD. (Piero took away quite a bit of stone.)
Mara says that Italians are proud of Il Volo and thanks them for what they do.
Ignazio plays down because Piero was in front of him and Ignazio says: “Anyway, I’m here too” and makes everyone laugh. Mara apologizes because Ignazio felt excluded.
Il Volo sings Capolavoro!
After the song Gianluca resumes a discussion that the journalists had with the singer who entered before them and that is Geolier, who came second in the final, is the one who won the evening of the covers and the journalists asked him a few harsh questions and some of them defended him.
Gianluca says that being tough makes you grow and bring out the best (it almost seems like he’s saying that when they criticized Il Volo no one defended them and some journalists said they had to accept them because they make you grow. -Gianluca has saved himself a stone -)
The journalist in the front row (who first defended Geolier) turns to another journalist and says: “Have you seen that they are intelligent? Good and intelligent.”
Mara changes the subject by saying that Ignazio told her that he is getting married.
Gianluca says that he and Piero won’t sing at the wedding and then Cirilli who is an impersonator gets up and tries to imitate the three voices of Il Volo.
Mara gives the flowers to Ignazio who takes them to a girl in the audience. Hugs and kisses to Mara as she greets the boys.
Ignazio thanked Mara for always being sweet to them and hoping that their message of union and respect for their 15-year career has reached everyone.
Then he says goodbye and before leaving he says to the journalists: “The singers sing, and don’t scream.” (because some of them wrote that Il Volo screams…another stone removed)
Honestly, I felt a little embarrassed. The boys did well to make it clear that they are no longer 15 or 20 years old. In my opinion, I believe that they participated in the broadcast only for Mara, but with the obligation that the journalists did not ask questions, in fact, only to Il Volo, they did not ask anything.
I’m so glad our guys didn’t let their feet run over their heads. Well done.
A last interview done in Il Villaggio del Festival. The interviewer is a journalist and critic Michele Monina, who years ago was really very fierce in his criticism of Il Volo, particularly during the Notte Magica period. But then in 2019, Monina personally met Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca and they made an excellent impression on him. From that moment on they were friends. After Sanremo, Monina and Il Volo had lunch together talking about Sanremo. (turn on subtitles)
There are also some satisfactions, like this ranking published by vocal coach Salvatore Cilia – Voce al Top, those who know music appreciate voices!!
Sanremo has just finished, but I just think that they are still publishing the interviews done in recent days. Truly a week of exponential media exposure.
We will talk more about Sanremo, and there will still be some nice interviews, but for the moment that’s all and I want to greet you with this beautiful photo published by Il Volo.
Daniela 🤗
“We hope that our message of union and mutual esteem has arrived from the Sanremo stage, especially since a lot of respect is needed in a group.”
THANK YOU for being with us, once again, on this incredible journey.
Credit to owners of all photos and videos.
The guys are who they are and I hope they don’t try to be like some of the modern contemporary singers. We need some calming music in this era of overbearing singers and music. Please don’t change
Christine, there will be a change, but it will not upset their essence, they have said it several times, they will not distort their nature, they remain Il Volo with a slightly more contemporary vision.
100% d’accord!!!!
Bella Cronica como siempre y muy real Hubo momentos para mi tristes incómodos,irrespetuosos momentos para olvidar.
Pero lo único que no puedo olvidar y además que debo resaltar, es La Inteligencia,Nobleza ,Gallardia y Benevolencia,con la que supieron sacar adelante la actitud agria e inexplicable de alguna prensa .Son Campeones totales en Talento,Profesionalismo, lealtad ,amor fraterno ; además en Nobleza y Elegancia ,propias de gente Inteligente, superior y con clase.
Bellísimos momentos ,ellos hacen de cada ocasión algo inolvidable,dejan marca indeleble en cada Corazón en cada oído, en cada alma, en cada Lugar en cada escenario en cada ciudad , No hay ahora en el público Italiano ,en el de San Remo, en el del mundo y en especial en sus rendidisimos seguidores , una canción más pegada al alma como “” CAPOLAVORO.””” ,y con ella también cada gesto ,cada abrazo,cada toquesito acerbo(que sí los hubo ) , cada palabra,cada opinión, cada celebración , cada armonía, y todo el talento de Todos y cada uno de ellos.
!!Admiración cariño respeto desde Colombia.
Si Luz, nuestros jóvenes llevan sus hermosas voces a todos lados con tanta gracia, tanto talento, tanta elegancia. El mundo los ama y puedo decirles que el pueblo italiano también los ama, pero tal vez para la prensa, para la crítica, para la radio, hay algo que no está bien, ciertamente en ellos, no en Piero, Ignazio y Gianluca.
Yes Luz, our young men carry their beautiful voices everywhere with so much grace, so much talent, so much elegance. The world loves them and I can tell you that the Italian people love them too, but perhaps for the press, for the critics, for the radio, there is something that is not right, certainly in them, not in Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca
Thank you so much for this article!
