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Eurovision Song Contest 2020 and 2021: The Mamas won’t be Sweden’s representatives.

18Mar

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Eurovision

Eurovision Song Contest 2020 and 2021: The Mamas won’t be Sweden’s representatives.

After the sad news of the cancellation of Eurovision Song Contest 2020, more news will follow. And of course one of the most asked questions from all Eurovisioners is whether all the artists which were selected for Eurovision Song Contest 2020 will stay the same for 2021. Sweden is the first country to announce that The Mamas - winners of Melodiefestivalen 2020 and that participated to ESC2020 in Tel Aviv as support voices for John Lundvik - won't participate to Eurovision 2021 for Sweden. The new representative will be chosen - as it normally happens - through the song festival that Sweden organises each year to select their cast for Eurovision. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EpSBDPlZn4 The announcement was give by Christer Bjorkman - head of Sweden Delegation. It is a sad ...

Eurovision Song Contest 2020 has just been cancelled

18Mar

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Eurovision

Eurovision Song Contest 2020 has just been cancelled

A very hard and suffered decision communicated by EBU a few hours ago. The spread of infections from Covid-19 around the world is forcing each government to very restrictive measure in order to contain - as much as possible - the outbreak of the virus and save lives. The health of artists, workers, fans, visitors and all people involved in Eurovision 2020 has become the heart of the decision take by EBU. The Netherlands started a series of very strong measure to fight this virus, following other European countries like Italy, Spain and France - for example - where all gatherings of people are forbidden and where travels have received a very strong and restrictive ban. https://youtu.be/UQgcqE4a620 Rotterdam could host Eurovision Song Contest 2021 Jon Ola Sand, Executive Supervisor,...

Freaky is the way! Senhit’s hymn to the beauty of diversity for Eurovision 2020.

13Mar

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Eurovision

Freaky is the way! Senhit’s hymn to the beauty of diversity for Eurovision 2020.

It is Friday 13th of a leap year in which we are facing a freaking pandemic alarm: shouldn’t we only be writing about beautiful things today? As we have mentioned here, Senhit has been chosen by San Marino as representative for this Eurovision Song Contest 2020 which will be held (hopefully without programme changes) in Rotterdam from 12th to 16th May 2020. To select which of the two competing songs had to be performed on the stage of Eurovision 2020 between Freaky and Obsessed, the singer had put on an on-line ballot on her website last Saturday and Sunday. https://youtu.be/c6ZNo_hVA6E The video is a triumph of colours, a hymn to that diversity which is part of our normalcy and which must not frighten us, but it must be celebrated, fully lived and enjoyed. This year San Marino hit it...

Uno…dos, cuatro! Little Big from Russia to Eurovision Song Contest 2020

13Mar

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Eurovision

Uno…dos, cuatro! Little Big from Russia to Eurovision Song Contest 2020

It Friday and on Friday we don’t worry about anything (or at least we try not to) because all we want is to have fun. So this year Russia has decided to be represented by a band that in Russia and Europe is already quite famous, whose SKIBIDI choreography has become the most reproduced meme on TikTok in Russia in recent months. https://youtu.be/mDFBTdToRmw Gentle Ladies and Gentle Gays… please, welcome Little Big Band on the stage! But no, they have decided to surprise us even more: Little Big will go on stage in Rotterdam 2020 with UNO. https://youtu.be/L_dWvTCdDQ4 Little Big Band is from St. Petersburg and the group members are Ilya Prusikin, Sonya Tayurskaya, Anton Lissov and Sergey Makarov. The group represents a burning cocktail of absurdity, combined with powerful pun...

Will Corona Virus Stop Eurovision Song Contest 2020? This is what EBU replied to our email.

13Mar

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Eurovision, Health

Will Corona Virus Stop Eurovision Song Contest 2020? This is what EBU replied to our email.

The Mayor of Rotterdam - Ahmed Aboutaleb - was clear and resolute: “we want a response by no later than 6th April”. Yesterday the Dutch government decided to apply restrictive measures across the nation - following other European countries, such as Italy, which is giving a strong example of active fight against this Virus - among which we find also cancellations of all those events where 100+ people are expect to gather. Universities and colleges will offer online lecturers as much as possible; concerts, soccer matches of all levels have been canceled until the end of the month. Since yesterday, the Van Gogh museum, The Rijksmuseum as well as the Anne Frank House have closed to public to comply with the new safety regulations which will remain in force until 31st March 2020. It is obviou...

