On February 19, 2024, San Marino RTV held a press conference to announce the “9 Big Names” who will participate in Una Voce per San Marino 2024, the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The “9 Big Names” includes eight big artists plus one artist with an AI-generated song.
Just two weeks after the final of Sanremo, the legendary Loredana Bertè will participate in the Sanmarinese final. Also participating is Jalisse, winner of the 1997 Sanremo who placed fourth in the Eurovision Song Contest 1997. Other “big names” in the competition include Aaron Sibley (Una Voce per San Marino 2022, 3rd place), Aimie Atkinson, La Rua, Marcella Bella, Pago, WLADY, CORONA, ICE MC: DJ JAD and the winner of the AI-generated song Dana Gillespie.
The “9 Big Names” will automatically qualify for the final on Saturday. Meanwhile, seven other songs will be chosen in the semi-final to secure a spot in the final. For each semifinal, one singer will go directly to the final night of 24th February and four singers who will compete at the Second Chance, which will take place on 23rd February. The broadcasting dates of the semi finals are:
- 19 Feb 21:40: Semi Final 1
- 20 Feb 21:40: Semi Final 2
- 21 Feb 21:40: Semi Final 3
- 22 Feb 21:40: Semi Final 4
- 23 Feb 21:40: Second Chance + Sammarinese Artists Semi Final
The final of Una Voce per San Marino 2024 will take place on Saturday at 21:00 CET at the Teatro Nuovo in San Marino. Fabrizio Biggio and Melissa Greta Marchetto will host the show. A total of 16 songs will compete in the final, including the “9 Big Names” and the “7 emergent acts” from the semi finals. A jury composed of professional experts will decide 100% who will get the ticket to Malmö in May.
Una Voce per San Marino 2024: The “9 Big Names”
Aaron Sibley
Aaron Sibley is an award winning Singer-Songwriter with his music being played in exciting venues in and around the UK and Europe. Aaron has had the opportunity to not only perform and write music internationally, but also work as a music producer. He has written and produced songs for National Selections for the Eurovision Song Contest throughout Europe including Moldova, Ireland, Lithuania, San Marino.
In 2022, Aaron Sibley won the International Emerging Artist Song Contest in San Marino (Una Voce Per San Marino) with his song ‘Pressure’ which provided him with the chance to perform in their Eurovision National Final, placing 3rd. In 2023, Aaron once again qualified as a finalist in Pride’s Got Talent where he was given the opportunity to perform in the Adelphi theatre in the West End, and again at Pride in London.
Aimie Atkinson
Aimie Atkinson is an English stage actress and singer. She is known for portraying the role of Katherine Howard in British comedy musical Six on the original UK tour and in the West End production at the Arts Theatre, Lyric Theatre and Vaudeville Theatre, portraying Vivian Ward in the West End production of Pretty Woman, as well as forming part of pop girl group SVN.
Jalisse
Jalisse is an Italian musical duo consisting of spouses Alessandra Drusian and Fabio Ricci. They won the “Big” category of the Sanremo Music Festival 1997 with the song “Fiumi di parole” and took part in the Eurovision Song Contest 1997, where they ranked 4th.
La Rua
The band La Rua was formed in Ascoli Piceno in 2004. In December 2012 it placed first in the Area Sanremo competition after passing the selection among 320 artists.
In December 2018, La Rua participated in Sanremo Giovani and finished in 2nd place, becoming the artist most voted by the public, with 35% of the votes. Winning the podium, the band sets off on a world tour organized by Rai and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, playing in 5 continents and 7 cities. Upon its return, the group releases its third physical album “Nessuno Segna Da Solo”, released on April 26th and preceded by the single “Alta Velocita.
Marcella Bella
Brother and sister Gianni and Marcella Bella made their recording industry debut together in the early ’70s with hit songs such as “Hai Ragione Tu” (1971), “Montagne Verdi” (1972), “Io Domani” (1973), and “Nessuno Mai” (1974). The duo was introduced to Italian audiences thanks in large part to Marcella’s performance at the very first Sanremo Festival, singing “Montagne Verdi.” The Bellas won the prestigious Gondola of Gold Award from the Mostra Internazionale di Venezia for the record “Nessuno Mai.”