Il Volo is always high caliber as well as talented. They ALWAYS shine! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
They’re naturally evolving, which is great and always with excellence!
Wishing them better songs to showcase their immense talent. Congrats on video award! The Moon backdrop with Ignazio was powerful!
May they each enjoy, good health, love, and continued success in all of their endeavors. I’ll be watching and listening with gratitude and pride🤗❤️
Well done Chicago Love, you understood that they evolve, but with intelligence.
We hope everyone likes the new songs, we will support them in this new project.
I can’t believe how bad these critics think of the three great singers whose talent outshines most. Why? Because they are more clean cut don’t have tattoos all over their face and neck. Don’t have pink hair. And they sing. Don’t rap (which to me is crap) doesn’t take much talent. They don’t need this contest. I hope they don’t go back. Just continue to sell out concerts. And be who they are.!!!!! Number 🥇🇮🇹always.
I am trying to imagine Piero with pink hair! 🙂
Roz
🤪🤣🤣
🤣
Angela, I laughed a lot thinking about Piero with pink hair ha ha!!
No, they have repeated it several times, they will not distort Il Volo and, as you also saw in Sanremo, they modernize their way of dressing, but always within the limits of elegance.
As usual – interesting reading. Thanks again so much Daniela and Pat for keeping up this great job. You must be sooooo exhausted and yes, I think it is about time we move on and put Sanremo behind us – for good and for worse.
Following my mile-long response to Daniela’s latest article with all my reflections and emotions in respect to the guys’ participation in Festival di Sanremo I did really think I had said my two cents once and for all – but some of the above statements by the guys do, however, get me behind the pen again.
Firstly – if I have understood it correctly – there seems to be a somewhat disagreeing tones s in the interview where Piero several times state that what may be valid for Gianluca doesn’t necessarily is valid for him. I sense it isn’t said in a teasingly way but rather with a bit of truth? Being in the Italian language and translated into English and understood by me in the Danish language there might be quite some misunderstandings occurred enroute – but is Piero starting to express himself that it may not exactly have been just as easy this time to compromise on the choice of songs (in this particular case the Queen song)? Are they slowly growing apart? Could it be that Piero is starting to find the lyrical repertoire close to his heart being neglected more and more in favor of the pop/rock genre which maybe seems more attracting to Gianluca and Ignazio with its glamour, easy money and a life in the fast lane? I am just wondering…. But please note, this is entirely my personal reflections and thoughts.
Secondly – IL VOLO seems still to suffer from a big trauma following their participation in the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest. I had hoped they were way past it by now but – maybe – the real reason for participation in the 2024 Sanremo was to win and continue on to The Eurovision Song Contest in order to show the world, that they did them unjust back then? I know it is far out – but – when you read their first book there is a full chapter about their 2015 Eurovision participation and how hurt and unfair they felt not winning in spite of having the largest number of tele-votes ever but brought back to a 3rd place when accumulated with the votes from the international pro juries. And now they bring up the issue with bitterness again… This is truly sad as for once I shall have to disagree with the observations and feelings by the IL VOLO guys. Being just around 20 years old – I feel that they were not properly advised and warned about the frivolous of this contest. And apparently they seem still to be somewhat led astray when reading their comments i.e. that The Eurovision Song Contest hadn’t really had much interest or awareness in Italy till then (read 2015). Nothing could be more wrong as in fact The Eurovision Song Contest is directly inspired by the Festival di San Remo and started up 5 years later after same only. Hence, the Eurovision Song Contest has been a vital part of the Italian Music Scene since 1956 with Italy joining already in the second season. In 2015 the Italian people has definitely been fully aware of the voting system of this contest that has always been built up by the final sum of respectively the tele-votes and the votes of a national juries composed of 5-8 pro people within the music industry. So if – correctly – the national Italian pro jury didn’t respect nor appreciated IL VOLO back in 2015 – they were not alone as it has likewise been the case in many of the juries in the other some European countries. Sorry.
This is fact – but The Eurovision Song Contest has never, ever been fair. The result has always been based on strategy, politics and not the least cultural differences. I have watched practically all programs since the end of the 1950ties – and in the “good old days” from the 1960-1990 there were about 15-20 contestants only all representing the Northwestern Europe, so the cultural differences were within reason albeit it was obvious that the Scandinavian countries would vote for each other, the Mediterranean countries for each other etc. etc. The local TV-reporters would even loudly express their dismay if Sweden didn’t give Denmark their max. points and vice versa – it was just like that. The songs presented would be easygoing sing-along tunes that would be played by all radio stations and danced to throughout Europe during the coming summer. It was a family event, where we would all sit down by the coffee table and make our own voting. But in 1990ties a lot of new countries were added – primarily from the East European countries – and it got truly complicated as – no offense – but the musical culture of these countries is very different to those of the previous countries – so it became even more obvious that the votes were politically given. Israel and Australia were added – and it did all went astray. It was impossible to find a genuine winner as our cultures were too different. Then the semi-finals were added with unfair limitations as participants from “The Big Five” (incl. Italy) were automatically seated in the finals whether or not a good song – but entirely based on those countries paying the largest amount to the organizers – and public votes could only be done in one of the semi finals etc. etc. Songs were no longer easy going sing-along tunes but rather tunes that were geared at the young generation etc. – so frankly The Eurovision Song Contest has lost all of its autencity and is about everything else but finding the best song. And I no longer watch it – I get so annoyed about the bad quality and all the fancy light-shows, weird dressing and odd songs. So sad but true. Hence in conclusion, I am only happy that IL VOLO shall not be part of that likewise sick and unfair music completion. They have been spared yet a humiliation. I can strongly recommend you to read this info from Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest
Sorry, I got all carried away here – but I thought I would try to sort out the truth about The Eurovision Song Contest that has been a vital part in my life being European and at the side-line for more than 60 years.
