Late Tuesday evening, some not so good news emerged from Italy. Mahmood — the country’s Eurovision 2019 representative — is bedridden with a high fever and serious throat infection.
However, the “Soldi” singer, who recently topped the Italian FIMI Singles Chart for a second time with his new single “Calipso”, is still expected to fulfil his rehearsal commitments in Tel Aviv.
A recent unseasonal bout of cold weather in Italy, which resulted in abundant snowfall, may be to blame for his ailments.
As a precautionary measure, Il Resto del Carlino reports that all the singer’s scheduled commitments for today, 8th May, have been cancelled.
Mahmood was due to be a special guest at the Alessandro Troiani Memorial, a charity event at the Ventidio Basso Theatre in Ascoli.
He wouldn’t have been the only guest though. The stage will also welcome “Soldi” co-writer Dario Dardust Faini and red-haired singer Noemi, a veteran of the Sanremo Music Festival.
The newspaper writes that “the situation is so delicate that the departure of Mahmood for Tel Aviv (…) has been postponed to give the artist the chance to recover”.
The news spread online in no time at all, alarming all fans of the Italian representative. Thankfully, a more reassuring update came from the Italian website Eurofestival News:
“Based on the information that we have, we can confirm that the singer will leave regularly for Israel on Thursday 9 May, as planned, and will perform on the stage of the Expo Tel Aviv for the first rehearsal, scheduled for Friday 10 May at 5.20 pm CET.”
High expectations await Mahmood, one of this year’s top contenders and winner of the OGAE Poll 2019. He revealed in his first interview with wiwibloggs that there will be some surprises on the stage during his performance.
What do you expect from Italy’s first rehearsal? Do you think “Soldi” can win this year’s Eurovision? Let us know in the comments below!
Was watching Conan from Portugal live on instagram, he said he hasnt got to know Mahmood yet but he did send him a message when he heard he was ill to get well soon, Conan is such a sweetheart, he and Mahmood are my favourites this year, i hope Mahmood will be ok.
He will be ok, stop being dramatic, he will not win this year Eurovision Song Contest, he don’t need this drama.
I hope he gets well soon. I like Soldi a lot and I have high expectations from this performance. But somehow I have this feeling that it’s not going to be that great. I mean, probably I’m just a pessimistic person, that’s all, but when it comes to the stage, Italy often keep a “low profile”, simple/essential things (which is not always a bad thing) but in certain types of music/genres, they should put a lot of effort into the stage performance. And for me, this song has got all requirements to be astonished with the right staging. Finger crossed.… Read more »
Thank you for the information ! He will participate in Switzerland also to the Montreux Jazz Festival, the 8 of july
Oof. Throat infections are painful. That’s got to suck. Hopefully he bounces back from this, since it takes me literally forever to fully recover from those
Yeees ! Mahmood just put a story in his instagram @mahmood whith a picture of him and written LAST DAY AT HOME, go and see it ! At least he’s leaving tomorrow as planned! 🙂
Hope he gets better. Last thing we need is for another Croatia 2016 kind of letdown.
No she was sick. She would never have placed that low if she could do her usual thing
Oh dear, I really hope he gets better soon. 🙁
Aye! He is coming fast! Breathing down Sergey’s neck on the bookies’ boards and cannibalizing Duncan’s chances at the top! Where will he be on Monday, before the jury performance begins?
Sooo, we’ve got duncan with a worthless first rehearsal and mahmood who isn’t able to hit a single note anymore. Do y’all feel what I feel?… SODADREAM 2020 slayyyy 😀
Get well soon and go win!
Love from Croatia ??
People seriously think he’s doing this for attention? Since when do you get sympathy votes for something as lame as a throat infection, lol? There’s also not really any news in there: he has a small cold and rehearsals will go as planned… Not really news article material, Wiwi. When I was a kid, I used to dream of being a singer or an actress. Nowadays, I think I would hate being famous: people are so petty and mean, and they will literally use the littlest excuse to attack you on social medial. Whether you place first or last at… Read more »
Gotta admit, it’s a little bit suspicious that these things always happen around eurovision time though.
Singers get sick before important performances all the time. That’s what stress does to you. And Mahmood was on tour for the last couple of months singing pretty much every other day. It’s grueling on anyone’s body. So to be honest I’m not really surprised he got sick, rather happy it happened 10 days before the final instead of the night before
Not to mention, my sister, her boyfriend and my cousin all have the same symptoms as Mahmood (high fever and throat infection) and we live in the same area, it’s probably some virus spreading around here, the temperatures suddenly dropped and we weren’t ready.