Her partecipations to the Sanremo Festival, notably “Senza un briciolo di testa” (third place at Sanremo 1986), “Tanti auguri” (Sanremo 1987), “Dopo la tempesta” (Sanremo 1988) and “Verso l’ignoto” (a duet with Gianni Bella presented at Sanremo 1990). In the 1990s she slowed her activities. In 2005, she returned to the Sanremo Festival after a fifteen-year absence with the song “Uomo bastardo”, ranking second in the “classics” tournament.
Pago
Pago is an Italian singer and television personality. Of Neapolitan origins, he was born in Quartu Sant’Elena in the province of Cagliari, after various experiences with his first band, the “New Rose”, and after some experiences as a street artist, he decided to leave his island in search of fortune. In 2005, after many auditions sent, he obtained a contract with Carosello Records and Warner Music Italy and published multiple singles and Albums. In recent years he has been active in some Italian reality shows.
WLADY, CORONA, ICE MC: DJ JAD
DJ Jad is an Italian disc jockey, known for having founded Articolo 31 together with J-Ax in the nineties. Since 2006, following the dissolution of the group, he embarked on a solo career, and then joined artistically with the rapper Ciccio Pasticcio, creating the group Udite Suoni Buoni. Wlady is an Italian disc jockey and record producer. Younger brother of Article 3 member DJ Jad.
Ice MC is a British rapper who started his professional music career in Italy, and released his debut single “Easy” in 1989. He’s best known for the Eurodance 1990s hit singles “Take Away the Colour”, “Think About the Way” and “It’s a Rainy Day”. Zanetti’s music team produced Ice MC hits while also producing songs for other major Italian artists of the same decade, like Double You, Alexia, and Corona.
Corona is an Italian Eurodance project. Initially as a band originally formed by the Brazilian-born singer and model Olga Maria de Souza and the producer Francesco “Checco” Bontempi (a.k.a. Lee Marrow), it found commercial success with the worldwide hits “The Rhythm of the Night” (1993) and “Baby Baby” (1995). After the second album, Bontempi left the band and was replaced by Francesco Conte and Paolo Dughero.
Loredana Bertè
Loredana Bertè is an Italian singer, songwriter and actress. In her long career she has worked with prominent Italian songwriters such as Pino Daniele, Ivano Fossati, Mario Lavezzi, Mango and Enrico Ruggeri, among others. She has experimented with different genres, from rock to reggae, from funk to pop.Bertè is known for the eccentric clothing she wears onstage for her performances.
She competed in the Sanremo Music Festival 2024 with the song “Pazza”, finishing in seventh place but being awarded the Critics’ prize, named after her sister Mia Martini.
San Marino’s broadcast has also made a clearance about Loredana Berte’s participation:
After the statements made by the artist in many interviews on the fact that she would have willingly returned to Sweden, we at UVPSM tried to contact her, in the hope of a yes. One of the greatest artists in Italian music history: we are talking about Loredana Bertè. There is an intention to participate, we are understanding together with her staff whether the artist’s many previous private and work commitments will allow her to be in all respects the eighth big name in the competition. We will know in the next few days.
Dana Gillespie
Dana Gillespie is an English actress, singer and songwriter. Originally performing and recording in her teens, over the years Gillespie has been involved in the recording of over 70 albums, and appeared in stage productions, such as Jesus Christ Superstar, and several films. Her musical output has progressed from teen pop and folk in the early part of her career, to rock in the 1970s and, more latterly, the blues.
In the fall of 2023, Casperaki launched a public call for song drafts to be submitted to “Una Voce per San Marino” using Casperaki’s AI chatbots. The winning artist is Dana Gillespie, a British blues singer, who will sing “The Last Polar Bear”, a song that addresses the urgent issue of environmental pollution. The song, initially created by Casperaki’s AI music platform, was transformed by Dana Gillespie into a powerful environmental anthem, highlighting her commitment to global concerns through her art.