Warmest regards – Kirsten, Denmark
I do agree with what you say Kirsten. I used to watch Eurovision avidly, my favourite being the year The Allisons came second. The funniest one was when Cliff Richard came second with what Phil Coulter (one of the writers) would call a ‘pension song’, as in Congratulations.
Can anybody remember what won that year? The only reason I can is because Phil mentions it quite often. It was the Spanish entry called La La La, which if memory serves were just about the entire lyrics.
The last time I watched the results was when Brotherhood of Man sang (?) Save Your Kisses For Me. We had walked a mile and a bit in each direction to buy fish and chips that evening, so missed the songs. The previous year would have been the last time we heard the songs, though I haven’t the foggiest idea what won, or even what the UK entry was.
As you say Kirsten, politics has always played a huge part in Eurovision. I know when I first started watching the program the following day many were saying that as we voted for (???) they should have voted for us. Why? Even at ten/twelve year old I could work out that doing it that way wasn’t a fair system. Maybe I am a bit on the thick side, but I thought it was a ‘song contest’ not a political arena. Although there have been times when we all had an inkling which country was going to win due to the politics of the day. A Little Peace by Nicole in 1982 for instance, and Stefania” performed by Kalush Orchestra in 2022.
Best wishes Roz
So true UK didn’t tell us anything just said so and so would sing and that was that .I just know the song called dissy.not till march 1.Will sit and watch it swear a bit.and every year say that was rubbish,we were rob . love to you all ilvolo laughing all the way to the bank .
Kirsten you raise some interesting questions regarding how the guys are each managing their expectations of what the future brings given those three different personalities. Piero seems less likely to seek the glamorous international pop scene; the forthcoming album may be helpful to see the future. I always felt Piero was left behind on the Amame album; in fact I don’t think he participated in one song at all “Maldito Amor”. I’m concerned future recordings will follow similarly. Was “Tutto Per Uno” in part a way to keep the lyrical genre and Piero from disappearing? I love all the Il Volo albums, including Amame, but without Piero’s grounding voice in their harmonies, the vocal sound would be much different. Gian and Igna will/would have no problem fitting into the more modern musical scene, Igna as singer-songwriter and producer, Gian as the heartthrob baritone, like many of his heros. I hope they find a way to make it work!!. I hope Stefano the emcee from that interview was right when he joked Piero’s bad mood was due to lack of running his morning mini marathons. I do suspect these arguments have happened frequently behind the scenes in the last 15 years and they seem to be able to weather them.
And thanks for the history of Eurovision…There’s been a comedy made with Will Farrell and Rachel McAdams called “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” which suggests some of the absurdity that occurs in these festivals.
So Kirsten, I will respond immediately to what you write.
Yes, in the video Piero confirms that the desire to change is above all Gianluca’s, but I think we already knew this, in fact he is also the most extreme in the way he dresses. Piero is certainly the one of the three who wouldn’t have changed anything, but it’s also true that everyone says that first of all they want the good of the group, and if they continued like this they would become a group that does covers or old songs, so: a CD is welcome of unpublished. Piero responded like this because he thought that Gianluca was referring to the external appearance, saying that Il Volo could be something else, but instead Gianluca, as he says immediately afterwards, was talking about the Queen song.
However, they are not afraid to show these sides of themselves, otherwise don’t you think they would have decided to cancel those statements?
Eurovision speech.
Yes, Il Volo suffered a lot from what happened at Eurovision in 2015 and it is still their regret, in fact Piero said it in the interview.
Now there’s a point you didn’t understand and I’ll explain it to you. We all know that Eurovision was born from the idea of the Sanremo Festival at a European level and we know that Italy is one of the 5 founding countries, this is not the point, Piero is not referring to this when he says that Italy does not he was aware of Eurovision, he means that in that period Italy no longer had an interest in the Eurovision, in fact it wasn’t even broadcast by RAI1, but by RAI2 and only on the final evening and they didn’t even have Italian journalists present, in short, no one looked at it. It was thanks to Il Volo that the Eurofestival here in Italy regained its popularity.
Unfortunately Il Volo clashed with the coalition of juries from the Scandinavian countries and Sweden won.
