Despite the tidal wave of new Eurovision 2017 songs presented in the past few weeks, he remains the bookies’ hot favourite to win Eurovision 2017.
And on March 25 Italy’s Francesco Gabbani reminded the world why as he delivered another delightful performance of “Occidentali’s Karma” at the Coca Cola Onstage Awards.
The event — which honours the best live tours and concerts of the year — took place in Milan and welcomed several Italian artists, including Sanremo 2017 contestants Michele Bravi and Clementino.
Among the winners were two former Eurovision entrants. Marco Mengoni won three gongs (Best Tour, Best Fan Base and Live Hymn of the Year for his song “Parole in circolo“), while Emma Marrone won the Best Female Artist award.
Gabbani was invited as a special guest following the huge success of “Occidentali’s Karma“. The song topped the Italian FIMI Singles chart, gaining double platinum status for pushing more than 100,000 copies and streams in four weeks. The official video clip of the song now has more than 70 million of views on YouTube. The tune is definitely keeping the momentum going!
You can watch the powerful live performance above — and without the iconic gorilla. He didn’t join Francesco on stage this time but he will be on hand to greet the audience in Kyiv. A few days ago Italian HoD Nicola Caligiore confirmed that the “dancing ape” will be part of the performance.
“How could we possibly get rid of the gorilla?” he said. “I mean, it’s our selling point this year. I think that our act will be quite similar to the one in Sanremo, our national final. We will enhance it and adapt it for the stage. It has been so successful so far. We don’t feel we need to turn things.”
Do you think Italy will take the crown in Kyiv? Tell us in the comments section or on our brand new app available on Google Play and Apple Store.
OMG HE SLAYS!! I love this live performance, even without the gorilla.
And the way how everybody scream: “Namaste!” “ALÉÉÉÉ!!” Amazing!!! It really stands out!! I’m totally in love with him
You can say you don’t like, but it isn’t a silly song. No entry is stupid! Is by idiots offending the artists in the competition or their country.
This Song is so chirldlesh. The monkey and the coriografi. Stupid Song
I love this song (and him) too much!
Say thank you to the swedish people for not sending Loreen, hahaha! “Statements” would have been the best song this year! Hands down. Shame.. We will be back hahaha..
It’s a favourite, no boubt! Most people like it!
I get a 2015 vibe! I am confident he’ll probably win the televote! I am concerned about the juries. I believe it’ll be high, but maybe not first.
And stop complaining about the gorilla! There’s a reason for that, they didn’t put it just for fun!
I fear Italy can lose like in 2015, from someone I wouldn’t like to see winning. I hope this won’t happen!
However, I’ll accept if Italy loses to France! I love it too!
Julian
ok, that’s a typo, he’s vice PM. it does not negate the fact that he’s top government represantative and he’s personally the boss of this matter, therefore if he spoke on behalf of the state it should be considered as an official statement.
Va fi Ungaria sau Bulgaria.
Romania ar fi dezastru, Gala Bute in reluare.
@Charles:
For someone who’s always eager to tell others that they have to focus on the music, you surely seem to mention that gorilla a whole lot… Just hoping you’ll eventually come to terms with the ESC finally coming back south.
Italy will WIN Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kyiv, Ukraine
#Roma2018 #Rome2017
@Oxana “Today Ukrainian PM Kyrylenko said…”
Kyrylenko could not be PM, Groysman is, that I knew.
Checked and Kyrylenko is one of the vicePMs, the one for humanitarian policy, and he is from the People Front party = right wing, nationalist, populist party. If he is the one making declarations, he should be not the one that has the last word. There might still be hope that reason and compromise would prevail.
After all even if People Front is part of the government and had 20% votes in last election, current polls have them with very few votes.
@ Charles – I guess you can come back when your fave is at 4/3 in the betting agencies, well ahead the runner-up at 7/1. Otherwise, you can stay an OFH and seethe when he snatches the trophy as he deserves to 🙂
We all need to vote for this guy to make sure that the next ESC will take place in the civilized state not like Ukraine. ROME 2018!
