Addio a Nilla Pizzi

Nilla Pizzi, Italian singing legend has died two weeks ago at the age of 91.

Nilla Pizzi is of course the winner of the first Sanremo festivals, 1951 with Grazie Dei Fiore (Thank you for the flowers), 1952 with Vola Colomba (Fly Dove).

Pizzi’s career started way before Sanremo, after winning a beauty pageant in 1939, her first singing trophy she collected was Voci Nuove in 1942, organised by what soon was to be RAI. (Italian national TV)

In 1944 Pizzi cut her first record, Valzer Di Primavera with Bruna Rattani. Later that year she was deemed unfit for the fascist Italian regime, her voice being to exotic and sexual.

After the war Pizzi’s career took off, performing with the all of the best Italian orchestra’s. Record companies Cetra and HMV fought over her contracts and she was one of the few stars who easily moved along with the fast changing music landscape of the early 50’s.

In 1951 she took both first and second place at the Sanremo festival. Winner Grazie Dei Fiori also broke the record for most sold disc at the time (they had 78rpm discs in those days).

Vola Colomba, the 1952 winner was even more successful and the song also travelled across the world. In 1953 she only ended second with Desiderio ‘e.

Nilla Pizzi participated in six Sanremo festivals as a solo artist. 1958’s L’Edera being one of her biggest hits.

In 1994 she performed with Una Vecchia Canzone Italiana (An old Italian song) with Squadro Italia, a group of veteran Italian singers gathered for this performance only. The song ended only 19th.

Next to all her own Sanremo songs Pizzi recorded many of the other contestants entries, including 5 songs that eventually entered Eurovision. Pizzi sang mainly in Italian but also recorded some songs in Spanish and English.

Here’s a short discography of Nilla Pizzi’s Eurocovers. All are coverversions of Italian entries.

1956 Aprite Le Finestre.

- On EP and 78 rpm (RCA A25V 0452)

1956 Amami Se Vuoi
- 78 rpm (RCA LPM 1378) and other releases

Both tracks also on LP San Remo 1956, where Pizzi sings ten Sanremo songs from 1956. (RCA A10V 0080) 

1957 Corde Della Mia Chitarra
- on US LP Rendez-vous With Nilla (RCA) and other releases

1958 Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) (see comments)
- b side to L’Edera (RCA 45-N 0647)

1961 Al di la
- on 7”, also on LP Recital De Nilla Pizzi (Durium)

Find out more about Aprite Le Finestre and Nilla Pizzi's hit version in the Eurocovers post Holy Priest, Open The Stained Glass Window.

Sources: Nilla Pizzi Wiki, Sanremo historia.

Jasmyn

Here’s a CD I received already a few weeks ago, but with all the hassle of the 2011 preselection madness I hadn’t come around to reviewing it yet.

(Singende) Jasmyn is a sweet voiced singer from South Africa, who recorded several Eurovision songs, so Eurocovers ears were pointed of course.

Jasmyns first album Jy Wens Jy Kon Sê is a collection of songs both in Afrikaans and English. Most songs are ballads and that’s just as well, as Jasmyn soothing voice really carries the slow songs beautifully.

The soft, sometimes spiritual music may not suit all hours of the day and the music surely demands attention from the listener. Jasmyn appears to be fully in control of her voice throughout the whole album and never needs to regress to vocal acrobatics or overstretching her voice.
When I heard a few of her songs a year or so ago I commented along the lines of 'Jasmyn sings like an angel' and that is true for most of her debut album.

The Eurocovers
One of the Eurovision songs Jasmyn recorded that ended up on the album is the 2010 Irish entry It's For You. 1993 winner Niamh Kavanagh returned to Eurovision in 2010 with the song written by Niall Mooney, Mårten Eriksson, Jonas Gladnikoff and Lina Eriksson. It’s this Eurocover that gets a remarkable Afrikaans makeover by Jasmyn.
The song is now titled Dit Is Vir Jou and is sung in Afrikaans with a part in Zulu. She is helped by vocal group Impulse whose imprint helps make it a wonderful spiritual song.

The second Eurovision song is an Afrikaans cover of I Don’t Wanna Leave, the Polish 2009 entry originally by Lidia Kopania. Now titled By Jou Will Ik Bly (I want to stay with you).