Furthermore there was the televoting scandal, because Il Volo received the maximum televoting obtained up to that point, but due to the votes of the juries the televoting was diminished. A scandal arose and the following year the regulations were changed, giving more weight to televoting and this again thanks to Il Volo.
Now you understand the regret, because if the regulation had been changed earlier, perhaps they would have won and perhaps they would have been supported more by their country too.
I hope I have clarified any doubts for you. 🙂
Thanks so much Daniela for the verifications. It makes me understand the situation better. I must admit that Piero’s comments do worry me to some extent… but yet again he and the two others have over and over lately told us that the group comes before their individual wishes and that being a group who needs to respect each other and compromise has made them stronger. And – of course – they must have had many internal discussions to that effect and amicably found a solution to mutual understanding. I would, however, not have expected him to express it so clearly publicly and especially not in the sick environment of Sanremo…
I know the two of us have been discussing The Eurovision Song Contest before as it had always touched me deeply when reading the guys sadness and frustration following their participation as I have never been able to understand that they hadn’t been better prepared and warned about the lacking seriousness of this competition and that winning has so absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the song performers. So they should not have ended up hurting so much afterwards and not to the extent that they are still having an unsolved trauma in this respect. I have always thought I understood the changing voting rules but I wasn’t aware that even the Italian TV stations have had down periods albeit I believe that people in most of the participating countries have had their ups and downs with this program – and I believe that actually Denmark withdrew a year or twice too. So great to learn that Il Volo helped bringing the interest back to the Italian people. Daniela thanks so much for having taken the time to get me on the right track here. Hugs. Kirsten
Evidently Kirsten, our kids are not afraid to show themselves as they really are, with their little misunderstandings, they are absolutely genuine and not false, they themselves admit that they argue a lot about situations, but then find common agreement, this is how a group can work, don’t you think? Stefano Fisico is their friend, and believe me, if they wanted they could have had that little video deleted, but instead they deliberately left it, also remember that here in Italy they are accused of being “too perfect”.
As for Eurovision, the participation of Il Volo by Italian journalists and TV almost went unnoticed, not so from the following year where it began to be of national interest again.
You’re most welcome, Kirsten! 😊
Tried to put on captions but could not get English. It is so frustrating to not be able to know what they are saying. Unfortunately tried to learn Italian but didn’t too well, being 81 years old doesn’t help concentration. You always do a good job translating and we appreciate that. Loved seeing so many videos of the guys having a good time. Loved the song and have been humming it for three days now and also loved the duet with Stef, that was perfection. Looking forward to more translations. Would love to read about the Bsmt interview. On to new things now, Sanremo just a thing of the past and now new and better happenings. Love them just as much as ever. They didn’t do anything wrong, it was the people judging them that don’t know a good thing when they hear it or don’t want to for some unknown stupid reason.
Keep trying Bev. I know at our age, I will be 76 in May, it isn’t easy, but it beats doing crossword puzzles, which I have always been rubbish at!
I couldn’t get the subtitles on all of them, well not in English anyway. I could always type out the Italian subtitles and shove them into Google Translate and DeepL, then add a bit of common sense to work out what it should be in English, British English of course, I don’t want to baffle by laptop anymore than it already is! 🙂
Roz
Yes Roz! You are already doing what I suggested to Bev Foster! Good thinking! 😁👍🏻 I have translated a lot with that, like for instance when Gianluca posts part of a book he is reading…….I’ll type the part he highlights into Google translate just to see what he thinks is important!
Excuse me!! Roz!!! I’ve been doing crossword puzzles since I was a teenager (with my Mom beside me). Now I’m so adept, I can do the New York Times puzzle IN INK!!! Just another of my accomplishments (which you are aware of already). But, wish I could sew and embroider like you!!
Hugs, Dol.
Bev, I finally (with a little from Pat) found the English, hit the “cc” and then the settings, go down to one that allows to to pick the language you want! The subtitles move a bit fast for me but you can get the gist of what what’s being said! I’m turning 80 this Sunday and these old eyes and my older brain are getting slower,😳!!🤣 good luck😉
Carol, like I told Bev above some videos have nothing but Italian subtitles. Really disappointing. 😕
I’ve already wished you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY twice, Carol, so hope you have a good one this Sunday. Love, Dol.
Bev, I have noticed that some only have Italian subtitles available. That, at least, helps me a little to know what is being said. If I don’t know a specific word or phrase or sentence I pause the video and then type it into Google translate. Here is the link: https://translate.google.com/
Thank you Dol….for some reason this is a hard one for me!💝😳
Thanks for the compliments Bev, and I hope Pat can get you to read the subtitles where they are intended.
Merci encore beaucoup Daniela et Pat d’avoir maintenu cet excellent travail. Vous devez être tellement épuisé et oui, je pense qu’il est temps d’avancer et de laisser Sanremo derrière nous – pour le meilleur et pour le pire.