But, as @Betty said, too risky, because it is not his concert in the end.. we’ll see in May 🙂
Marc true, it won’t be easy and we’ll see some moves from Russia every day but let’s break it down to most important aspects: 1) time. most sencitive thing as we have raw 30 days before the event should start. every day that Russia postpones the solution means they won’t be ready to provide even bad quality song 2) Ukraine won’t change its rules and EBU can’t force us to do it. yes, they can get angry but hey, they scummed us with Zlata and on many other occasions in favor of someone who “is the best country to host”,… Read more »
@ Purple Mask Of course, that will be awesome! 😀
Is it 1984? No! Can we please have modern songs in esc 2017!
Gabbani+Gorilla+4 backing vocals to say Ale = 6 persons on stage.
I’m sure he will not depend on audience, is too risky, audience have the right of not knowing the song, they have no duty to be in Gabbani’s team.
Jorge Marques keep the faith and eventually you’ll be lucky. when Ukraine selected Jamala (by people’s votes, Ukrainian jury wanted to send another artist, more “eurovision friendly” but people said “we want to send Jamala no matter what you, jury, want”) at the beginning she had no chances to win, Russians launched a campaign to disqualify her on may occasions, people voiced conserns and even hate towards her personally and bashed her song. Jamala had very hard time to resist all negativity and to deliver top notch performance. And she made it! because big 40 million country had a faith… Read more »
@nauportus
You said it. The competition is too weak. We dont have songs which stand out. The contest of 2017 is very similar to the contest of 2014, when Aram Mp3 was the favorite for months, but when the bookies saw him on stage they changed their opinion. Personally I can understand why Italy is the hot favorite now, but the Eurovision version is at least…weak, and I totally believe that during the day of the Final Italy won’t be the hot favorite.
It will be ironic if this song wins, since this is the weakest song Italy has sent to the Eurovision since they returned to the contest (yup, I think even Emma Marone was better). I know the competition is weak this year, but this song is just too dated and uninteresting to become the winner, in my opinion.
@Eve: The audience will do the “Allez,” surely? Isn’t that the point of interactive lyrics? 😀
I’m not expecting this to roll over the competition like Alexander Rybak or Loreen. It’s a really catchy song but I’m not a fan of the version he’ll bring in Kyiv. The edit takes away the build up of the song, and with just the chorus left, it’s not really that good anymore. I’m afraid, the juries will be hard for Italy.
… even if I would like for them to bring back orchestra to Eurovision.
You can like or dislike the song but he’s a born showman, he has such great charisma and that’s undeniable. He will totally slay in Kyev even without orchestra.
Actually, he will have to change one thing, I wonder how he will perform that ”ALE” part without orchestra? Francesco, bring back orchestra to Eurovision! 😀
Italy’s song outside the competition is not very original. Isn’t it a bit Coldplay about it? And his voice is not great either. A bit creaky. However.. in this competition I guess Italy will be high and probobly win because the performance will stand out and the song compared to the others is different. So if I look at it that way it’s probobly not overrated. But I’m not listening to it. And I really can’t understand why my country Sweden is still that high in the odds! Maybe I’ve seen the performance and listened to the song too many… Read more »
Things are way too simple this year. Italy will be first in the televote 100%. If Francesco manages to be in the first four of jury’s vote, he will win ESC 2017. However, he has serious competition. Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia,and even Macedonia have the ability to be the first four in jury voting. We ‘ll see. As for Sweden, the only way to win ESC 2017 is to be 2nd in televoting (I believe that it will be), and at the same time 2nd-3rd in juries (with such lyrics {I cant go on because you ‘re freaking beautiful} I honestly… Read more »
THE WINNERRRRRRRR………..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ROME 2018 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think he doesn’t have to change anything in staging as we saw in San Remo, it is perfect.
Curious also to see performances of Belgium, Macedonia and Israel.
