On the eighth day of rehearsals for Eurovision 2022, we experienced the second rehearsals of the Big Five countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. The second of these to rehearse was Italy, represented by Mahmood & Blanco.
Mahmood & Blanco’s second rehearsal
Today we got to watch Mahmood & Blanco’s second rehearsal from the online press centre. Since Blanco had to miss Italy’s first rehearsal due to a scheduling conflict, today was his first session on the Eurovision set. We got an in-depth preview of how Mahmood & Blanco’s performance will look on TV on Saturday 14th May, when they perform in the Eurovision Grand Final. You can watch an excerpt of their second rehearsal here!
We will update this article with the video clip preview when it becomes available
What did we see in Italy’s second rehearsal?
Mahmood was joined to today by Blanco, who had to miss their first rehearsal due to a scheduling conflict. Their staging is quite understated with Mahmood and Blanco dressed in contrasting black and white costumes, and a stylized white grand piano that Blanco interacts with in the middle of the song. The atmosphere overall oozes class and elegance.
What happened in Mahmood & Blanco’s first rehearsal?
After the Italian delegation’s first rehearsal, Isabelle gave their initial thoughts on the snippet that we saw. You can hear how they felt about Italy’s first rehearsal on our TikTok here:
@thateurosite #stitch with @eurovision Italy’s @Mahmood was onstage at the Pala Alpitour in Turin for his first rehearsal of Brividi this afternoon, with @BLANCO set to join him for their second rehearsal on Saturday. Here’s what Isabelle (@absurdist lemon tree) had to say! #eurovision #eurovisiontiktok #esc2022 #fyp #foryou #italy #brividi #mahmood #blanco ♬ original sound – thateurosite
About Mahmood & Blanco
Mahmood and Blanco won this year’s edition of Italy’s Sanremo contest with their song “Brividi.” This is not Mahmood’s first time representing Italy at Eurovision. In 2019, Mahmood won Sanremo and the opportunity to represent Italy in Tel Aviv. Mahmood went on to finish second at Eurovision 2019 with his song “Soldi.”
Blanco is only 19 years old, but has already made a huge name for himself in Italy. His first album “Blu Celeste” charted at Number 1 in the Italian music charts.
Italy’s Eurovision journey
Reigning winner Italy has participated in the contest 46 times since it began in 1956. In addition to Måneskin’s 2021 victory, Italy also won in 1964 with Gigliola Cinquetti’s “Non ho l’età” and in 1990 with Toto Cutugno’s “Insieme: 1992.”
Italy took an extended break from the contest from 1994 to 2011 (returning once in 1997). The country became a member of the Big Five upon its return, and has only missed the top 10 twice since. Italy finished second twice: in 2011 (with Raphael Gualazzi’s “Madness of Love”) and in 2019 (with Mahmood’s “Soldi”). Italy also notched third place in 2015 with Il Volo’s “Grande Amore,” which won the televote.
Perhaps the most iconic Italian Eurovision entry is Domenico Modugno’s “Nel blu, dipinto di blu” – better known as “Volare” – which placed third in 1958. It was a success in the American charts and won the first ever Grammy award for Song of the Year.
What are your opinions on Mahmood & Blanco’s second rehearsal? What changes would you make? Let us know in the comments or on social media. Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
News Source: EBU
Photo Source: Universal Music