First I want to thank you two lovelies for the photos and videos Pat and Daniela for much appreciated translations. Like all of you the past week was exhausting and over the top disappointing! If these😵💫🤯people who get such a kick out of humiliating our guys…..if they don’t like the music at least you can come up with something positive for their humility and kindness, genuinely kind and loving men! Capolavoro was beautiful…as was the video, their performances without flaws and Who Wants To Live Forever blew my mind wide open, they really can sing anything….as for screaming, I can understand the goof balls mistakening ILVOLO,who were singing beautifully for the ones (many) who were screaming and not singing…there were so many they got confused!😳. I’m trying to keep it civil!!
The interviews were mostly fun, particularly the lunch with La VillAggio del Festval, I love seeing them relaxed and enjoying themselves! It looked like our sweet Gian had a fun birthday celebration and they all looked very relaxed, anxiety over! I’m sure they’re relieved it’s all finally over but with a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth for the lack of respect after having their song being all about the respect they have for each other and everyone else….damn the injustice!
Ok , I’ve ranted enough….its not good for my health…but I get really upset at unfair treatment of anyone but especially my kids and grandkids….so nobody better mess with our boys.. to men!!
I love you two for all you do , I hope you both understand where this is aimed and it’s not to anyone in THE FLIGHT CREW! My love and blessings to all, Carol🙏🏻☮️💖💖💖🎼🎶🎤🇺🇸xoxoxo
You’re welcome, Carol. It is my pleasure to help! 😊
Yes Carol it’s been a really exhausting week and it’s not over yet, there are still things that are dragging on and we’ll talk about it in the next post, because when there are such obvious injustices, the issue needs to be raised.
For the rest we all agree, Capolavoro is a beautiful song and the covers evening should have been won by Il Volo!!!
By the way, it will be your birthday soon, best wishes, a beautiful achievement and let’s continue like this!!! 🙂
Thank you for the birthday greeting , it’s very much appreciated….this one knocked me sideways!!😵💫🩷
Many thanks Daniela and Pat for all your good work in translating and giving your views. They are always interesting. 🙂
Like Kirsten I wondered if Piero isn’t too happy about the way things are going. He isn’t a pop singer by any stretch of the imagination. Yes he does sing pop, as they all do, but with Capolavoro he was not allowed to shine, but apart from a very small solo part, he was shoved into the back row of the chorus.
He would have shone more with Who Wants To Live Forever had the orchestra not been quite so overwhelming. I only hope the same is not going to happen with the new album. I want Piero to go for his dream of being an opera singer, which I am sure most true Il Volo fans would want for him.
Ok I know I am biased, I am more than happy to admit to being so. I have always been keener on opera than popular music. My mother could never understand why, nor can I explain why. But when I hear Piero sing what appears to be so effortlessly I get goosebumps. Now I know it takes a great deal of effort and hard work, as does everything in life that is worthwhile. I don’t want to see him take the easy route, I want him to be what he is, a truly great tenor.
A belated happy birthday to Gian. My best wishes to Igna and his lovely lady Michelle. 🙂
Was it my imagination, or did I see Igna puffing on a Vape?
Roz
Yes I’m not happy to see that either! Vaping is worse than smoking ( I have a couple of grandsons that vape)…it’s still a dirty and unhealthy habit! I’m hoping Michelle can be a good influence on him and help him to stop…we must preserve these voices!!
And I agree with you and Kirsten, Piero seemed very perturbed with Gian’s “speaking for him”, I think Gian was speaking of them as a group. We all want to see Piero achieve his long goal but he’s also always said the three are one, so if two of three would like to try something new it stands to reason they would all agree. They have said they would still sing Bel Canto 💖 also but I believe they’re looking for longevity and let’s face it our generation will be long gone before they reach a career of 30 yrs! They need something to catch the interest of more people under 50, I don’t believe it’s for money but love of what they do! I would think after all their preparation and then being handed mega disappointment has exhausted all of them and maybe Piero mostly. The whole process of always having to come out on top boggles my mind…especially when they sell out concerts around the world! My heart hurts for them!💔💖💖💖🇺🇸
Yes Carol, their intent was to capture young people of their age, certainly not younger kids who follow other trends.
And you are welcome, Roz! 😁💗
Roz, don’t worry, Piero said that by the end of the year he will realize his dream, or in any case within a year, he also repeated it in Sanremo so we will see him in an opera and I imagine the series of criticisms that will rain!!!
Yes, you saw very well, Ignazio had a vape, it’s not the first time I’ve seen him, even last year live on BoskyTv he had this vape, let’s hope he doesn’t exaggerate.
I can only imagine the criticisms Piero will face after performing in Tosca! If the guys have been hurt by the criticisms they’ve received to date, I expect more vicious nastiness, if that’s possible, to rain down on Piero afterward. Not studying at the conservatory level seems to be high treason in the opera world. I would assume he’s expecting a number of very mean comments to come his way. He will very likely handle them better than Roz and I.
Thanks Daniela and Pat for all your efforts on this page; I only come out of the woodwork to comment when there has been grave injustice meted out by the press to the guys, but I’m so appreciative for all you do!