@Polegend Godgarina: Your dramatic desperation to see Italy win is just indescribable … it’s almost like a disease with no cure .. the same disease that explains Christer Björkmann’s obsession for a 7th victory and Russia’s Kirkorov eagering attempt to forget his 1995 disaster by winning this somehow …
Ha Ha Ha Gabbani’s girlfriend has a new tattoo : the gorilla.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_oa-UeVyGs
@Polegend Godgarina: I find it difficult to believe that the juries would not give Italy maximum marks this year unless the performer somehow messes up in the “Jury Final.” The song itself theoretically already has top marks (unless the cuts made to it aren’t liked; any opinions on that?)… We know the choreography is perfect; so that leaves style and performance. Francesco has bags of style (10/10); so I think it will simply come down to who has the best vocals on the night. Really the only entry so far (from a jury perspective) that could rival Italy when it… Read more »
@ PP – if Italy wins the televote and the juries rob us FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THREE YEARS then I’m calling bs on this show. Nobody wants to see Sweden winning again (enough is enough!) and I feel like Belgium isn’t a contendant at all, especially with the televote. Bulgaria is the likely jury favorite.
The song goes OFF so gorilla or not, it’s a bop. But since the gorilla will be there, hold your weaves tight because hurricane Francesco is coming for your money.
I know it doesn’t have anything to do with this post, but when should we expect the semi’s running order? Getting on topic, I hope he wins. It’s a fun tune with clever lyrics and filled with charisma. I see people wanting Sweden, but frankly I’d hate to see them win with a mediocre song again in such short notice. They have deserved their high placings plenty of time, but this year all that is carrying the song is stage gimmicks and the name Sweden. As for the other often talked winners, Belgium and Bulgaria, I’m impartial about. Not my… Read more »
@Oxana
Thank you so much for your nice words, I think Portuguese fans are the most hopefull of all fans, we are allways hopping, for the longest time, that one day we will be a winner (since 1964)…
Do not misunderstand me: this is an original and very good song. The problem is that it was not made for ESC, thus the bad cut of thirty seconds from the original in the ESC version. And as already confirmed by the head of the Italian delegation, the staging will be more or less the same as the one we all already know from San Remo. Thus, no surprise in Kyiv, it will fit most of the ESC fans’ expectations, but for juries and non-ESC fans, this could be quite disappointing. I see a Top 5, not a winner. The… Read more »
Francesco is already a winner <3
A whole country loves him 🙂
He will hit 100 million on youtube before Eurovision.. it's crazy
Oxana
I don’t see it that easy :s
We know Russia won’t withdraw, and EBU can’t make them out because Russia has been following EBU rules to participate.
And ofc Ukraine is not changing their laws.
Ergo, EBU and Jon Ola hava a big big trouble here, and I don’t know how this is going to end :S
btw, last news on Russian participation~
Today Ukrainian PM Kyrylenko said Ukraine will allow any other Russian participant if they had no issues with law and stated that Ukraine ready to accept all 43 participants.
Russian Senatory Klitsevich in reply said that Russia won’t send another participant because they have no one but Samoylova
therefore we can count Russia out. really out
Congratulations to Marco Mengoni and Emma Marrone for their awards. Good to see them doing well.
I like Francesco; it will be interesting to see how he takes to the London crowd next weekend.
Jorge Marques
it’s great that Portugal decided to return to contest this year. please keep your hope alive. I’m hesitant to call Salvador as a winner, but he’s good singer with touchy song, he have chances
This has to win! I don’t think the language will be an issue; it stands out so much even without the gorilla. And a wholly non-english winning song will only be good for the future and originality of the contest.
Omg, he is amazing! The song, his charisma, everything! 😀 I can say I have crush on him. Milan 2018!
I consider him as a potential winner. it’s Italian style ot its best 🙂 who can resist? don’t think about your and ESC bubble, think about millions of voters at their homes who will have to decide on the spot.
So many Negative Nancys here about Italy’s chances.
This song is weak at best…. The song is non contemporary….. Italy will place high but not win
I love him! I remember when I first heard his song “Amen”, all his songs make me so happy and joyful. Good luck Francesco in Kiev!
This made me remember why he’s my favorite. Nothing’s written in stone, but he does deserve the win.