Yes, sure: he’s doing a successful tour around Italy these days, where he’s singing extremely well, but he’s afraid ofsinging Soldi at Eurovision. Your logical deduction are a little bit blurred.
Do Eurovision yourselfes. Dont you think the pressure is high when you stand in front of 300 million people?
Get well soon Mahmood. Love from the Netherlands
Yes! I want a battle-royale between these 2 (Mahmood and Duncan)!
Yes, here in Northern Italy is very cold in these days, it’s raining, it seems to be in winter:(
You know he is a serious winner alert when you see people being happy for his situation. Your favorite won’t win anyways so stay bitter!
haha, I can only imagine Mahmood’s singing with a voice even more nasal…
I don’t know how hater-acting people like you could be Eurovision fans
True!
Haha. Love u Elsa
This is not a russian conspiracy this time. Sick or not he would have no chance against Sergey anyway. So rest well until then.
Wiwibloggs, can take this little lady out of the chat please
I had a dream last night that Italy won, it was so real!!
This is so bad. NO soul an feeleng in this song. If another contry should sing it, it should be in The bortom on The odds list.
Well the song IS in Italian so I’d be surprised if another country sent it really.
I LOVE THIS!
I hope you will soon remove the offensive posts..forza grande MAHMOOD
If someone is interested in some videos from Mahmood’s live tour in Italy check my youtube channel “Marquise de Tassony”
ok
The news don’t arrive directly from mahmood, I think, so I hope the real situation is less severe than it appears by the newspapers…
So sad. Get well Mahmood! Sending you positive energy. Maybe a day or two bed rest after the tour and before the upcoming circus not the worst thing in the world, even under the circumstances?
Curious how he will sing with a ‘serious throat infection’
I hope antibiotics and cortisone will work rather fast
Is it OK to combine those two?
That’s so sad to hear, hope he gets well soon. Greetings from Netherlands <3
Get well soon Mahmood! I think he is going to do great! He is Nice competition!! Greetings from Holland
Aye! He is my number 1 and Duncan my number 2. I want them to be the last 2 to have their televote scores revealed when they close out the show. 🙂
Please Wiwibloggs crew: Remove offensive posts. One thing is freedom of expression, but another totally different is lack of respect. There isn’t even an option for us to report such deplorable comments!
Kirby
I aggre. From Sweden so I know what I talk about. It’s ok to have different taste, but not ok that Wiwi never take any responsibility at all what is written. Not even if there is children people write about.
I agree with you but at the same time, gay people have thick skin. They are strong. This is nothing. Not that they don’t deserve respect, because they do, and this kind of “expressions” shouldn’t exist in today’s society, to say the least. Homophobia, including homophobic “expressions” like these ones on this post – and other posts, are written by sad, unintelligent, unhealthy in their hearts and brain, unkind, low IQ people, people who really need love, affection, cuddles, hugs, someone to tell them, “it’s ok, you will be alright”. We should feel sorry for them. #betherainbow, #bethehero, #Mahmoodtivogliamobene, #love,… Read more »
He sings in 2 weeks! has plenty of time to heal, what unnecessary problems!
the time to let him try on stage the same will find it
I see people laughing at him being sick… This only confirms my idea: “Eurovision fandom best fandom” my a*s!
Please Rai, let Italy go back into retirement from this circus.
Che merda, veramente.
Get well soon. On a positive side, better now than next week. Luckily, “Soldi” doesn’t require top vocal skills, so I’m sure he will deliver it on Saturday 18th without any struggle.
“Soldi” is “Mahmood”. He’d better have all engines oiled and running. I can’t wait!
Get well, good luck with the rehearsal, the song is not my cup of tea . Some one sing about their father tell the whole world that he was not a good father, I find that really sad even sadder when you sing in popish song rather than ballad to show your heart truly cares for the message you send out. That popish song is rather foolish telling big issue like that. Sorry but thats my opinion
Nobody says it is mandatory to express deep feelings only by ballads, soldi is unique also for this mix with his style r&b urban with deep meaning.
If you watch him singing the song, you can see how he ‘s able to transmit his anger…
Hey dear, did you saw my videos? I don’t know if wiwibloggs accepted my comment with the video’s link
Where is your comment with the links to the videos? In this post on in others?
Why can’t he write a song that tell about his father ? Is he saying lies or he tells what did it happen to him and his mother and his feeling and his anger for something his father did ? If you don’t like songs that tell a personal story, stop listening mahmood because all his songs tell about him and his life (his father, his lovestories, his city..). There is a reason if he changed his surname mahmoud in mahmood =my mood. So I imagine when you read a book you think the author cannot write about his life… Read more »
Get well and don’t dissapoint Mahmood, great potential in this entry
Who else? He is the winner
Who else?