Citrondr, a lot of criticism will rain down on Piero but few for the fact that he didn’t study at the conservatory, the most will be because he is Piero Barone of Il Volo.
I didn’t know what you were talking about when you said you saw Igna vaping. Then, I went and watched the lunch video with their friend and, yes, he was partaking! I’m sure he knows the downfall of vaping and cigarettes but hope he only does it after a good meal. Speaking of which, I WANT some spaghetti for supper!!! And, what was that dessert they had? Looked like black spaghetti???? But, I’m sure it wasn’t.
Gianluca can certainly pack the food away, which happens some times with slighter people who seem to go on their nerves a lot. Hope he isn’t losing weight as his waist seems to be getting smaller. Just stay gorgeous, Gian, for all the women who love you!! Hugs, Dol.
Many thanks Daniela and Pat for another immense and excellent post. Two questions: how did they ever win Sanremo in 2015 given the situation, and how does the Italian press treat Andrea Bocelli or Matteo for that matter?
You’re welcome, Judi. 😊 I’ll let Daniela answer your questions. She will know better than I.
Judi – your two questions have likewise been on my mind – they are very valid.
In 2015 the guys were even less respected by the press and media than now and they were hardly known back in Italy then or claimed having performed in Italian pizzerias in the US etc. So how they managed to break the evil circle does likewise puzzle me somewhat.
Andrea Bocelli seems to have the respect of the Italian critics and people – and he is celebrating his 30th anniversary this year without having given out of his lyrical way of singing and repertoire. How has he managed or played the game? But yet again – how often is he exposed on the radio and especially TV? To me it seems that Il Volo has been the darlings of the latter being the ones featured in prime time at X-mas holidays, with lengthy summer concerts and likewise singing the Italian National song at sport events etc. – so are the expectations for our guys put too high? Shouldn’t they just be satisfied with these fine recognitions being “croissant over” singers after all? I don’t know and I am somewhat bewildered… So can anyone explain?
Kirsten, is “crossiant over” singers meant to be “crossover” singers? 🤔
(This is potentially the most boring comment ever posted on this blog. Brace yerselves.)
Why did Il Volo do well in 2015 and badly in 2024?
The short answer (TL;DR) : In 2015 their song was exceptional, they entered to win, there was only one press jury, a popular jury and the televote, and the public voted for them. In 2024 their song was mediocre, they entered to not win, there were in essence two press juries (a press jury 😠 and a radio jury 😡 (one and the same thing with different names)) and the public didn’t give them many votes.
The long answer for all the statistics nerds out there :
2015
Only 20 acts.
Night 1 : did not compete.
Night 2 : Votes from journalists : 8.73%
Votes from televoting : 44.56%
Overall total : 26.64%
Night 3 (covers night)
5 groups of 4 acts. Highest voted act in each group advanced to stage two of covers night.
Group 4 (Il Volo’s group): Votes from journalists : 20.18%
Votes from televoting : 62.98%
Stage 2 : Votes from journalists : 8.93%
Votes from televoting : 44.64%
Night 4 : Votes from the popular jury : 11.3%
Votes from the expert jury : 6.25%
Votes from televoting : 33.38%
Night 5 (round 1) : Votes from the popular jury : 13.38%
Votes from the expert jury : 8.75%
Votes from televoting : 37.73%.
Night 5 (round 2) : Votes from the popular jury : 32.3%
Votes from the expert jury : 22.9%
Votes from televoting : 56.2%.
I love statistical data 😍👍
Conclusion: they received the highest percentage of votes from the public and were average/middle-of-the-table with the popular and expert juries.
Still awake? 😴 There’s more.💊💊💊😵💫
2024
30 acts competed (too many).
Night 1: press jury’s ranking : 13th out of 30.
Night 2: radio jury’s ranking : 13th out of 15
Votes from televoting: 5% (4th in the televote)
Note Geolier received 56.5% of the televote. 🙄
Night 3: did not compete.
Night 4 (covers night): radio jury’s ranking: 9th out of 30
Expert jury’s ranking: 12th out of 30
Votes from televoting: 1.7% (12th out of 30)
Note Geolier received 43.3% of the televote. 🤔
Night 5: Votes from televoting: 2.6% (8th out of 30)
Il Volo eliminated.
Note Geolier received 44.8% of the televote. ☹️
Conclusion: they did very poor in the televote (so did everyone except Geolier), as well as being shafted by the radio and press juries.
In case you are unaware, Geolier is from Naples and Neapolitans voted for the home boy. He was encouraging his fans on social media to vote for him by using multiple sim cards 🤬 and (if rumours are to be believed), his fellow cohorts were handing out free sim cards on the streets of Naples. Add the word campanilisimo to your 🇮🇹 vocab. It will explain some of the Neapolitan mindset.
I could write more (about the song, the direction they’re going in, blah, blah, blah) but after all that data, I cannot be bothered.
The good news (but not for Mr Travolta) is the chicken dance lives on t’Internet 🐓🐔🕺😁 FOREVER.
