Despite San Marino receiving a colossal 1,050 candidates for their first ever national final, only eight entries came from the Most Serene Republic itself. This is hardly a surprise, given that the population of San Marino is barely larger than the capacity of this year’s Eurovision arena. However, 1in360 have kindly accounted for local artists’ statistical disadvantage, and offered them a lifeline.

Whilst their first wildcard was awarded to Finland’s Emma, as voted by international fan groups, and their second is currently being decided by online vote, wildcard #3 is slightly different. San Marino’s third and final wildcard, which will be announced on December 15th, is offered exclusively to Sammarinese artists. So, with no further ado, I present you the lucky candidates.

Anita Simoncini

Aiming for a second shot at Eurovision victory, Peppermints alumni Anita Simoncini enters the selection. After singing a Ralph Siegel penned entry often mistaken as “Chain of Farts”, her and Michele Perniola unsurprisingly crashed out in the semis of the 2015 contest.

However, covering Ed Sheeran’s “The A Team” in her audition video, we see a more delicate side to this beautiful, young talent. Give her a quality song and she will most definitely shine.

IROL

Arguably the most famous artist in the whole of San Marino (which admittedly isn’t saying that much), IROL has expressed his desire to represent his homeland at Eurovision, after revealing the Sammarinese points in 2016.

One of our dream candidates in our own San Marino wishlist and the winner of the 2015 edition of San Marino’s very own talent contest I Talenti de Castelli, IROL certainly has the qualifications. If given a killer chorus, his feel-good hip hop could finally give rap music a name at Eurovision.

Alessandra Busignani

With the confirmed involvement of Christof Straub, father and songwriter to Austrian chanteuse Zoë, we may have found a match made in heaven.

Alessandra Busignani – also known under the alias of Feinpunkt – keeps it slick and sensual, using her smooth jazz vocals and flawless English to seduce the stage. Or if that’s not up your street, she’s also a DJ, and could go all Björk on us with one of her wacky expressive dance numbers.

Alibi

Has Samir ditched Viktor and his Melodifestivalen dreams for a Sammarinese band quartet?

No: This is, Alibi, a group formed in 2014 who create music in a range of genres from funk to rock, and are currently competing in this year’s edition of Talenti dei Castelli.

Jimmi JDKA

If there’s any artist here to get people talking about San Marino again, it’s Jimmi JDKA. His music is creative, fun, and quite frankly, outrageous (expect cavemen, machine guns and farting women in lingerie).

Needless to say, he would easily achieve status as Eurovision’s fastest-ever rapper. After the success of “Yodel It” last year, this man may be exactly what viewers crave as the contest grows more and more serious by the year.

Fiorella Guidi

Raised in Argentina but of Sammarinese origin, Fiorella Guidi presents a very different kind of entry for San Marino.

The Rising Star Argentina contestant possesses beautiful tango vocals and a splendid talent for the accordion. Fiorella could play on Salvador Sobral’s success in bringing us a beautiful, classical ballad in her native tongue. Either that, or she’s the perfect excuse for a “Despacito” rip off.

Gianluigi Colucci

Singer and apparent body builder, Gianluigi Colucci, is also after one of the ten spots in 1in360’s televised finals.

San Marino’s answer to Sakis Rouvas, he doesn’t shy away from drenching his body in fake rain throughout his audition video. What more could you ask for?

Fabrizio Valentini

https://youtu.be/2z3KklXtMY4

We’ll let you judge this one for yourselves…

Poll: Who should win the 1in360 Sammarinese third wildcard?

You can vote for as many artists as you like, but you can only vote once — so cast your vote carefully.

[polldaddy poll=9891623]

What happens next?

San Marino’s local wildcard will be decided by December 15th. It is unclear whether the result will be decided by an internal jury, or by which artist of the eight Sammarinese artists receives the most votes during the second wildcard round. You can vote for your favourite’s on 1in360’s official online platform.

What do you think? Could any of these artists win 1in360? Should San Marino hold a national final exclusively for Sammarinese artists for 2019? Leave your comments in the box below!