ROME 2020
My number one…get well soon!
SO MUCH WANT HIM TO WIN!! PLEASE GET WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MAHMOOD WINNER
Sorry but on this blog there is no one who can remove the pitous image published by the shameful one of EVELINE? thanks
better now than next week omg get well soon legend
Throat infection? What did he swallow?
eveline..you are a poor demented!!!!!!!!!!! take off this image and be ashamed..
And whoever puts dislike here is more demented than eveline
Total waste of bananas.
nana banana
You obviously don’t know how nice it is to have “it” in your throat. Or you are just jealous. Boo.
Mahmood, we know you’re the hottest man of eurovision but 39,5 is too much !!!:)
Get well soon and make a great show!
Mahmood was already not well but on monday he wanted to go the same to the meeting organized with the students of the high schools of the city of Verbania, talking against bullying; no doubt it would have been better to rest and stay at home but he said he was important for him to go there and meet the students…
Mahmood you’re generous but remember sometimes you have to rest! Hope you’ll get well soon and do your best in tel aviv 🙂
A lot of people on Twitter are happy for this. If this is the Eurovision spirit I’m quite disgusted.
What ? Really ?
In the comments section down this wiwi post on twitter, a person (John Christian Ambion) stated: “Very well. His sickness will be his downfall.” This is an example.
I don’t use Twitter, but if it’s really true, then it is indeed disgusting. Surely, those people are in the minority I hope, but every single person who thinks like that is one extra unneeded wicked person in this world
You know what’s disgusting to?..All the bashing from Mahmood fans ( mostly Italians) on other countries and their contestants last couple of weeks. A lot of Mahmood fans reacted really disrespectful and now your all whining because it’s all coming back to you. But I don’t expect Mahmood fans to be honest about this now and probably will be down voted for this.
Hi Eurovision 2019, what are you referring to ? I’m a fan of mahmood but sincerely, at least on this blog, I haven’t seen bashing from mahmood’s fans on other countries except for some single stupid person as unfortunately always happens for every country…
If you read the posts about mahmood in this blog you’ll find horrible things said about him, but I think they are “just” stupid haters and we don’t have to deal with these persons.
Mahmood, Duncan and the other singers seem to be all very fair, so also we have fans have to do.
oh Laura, please, that is not true, a lot of bad comments in earlier articles from people, if it isn’t Mahmood then it isn’t good. Please read earlier articles. It’s OK to promote the one you like but not bashing others, mostly when they are higher in the odds. And yes I do read the “horrible ” posts in this blog but I can understand it sometimes as it comes both ways. But I’m afraid that’s a typical Wiwiblog readers thing these nowadays. Also respect needs to come both ways.
Shame on them.
Get well and hope the staging will be good this year. He is one of my personal top songs this year. But I have only listened on the YouTube video, and I I didn’t liked it first time. I think it would be better if the song was in a semi so people had the opportunity to listen at it more then one time.
Good luck from Sweden
Yes, in the case of Soldi it would be better to listen to it more times, more you listen to it more you love it ! A lot of people say at first listening they thought: “what is this ??? ” then they become addicted!
I am from the Netherlands but I don’t want Mahmood to be sick. He is a strong contender for the win. Mahmood and Duncan are my 2 favorites and I will be happy if one of them will win. Of course a little bit more for Duncan.
Same Sobral strategy? Hope not….
Get well soon, Mahmood!
My toughts..
The first thing that came to my mind is Mikolas Josef’s back injury last year =((
Salvador Strategy? Go f* yourself, he was dying
Get well soon Mahmood! You are my winner this year!
Guarisci presto Mahmood. Vogliamo che tu abbracci la vittoria!!!
Get well soon Mahmood!! <3
Get well soon Mahmood !!! Wish u all the best
Well, that’s… inconvenient.
Get some rest and get well soon, Mahmood.
Can’t wait to book my flight to Italy for Eurovision 2020 . Forza Ale!
Italy in May would be wonderful for hosting. I can already taste the prosecco!
Sorry but a eurovision in italy is totally out of the question right now with their right wing government… Their government is even more right wing than israel this year so we would need atleast one boycott act. Don’t let hatrid mun sigra 😉
Wishing all the best to Mahmood and his team!
Mahmood is one of my favourites this year and even if he wasn’t the competition is made so much better with having such a strong field of potential winners, so I really hope his performance isn’t affected.