Tracklist Jy Wens Jy Kon Sê

1. Awaiting
2. Bly Staan
- The only more or less uptempo song written by Steve Hofmeyer
3. Sonder Jou - Wat Nou?
4. Brief Oor Die See
- A traditional folk song with a male choir
5. I Always Knew You
- Written by Afrikaans singer/songwriter Catherine Jones
6. Whisper Of Angels
- Sounds like a classical song, wonderful vocal arrangement with Voices+
7. Jy Wens Jy Kon Sê
- Wonderful song, highlight of the album.
8. Hy Is Daar
- The 2nd Catherine Jones song is an esoteric but uplifting religious hymn
9. I Will Pray For You
- I know this one by Katherine Jenkins, but I don’t know if it was written for her. The chorus melody is a bit Fairytale Of New York. Another album highlight for Jasmyn. With the help of vocal group Voices+
10. Dit Is Vir Jou
- The Irish Eurovision entry It’s For You
11. Letting Go
- A cover of Christian singer Nikki Leonti
12. By Jou Wil Ek Bly
- I Don’t Wanna Leave, the Polish 2009 entry
13. Celebrate Spring


You can listen to the songs at Jasmyns Reverbnation.
Also check out Jasmyns official website.

The CD Jy Wens Jy Kon Sê is available at Kalahari (who sell internationally) and also at several digital outlets like Amazon.

Jasmyn has also recorded the 1993 Belgian entry Iemand Zoals Jij (Iemand Soos Jy) and I Evighet (Norway 1996) as Tapeserie, but these haven't made it to the album. She's currently working on some other Eurovision songs for future releases.

Die Autobahn To Düsseldorf: Linda Bengtzing, Alexsey Vorobyov.

The Swedish Melodifestivalen Final on March 12 is the last national selection of 2011. Eurocovers is of course very pleased to see Linda Bengtzing still in the running with her song E De Fel På Mig.

In 2008 Linda B. made it to the Melodifestivalen final with her 3rd attempt Hur svårt kan det va?.

Will she be able to take it that one step further this time.

In this Road To Belgrade style Eurocovers post you can find out about her MF songs and especially her Eurovision coverversions she recorded when she was only 12.

Update: All four Linda Bengtzing MF hits are now available on her new compilation CD Min Karusell - En Samling. It features 10 Bengtzing hits and four karaoke tracks (3 MF songs in Karaoke)

Other Swedish MF finalists are the Playtones who feature in this Autobahn to Düsseldorf post.

Russia have selected Alexey Vorobyov to represent the country at the 2011 contest.

Eurocovers reported on Vorobyev in 2009 when he participated in the Russian national final.

In the Eurocovers Road To Moscow post you can find his coverversion of the Spanish 1966 entry Yo Soy Aquel, originally by Raphael.

Read all about Get You, the Russian 2011 entry composed by RedOne here at the Düsseldorf Collection.

For the latest news on the 2011 Eurovision releases check out the Düsseldorf Collection.

Mariska & Rian Ungerer - Ons Liefde is Vir Ewig

Have a listen to this charming coverversion of the Croatian 2004 entry You Are The One For Me originally by Ivan Mikulic. It's the second duet for young singer Mariska and Rian Ungerer after Alles Vir Liefde. It's from Mariska's own Youtube channel.

also check http://mariskamusic.co.za/#

Die Autobahn To Düsseldorf - The Playtones

Rock 'n' Roll dansband The Playtones are in the third heat of the Swedish pre-selection Melodifestivalen with their song The King.
(update: Yay!, they made it to the Final)
(another update: The King ended 5th in the final, but the Rock 'n' Roll is King album enters the Swedish album charts at #1 in week 11)
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Below video is The Playtones’ live coverversion of the 2009 Eurovision winner Fairytale (Alexander Rybak).

The Playtones released their Fairytale on the CD Rock 'n'Roll Dance Party which is the best selling album of 2010 in Sweden.
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Their next album Rock ‘n’ Roll Is King will be out on March 9 and will of course include their Melodifestivalen entry.

The Playtones website
SVTs Melodifestivalen pages

That Dansband schlager is extremely popular in Sweden today is confirmed again by this week’s #1 on the album charts: Elisa’s debut album Det Här Är Bara Början
It features a feisty coverversion of Tusen Och En Natt, Swedens 1999 winner Take Me To Your Heaven by Charlotte Nilsson (Perrelli)

Elisa‘s website

The King
Brylcreem and Eurovision, do they gel?
The last time someone 'slightly' referred to Elvis it was a bit of a total disaster.
Read about that one (Copycat) and other Eurovision Rock 'n' Roll efforts here at Eurocovers.

More Autobahn stars:
Turkey  - Yüksek Sadakat
Lithuania - Mino
Finland - Milana Misic


DÜSSELDORF EUROVISION 2011

For the latest on the 2011 songs and releases please check out the Düsseldorf Collection.

Latest news: Russia: Alexey Vorobyov and RedOne *** Portugal Homens Da Luta *** Armenia - Armenia picks Boom Boom for Emmy *** Croatia : Break A Leg by Daria Kinzer *** Iceland - Songvakeppni CD out now *** Slovakiia - Liisten to the Twiins. *** Netherlands: 3JS Never Alone *** Slovenia - Vanilija - EMA CD out now *** Greece - Watch My Dance *** Italy: English version out now *** Israel: Songs online *** Belarus: Born In The USSR?