Ganz im Gegenteil. Deine Aufstellung ist nicht langweilig, sondern sehr interessant und sehr aussagekräftig. Herzlichen Dank dafür.
Was Geolier anbelangt, kann ich mir gut vorstellen, dass so manipuliert wurde. Sonst wären IL Volo vielleicht sogar um mehr als 3 Plätze nach oben geklettert.
Thordis
1) LOL of course it shouldn’t read “croissant” but naturally “cross-over” i.e. lyrical voices singing other genres. My fingers must have touched the wrong keys.
2) Thank you for your very illustrative statistics – they were indeed very interesting reading and so absolutely not boring. Facts cannot be twisted and tell there own language. So if we discard frauds, scams, overburdened telephone lines etc. ,well, then we have to face the fact that the Italian people weren’t really on IL VOLO’s side this time. In comparison with that young Napolitanian singer they hardly got any votes and the gap was wide…. Hence the Press-room and the Radio Jury aren’t the only ones to be blamed for the depressing result. I don’t get it at all…. It is surposed to be about music, singing, top performances…. but in reality apparently about everything else. I don’t want to be rude or offending to Italy, so I won’t finalize my comment here…. – but something is definitely totally wrong. I am sad.
3) Apparently the rules and numbers of participants for participation in The Festival di Sanremo have been changed numerous times over the year – in similarity with The Eurovision – hence it will be like comparing apples to pears comparing the results for participating in respecptively 2015 andd 2024. The conditions were indeed differnt. It makes sense and explains partly why the results for IL VOLO came out so differently. And, of course, “Grande Amore” was a one-of-a-lifetime kind of song that suited the Italian muscial culture as a glove on a hand. “Capolavoro” doesn’t have the same effect – but – compared to the other songs presented at this year’s Festival it was so absolutely one of the very best – if not the best – in respect to musicallity, quality, voices and performance, and in any fairness couldn’t have ranked below The Top 5. And that was mattered this year and should have brought our guys to the top of the podium. So why they didn’t end there can probably only be answered with the same conclusion as stipulated under 2)
In conclusion I can only say, that I do hope that the guys’ had their goal of sufficient media exposure and PR fullfilled to find it worthwhile participating after all. Strangely enough I have the feeling that we fans are more upset and unhappy on their behalf than they are themselves…
Best regards – Kirsten
Oh! Thordis!!! My mind is completely boggled (but it doesn’t take much). All those statistics!!! Can you do my income tax for me this year??? What a lady with figures, and, NO I don’t know what kind of a figure you have!! I’d imogie here, but can’t find any on this site. Hugs, Dol.
Yes Dol, I can “help” with your income tax. Move your money into an offshore tax haven 🏝🏝and cook the books.
I have a figure to make all the ladies jealous and all the men drool. Unless they swing for the other side, I suppose. As for the other kind of figure, I like to do boring things like polynomials for fun. 😴😴😴🥱🥱🥱
What are you using to look at the Internet? Laptop/computer with Windows (boo!)/mac (double boo!)/Linux(yeah!) or an android tablet or something else? We can solve this problem of you not finding emojis.
Judi, good question, in fact she has never been nice even towards Bocelli, the press, perhaps there is a little more respect for him.
Judi, I can tell you that in 2015 Il Volo was almost unknown here in Italy, so it was a surprise, also the juries were different.
Thordis, your comment is not boring at all. But I’ll try to explain some things better.
In 2015 Il Volo was almost unknown to journalists, but well known by their fans who had followed them since 2009 (I met them at Sanremo 2015). Their singing and their young age were very popular and amazed everyone, not the journalists who tried to hinder them ever since, and that’s why I find this strange, it seems that someone told them to boycott them, someone important in the sector and very friendly with certain press.
Despite the negative votes from much of the press, Il Volo had many votes from home with televoting and then there was the opinion poll jury which was made up of a sample of the Italian population and here too they had many votes.
Result: Il Volo was first.
In 2019, a new jury was introduced, the quality jury made up of 8 people who are not in the music field and who had to vote on the covers evening (then they were not covers but the same songs sung as a duet).
Voting from home was proceeding very well for Il Volo and also by the opinion poll jury. This angered the journalists who decided to vote them negatively, but seeing that it was not enough (because there are also some journalists who give good votes) and the quality jury, those 8 people, came into play. Il Volo presented Musica Che Resta performed with the talented violinist Alessandro Quarta and it was a success, but the quality jury gave them last place, sending them back in the final ranking and favoring Mahmood who until then had not received many votes. In the end, with the televoting, Il Volo still managed to come third and the journalists, for fear that they might come first, made that unworthy scene with swear words and insults towards Il Volo.
Last week I was listening to the radio and a journalist who was in the press room in 2019, said that there was a coalition on the part of the journalists and the 8 jurors to make Mahmood win, he admitted it.
This year they have once again been boycotted by journalists, who do nothing but speak badly of them.