READ MORE SAN MARINO EUROVISION NEWS

27 Comments
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brunowskii
brunowskii
6 years ago

Valentina!

Marco
Marco
6 years ago

Loved that Tango! Great voice, Fiorella should represent San Marino!

Mabel
Mabel
6 years ago

excelente Fiorella…hermoso tango, muy buena interpretación…Tocar el bandeneón merece un primer puesto…Vamossss.

Eurovision Junior (NL)
Eurovision Junior (NL)
6 years ago

My top 8;

1. IRON
2. Anita (3 is my lucky number, 3rd time to represent San Marino give her luck?)
3. Alessandra
4. Gianluigi
5. Alibi
6. Fiorella
7. Jimmy JDKA
8. Fabrizio

dade
dade
6 years ago

Little Tony is bigger than IROL…

Unknown Melody
Unknown Melody
6 years ago

Why is Anita leading by such a huge margin? Just because she was in ESC already? First Emma and the rest of the top 10 on the first wildcard voting, now this. Come on guys, give everybody an equal chance and listen to all of them, not just the past ESC/NF participants…

JEFFERSON LAMAS
JEFFERSON LAMAS
6 years ago

I hate rap, hip hop. This is not musical genre, it’s GARBAGE !!!!!!!

Jo
Jo
6 years ago

lol

AzeriChico
AzeriChico
6 years ago

Correct me if I am wrong but I think that we’ve never had any rap songs (solo) at Eurovision yet. That would be really cool if San Marino sent one.

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
6 years ago
Reply to  AzeriChico

Does Kølig Kaj (Denmark 1997) count? His backups sang.

Pablo
Pablo
6 years ago

Irol. There’s something so wrong about his style and how it mixes with ESC that feels so right. Big bold and unique. Would be killer.

Elmar
Elmar
6 years ago

I can’t believe that so many ppl wants Anita to come back. lol. I would like to see IROL at Eurovision stage, some rap music would be good for a change. 🙂

ninasublatti
ninasublatti
6 years ago

voted for my favorite rapper from san marino

Matt
Matt
6 years ago

Am I the only one who liked “Chain of Lights”?

Really? “Chain of farts”? Thanks for putting that in my mind. *sigh*

beccaboo1212
6 years ago
Reply to  Matt

Guess who else likes “Chain of Lights”? ME! 😀

Too bad it remained trapped in the semi-final back then. 🙁

Hopefully Anita Simoncini wins the wildcard for ESC 2018. 🙂

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
6 years ago
Reply to  beccaboo1212

If they were 4 years older it might have been a more convincing performance. I felt sorry for them because I thought Ralph Siegel was feeding them (both of whom were 16) to the lions.

CookyMonzta
CookyMonzta
6 years ago

@Edd: Aye. If Anita were to go with a song like the one she sang in the video (Ed Sheeran’s), she’d be in a world of hurt. Better to try something that isn’t nearly that slow…

…Oh, yes, of course; it had better be written by someone other than Ralph Siegel. :-X

Paul D.
Paul D.
6 years ago

I’m here for Irol tbh, Anita already had her chance. Twice.

Matt
Matt
6 years ago
Reply to  Paul D.

Twice?

Paul D.
Paul D.
6 years ago
Reply to  Matt

ESC and JESC

D
D
6 years ago

Since they clearly have artists from San Marino interested in ESC, why have they outsourced their acts so often lmao

William Lee Adams
Admin
6 years ago
Reply to  D

It’s an interesting point. There are some great singers in this Sammarinese line-up.

Hada
Hada
6 years ago
Reply to  D

Funding.

Jo
Jo
6 years ago

Yaaaaaassss

Jo
Jo
6 years ago

Irol and bring some rap to the house!!!!

Elio22
Elio22
6 years ago

Please, don’t let Anita win, she did a so bad job in vienna.

beccaboo1212
6 years ago
Reply to  Elio22

Hopefully she does better in Lisbon. 🙂