Cyprus: Listen to the song now! *** Macedonia - Download Rusinka *** Latvia - Musiqq - Angel in disguise *** Ukraine - Mika Newton it is *** Moldova - Zdob Şi Zdub: Lucky Twice! *** Denmark - A Friend In London *** Serbia - Nina - Čaroban *** Estonia - Getter Jaani - Rockefeller street *** Ireland - Jedward cdsingle, charts. *** Austria: Nadine Beiler beats Trackshittaz *** Turkey: Song presented, watch video. *** Lithuania: Evelina Sašenko wins. *** Bulgaria - Poli Genova to Düsseldorf. *** Germany: Lena cdsingle info. *** Bosnia Hercegovina: More versions announced for Dino. *** Switzerland: In Love For A While, New version out now.

Die Autobahn To Düsseldorf: Yüksek Sadakat

Turkish singer Nilüfer (Nilüfer Yumlu) who we all of course remember from the 1978 Eurovision entry Sevince by Nazar (group, she was in it) has released a new album titled 12 Düet.

It means 12 Duets and it features 12 songs Nilüfer recorded with Turkish rock singers and bands.

Track 2 on the album is Göreceksin Kendini featuring Yüksek Sadakat.

Yüksek Sadakat is of course the 2011 Turkish entrant and Göreceksin Kendini is a coverversion of Tu Te Reconnaitras, the 1973 Eurovision winner by Anne-Marie David (for Luxembourg).

It is the third time Nilüfer recorded Göreceksin Kendini.
It first appeared on a single (CBS 1646, pic left) and a later recording was released on the Various artists album Bak Bir Varmış Bir Yokmuş 3 (Odeon Koleksiyon )

Nilüfer also recorded Greek entry Socrates (by Elpida, 1979) as Beyaz Mendil which was a b-side to single Oh Oh (Burç 3511).

On her album Sen Mühimsin Nilüfer released a wonderful version of the Turkish 1990 entry Gözlerinin Hapsindeyim originally by Kayahan Açar. (Yasar YCD 90007)

As far as I know Göreceksin Kendini is the first ever Eurocover for Yüksek Sadakat.

Read more about Yüksek Sadakat here at The Düsseldorf Collection.

Nilüfers 12 Düet album is out now in the Turkish shops.

Other artists duetting on the album are Şebnem Ferah, Malt, Teoman, Gece Yolcuları, Hayko Sepkin and many others.

Estando Contigo
Sadly it's the end of The Autobahn for David Sancho.
The actor and big band style singer was axed in yesterdays Spanish pre-thing round.
But let's pay him a visit at his website where you can listen to a highly enjoyable version of Estando Contigo, Spains first ever entry.
There's also some other songs in audio or video (Click Saber first, then canciones).

Yvetta Simonová

Yvetta Simonová is a singer from the Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia in the olden days). After a start in classical music she became hugely popular with pop songs when she began working with the Karel Vlach Orchestra in the late 50s.
(Karel Vlach (1911 - 1986) later became her third husband)
Today she still is one of the treasured icons of Czech music.
She recorded over 500 songs in her career, including many with Milan Chladil (1931-1984).

Here's Yvetta Simonová's Eurocovers Discography


1965 France - N’Avoue Jamais
- Říkal, že ne - on LP Ať hudba dále zní (1969 Supraphon 013 0664)

1967 Luxembourg - L’Amour Est Bleu
- Má Láska Je Bílá - on LP At Hudba Dale Zni (Supraphon)

1968 Germany - Ein Hoch Der Liebe
- A Tak Té Vitám, Lásko - on CD Jaké By To Bylo Stěstí (a další nahrávky z let 1969-1972), recording from 60’s

1969 France - Un Jour, Un Enfant
- Snad Jednou
1969 Spain - Vivo cantando
- Užívej tance
both on 7” (Supraphon 0 43 0776)

1973 Finland - Tom Tom Tom

- 7” (Supraphon 1 43 1638)

1975 Netherlands - Ding A Dong
- duet with Milan Chladil - on CD O Nás Dvou (1999, recording possibly from 70’s)

1976 France - 1,2,3
- Já Tě Znám - on CD Dárek Na Památku (2008) recording from 70's.


Special thanks to Milan.

Die Autobahn To Düsseldorf: Mino

Not a new article here in Die Eurocovers Autobahn, but a re-hash of a Eurocovers post from four years ago.
Lithuanian singer Mino is one of the many hopefulls giving it a try in what is always a highlight in the Preselection season, the Lithuanian National Finals.
Mino's song in the multi-night selection is Don't Go. The song was originally recorded in Lithuanian as Angelai.
Below is a reworking of the original Mino post.