Furthermore, the opinion poll jury, which was also in favor of Il Volo, is no longer there but the radio jury has been put in place, as they never play Il Volo’s songs.
It’s not true that people voted little for Il Volo, unfortunately the televoting went haywire for many reasons. The other years you could televote only after the singer had sung and only for a certain number of minutes, then, even if you voted, it was no longer valid.
This year you could vote from the beginning of the television evening to the end. Now Geolier has many young kids who are much more familiar with televoting with their cell phones. These blocked the switchboards right from the start, so that many fans of other singers were unable to vote, I myself voted 10 times (with 2 mobile phones) and I did not have confirmation of all my votes. Furthermore, there is a rumor that Geolier fans had bought at least 5 telephone cards each, so they could vote multiple times. However, there was something strange because it seems that the switchboards were blocked and only the votes for Geolier could arrive. Now the antitrust is investigating this. But in any case the vote from home was worth 34%, so even radio and journalists did their part by giving good ratings to Geolier at least at the beginning, then they understood the disaster and finally tried to slow down the situation.
Another sore point, on the second evening Il Volo competed in the fifteen in which Geolier was also there and the votes from home went to him, as I repeat, many fans were not able to vote, if it had been on the evening where Geolier was not there, the voting from home would have been more effective.
So I’m done boring you! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Il Volo will always be in my heart and mind. I love all kinds of music, but with Il Volo, they just bring the music right to your soul. How they remain so balanced and kind in a world that is not always kind to them I will never understand. As a journalist, are you not supposed to be unbiased; and aren’t the journalists (and radio people) proud of their Italian sons! If other countries, America, Japan, South America can love our guys, why can’t Italians love them. Gianluca, Piero and Ignazio are like my grandsons, and I sign as Nonna Karen when I post on Instagram. I will always see them as fine young men who I would be proud to call my grandsons.
Karen, this is without a doubt, they are always in our hearts, but some journalists shouldn’t even be journalists.
I love all three. They are super Heroes. If they make mistake they are human.,They perform like no other group.,Evan if i don’t know the lyricks I enjoy the music. In a world where most of today’s music is shouting swearing en scream on high notes with shitty clothes Iil Volo is soothing and only a pleasure to listen to. Their voices is pure velvet . I say thank you Iil Volo for the music❤️‼️❤️‼️❤️‼️🌹🌹🌹
I have the same thoughts as you, Gugi.
What I find amazing now after reading your and Thordis’ interesting and informative posts, Daniela, is that Geolier didn’t win!
Im Vorfeld wurde vermutet, dass jetzt nach 10 Jahren eine Frsu gewonnen muss
Judi, if three juries are worth 33%, if two join forces, you will never win.
Thank you Daniela and Pat for all you did during the festiwval, you’re incredibile. Our guys were fantastic, the best, regardless of what these so-called journalists say. Now I want to think about the beautiful things that I am sure await us in the future. I mean the new CD and the concert in Verona. Thank you again you’re the best.
You’re most welcome, Jolanta! 😊
Jolanta, there will be one more very critical article, then that’s it, let’s really turn the page and think about the good things, the new CD and the concerts.
Thank you Daniela and Pat for show all repertoire in San
Remo – was pleasant listen to music
IL Volo was absolutely sessional They have extremely great vices and they are very professional They are the best – but you can’t compare orange and apples – because today musical feel doesn’t fit well with the tastes of contemporary world !!!
Maria, I really liked your comparison, “you can’t compare oranges to apples”, excellent, you hit the nail on the head.
Wow!! – Pat & Daniela – you have more fans than IL Volo!! – haha!! – I thought how wonderful – you girls are truly appreciated – many fans commenting on Sanremo & being so loyal to Piero – Ignazio & Gianluca & everyone demonstrating their love to you girls & rightly so for your unparalleled hard work- I have to say I have loved every piece of the literature you put our way for us to enjoy – just one thing causing me a little anxiety – Gianluca – he has his brother supporting him – I do hope they are not putting pressure on Piero to change their repertoire – if they do – they will lose not only Piero but a lot of loyal fans as well – how do you & Pat feel about it Daniela?? – love you girls for uplifting our souls – take care.
Jude, you are too kind…..thank you for your compliments! 😃
Jude, thank you so much for all the nice compliments and I’m happy that you liked everything we posted.
Don’t be afraid for Piero, he knows well what he wants and will always have his beautiful role in Il Volo.
Merci encore beaucoup Daniela et Pat d’avoir maintenu cet excellent travail. Vous devez être tellement épuisé et oui, je pense qu’il est temps d’avancer et de laisser Sanremo derrière nous – pour le meilleur et pour le pire.
Just want to say thank you for all the comments regarding my problems with cc and subtitles. There was one that I finally had figured out on my own . I feel much better that some are only in Italian and I am not a complete lost cause. I would like to say thank you to all who commented on the article, your comments were very interesting and while I am here, again would like to say thanks to Daniela and Pat for the excellent coverage of Sanremo.
It was my pleasure, Bev! Just glad I could help you and the other ladies. 😊