RuPaul’s DragCon LA gets cancelled Following Covid-19 infection concerns

11Mar

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Entertainment, News

RuPaul’s DragCon LA gets cancelled Following Covid-19 infection concerns

When it comes to health and safety, we are all called to act wisely. The RuPaul’s DragCon was supposed to be held between 1st and 3rd May 2020 in LA, but given the actual situation of Corona Virus infection and spread, the organisation decided to cancel the event. In their statement, DragCon organisers said: "The situation in California (and the world) is rapidly changing, with new information coming out every day. Unfortunately, there's no way for anyone to know what the situation will be like in May. Due to that uncertainty, and out of an abundance of caution, we've decided that it's in the best interest of the talent, staff, and attendees to cancel RuPaul's DragCon LA 2020. We will be working with Eventbrite to issue refunds for existing DragCon LA ticket holders over the next 7 ...

Onward gets censored in Russia and Saudi countries

11Mar

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Entertainment

Onward gets censored in Russia and Saudi countries

This is what happens when ignorance and homophobia get together. Disney-Pixar's Onward introduces us to the first openly gay character in the history of animated movies: Agent Specter, who in a quick joke, talks about her girlfriend and her daughter who "makes her lose her mind" Lena Waithe, the voice of Agent Specter in this cartoon, had the idea to let her character talk about a girlfriend rather than a husband. She told the director: “Can I say it? Isn’t it cooler? The word husband does not work”. Indeed the word girlfriend worked a lot better, but this was enough to scare those homophobic countries like Russia and Saudis which just cannot accept Agent Specter’s homosexuality. So, just in a time when the world economy has to deal with a frightening enemy, this damned COVID -19, Saudi...

Adam Castillejo is the second person in the world to be cured of HIV.

10Mar

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Health, Lifestyle, News

Adam Castillejo is the second person in the world to be cured of HIV.

The second person in the world to be cured of HIV publicly revealed his identity for the first time. We are talking about Adam Castillejo, 40, from London, who reportedly recovered from HIV following a stem cell treatment for cancer, according to BBC. Adam joins the Berlin patient who was declared cured of the virus in 2011, three years after undergoing a similar treatment. Adam Castillejo said: "By publicly revealing my identity and my story, I hope to help improve people's understanding of the science and HIV generally. I want to thank all those who have supported me on this journey, particularly my medical team at Hammersmith Hospital without whom I would not be here today." Venezuela-born Castillejo contracted HIV a year after moving to London in 2003. Unfortunately, in 2012 he w...

9Mar

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, News

Curdin Orlik comes out as gay.

“It is better to be yourself than to live in fear of who you really are." Swiss Swing Wrestler Champion, Curdin Orlik decided to come out and talk about his homosexuality a few days after the historic vote where the Swiss people voted in favour of a law that severely punishes all homotransphobic discriminations. Many users on social media have praised his choice to come out and the entire sport world got so positively shaken by this brave man that we hope many other sportsmen will want to follow his example. Curdin, 27, who has got a child from a former wedding, said: "I have been gay since I was 12. [...] This is me, I can't help it. That's how I was born. I have hidden who I really am. Now I want to be free." The Swiss Gay Pink Cross Federation said they are pleased to welcome a ne...

Eurovision Song Contest 2020 – San Marino has chosen (again) Senhit

6Mar

By RaffaNo Comments

closeUp, Eurovision

Eurovision Song Contest 2020 – San Marino has chosen (again) Senhit

For the first time the song to be brought to the Rotterdam stage will be chosen with a digital battle! You can vote here www.senhit.com/eurovision between Sat 7th and Sunday 8th March 2020. The Eurovision Song Contest is the most LGBT+ friendly music TV event in the whole world, and for the eleventh participation in this song contest, San Marino has chosen to be (re)represented by an international singer: SENHIT! The Italian-Eritrean artist has already competed for San Marino at the ESC 2011 and this year she returns to the competition after a long experience gained on the stages of the best clubs all around Europe and the United States, singing both in Italian and in English. The success of the recent electro-pop single "Dark Room" was one of the reasons that pushed San Marino to want...