Mino - Be meilės mirt galiu
Lithuania are relative newcomers to the Eurovision stage and I haven't been able to find any old coverversions of Eurovision songs made in Lithuania.

But they are catching up with several versions recorded in recents years.
(Check out the Christmas Presents post for one of them)

So it's good to find a new CD which features three covers at once.
The CD in case is by Mino (Mindaugas Mickevičius), who is another Lithuanian talent show star (”Kelias į žvaigždes”.)

The album was released last november and is titled Be Meilės Mirt galiu. I don't know what it means, but the title track is a cover version of Die For You, the Greek 2001 entry by Helena Paparizou before she got rid of the bloke.
The album opens with Gitaras, which is Volare (Nel blu dipinto di blu), made famous by Domenico Modugno and about a 1000 others. In fact it is more a Gipsy Kings coverversion and on the edge of slightly annoying.

Third and best Eurocover is Noriu Turet Tave (track 3) a duet with the ever fantastic Alanas Chošnau. It's Shame On You the Danish 2004 entry by the guy in that bad red suit Thomas Thordarsson.

Other songs on the album sometimes sound familiar too, but I haven't got a clue what they are although some sound Italian and others sound like 'Die for you' part 2, so they could be any Philippe Kirkorov cover.

Since then Mino has released three more albums Bravo from 2007 and Italiano from 2008 both feature Lithuanian versions of Italian songs. You can listen to several Mino songs here at Music.lt
In 2010 the album Dainos, Kurios Kvepia Braškėmis (Songs that smell like strawberries) was released. It features songs from previous albums in duet versions.

New Mino Website
Don't Go Youtube - Angelai Youtube
As usual http://www.eurodiena.lt./ has all the latest news on the Lithuanian selection and also sounds as soon as they're there.
P.S. Don't go is fab!

The Düsseldorf Collection has the latest on the 2011 songs.

Release news: Steven Sterlings Beautiful Maria.

South African singer Steven Sterling has released his new album Mooie Maria (Beautiful Maria) and it includes several tracks of interest to the Eurocovers fans.
It's safe to say Mooie Maria is a joyous Schlager album with a nice collection of coverversions of Germans schlagers as well as international pop songs.
It also includes some self penned songs and Steven Sterling wrote all the Afrikaans lyrics himself.

Tracklist Mooie Maria

Gummi Bears - Temalied (Themesong)

Mooie Maria (Youtube video)

Kaapse Meisies

Umhlanga Rocks!

- Coverversion of the Dutch 2010 song Sha La Lie (Ik Ben Verliefd). The Father Abraham penned song performed by Sieneke didn't make it to the final in Oslo, but it turns out to be the most covered track of the 2010 contest. This version is about top South African holiday destination Umhlanga Rocks and having fun in the summer season.

Piña Colada
- Albert Hammonds 1975 hit Down By The River.

Boere Barbie

Engel Hier Op Aarde
- The first of the tracks written by Sterling himself is a poppy ballad.

Glimlag
- This is a coverversion of Under Your Spell, a track from the Swedish Melodifestivalen 2006 originally by Evan.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
- The Simon and Garfunkel hit, in English.
Mama Afrika
- The Afrikaans version of Mama Corsica, the French entry of 1993 by Patrick Fiori
Dissie Liedjies (Op Die Radio)
- Another self penned song.
To Love You More
Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You
- Originally a hit for Glenn Medeiros
Somer 2010 - remix
- A bonus remix of Mooie Maria, Kaapse Meisies, Umhlanga Rocks, Piña Colada and Boere Barbie.

Mama Afrika and Glimlag appeared earlier on the album Steven Sterling III which also includes a re-recording of Sterlings version of Lief Vir Alles Hier (Für Alle, the German 1985 entry by Wind).

An alternate version of Lief Vir Alles Hier was included on the album Steven Sterling recorded with his brother, panflutist Ryan Walt. The title track of the CD Take My hand (2009) is the CANSA theme song (The Cancer association of South Africa).
Take My Hand was recorded in English, Afrikaans (Vat My Hand) and Italian (Vieni Qui). These versions can be found on the edition Take My Hand Forever (2010) which does not include Lief Vir Alles Hier but a very interesting ABBA cover Klein Pik Soentjies (Hey gamle Man).

Mooie Maria and other Steven Sterling albums are available at Kalahari, or you can contact EZpromotions.

Steven Sterling Links

Reverbnation: Listen to some Steven Sterlings songs including Mama Afrika and Lief Vir Alles Hier.

Steven Sterling Homepage.
Steven Sterling Youtube channel
Sha La Lie, All covers and releases

2011 is here!

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http://www.thesmilies.com/