Are you surprised of the big names of direct finalists? Are you excited for the national final on Saturday? Let us know in the comments!
Marcella Bella is a legend, also love Dana’s AI composed entry
Jalisse are among my fave italian artists
and not to forget Corona, ”rhythm of the night” is that timeless summer banger tbh
I’ actually laughing from restrained enthusiasm that Loredana will probably sing “Pazza” at UVPSM, I’m literally so hyped, haha. Just as hyped as for Dana Gillespie’s “The Last Polar Bear”, I can’t believe I’m saying that but San Marino may sit around mid to upper table this year in my rankings, considering they make the best choice possible. I’M SO HYPED, WHAT THE HECK.
I’m sooo excited for Aaron Sibley’s return. I really liked his song “Pressure” back in 2022.
For those missing out, a trouserless man dressed in fluorescent yellow is now conducting an aerobics excercise class at maximum energy. He does not sing, but appears to bark out orders such as “rhumba!”at various intervals. The song seems to sample “I Just Can’t Get Enough” by Depeche Mode. His face is covered by a gas mask. He is Spanish.
If you see this man in your area, please report him to authorities.
He answers to the name “Lord BoomBox”, but thankfully, he did not make it through. Goodbye.
it’s Loco Boombox, he has an instagram page for those curious to see his iconic outfit
Una Voce starts today!!!!
Do you have a link?))
You can watch at sanmarinortv.sm if you think it’s worth it.
The AI songs didn’t turn out so bad in the end!
OMG this lineup is iconic! I didn’t expect San Marino to pull this off but this is so so San Marino.
You can always count on them to bring the most out there and random NF of the season and – sometimes, it pans out as this time! 😀
Would be lovely to have Loredana in Malmo, the same city where Mia Martini performed
Honestly it’s a fun bunch of artists
It’s just funny and pathetic to try so hard. San Marino should get rid of the national final and just offer Italian artists to represent them.
To give up any independence they have and rely on Sanremo as a crutch would be more pathetic.
They have no independence anyway when they just give the ticket to anyone who can pay their own way. The Sanremo crutch would actually be more sincere and less pathetic. It’s more pathetic to hold a selection with hundreds of participants knowing none of them will get the ticket anyway.
Pathetic, or a shrewd tourism/publicity/cash grab?
Both, I’d say.
The numerous Ralph Siegel entries should show you just how independent they are willing to be.
True, true… their integrity often does go to the highest bidder. Still, for a supposedly independent country, there’s no reason they should exclusively rely on Sanremo. There’s many other finals they could poach from, no? Being just a consolation last resort for disappointed Sanremo acts is not very dignifying.
It’s more dignifying if they get an Italian star than someone from anywhere since they are surrounded by Italy anyway. It would certainly be more authentic than a failed Maltese veteran with a German rapper and a robot or a Turkish dentist, for example. The reason they should rely on Sanremo is because they’ll most likely get quality there.
As long as they switch songs, like Lauro did, I’d be okay with that I suppose. Otherwise it’s just Italy having two entries every year.
I’d love 2 Italys. We could use some more good songs. It’s not like we’re being flooded with them.
I have a feeling most Sanremo artists would decline anyway.
They’d probably at least consider it… until they saw the bill.
Corona. That was all a fake, right… Olga, the frontwoman, never actually performed the vocals on their big hits. It was like Milli Vanilli. I learned all this when Whigfield took part in the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix. She was a fake too, alas. Seemed to be an Italian dance way of doing things back in the 90s.
Saw Corona on stage in Amneville France Last may and she sang live 😉
She sings live now, but they are not her vocals you hear on the original 1990s recordings.
Same as Whigfield sang live on DMGP, where her vocals sounded NOTHING like the vocals on “Saturday Night”…
The real vocalist on Rhythm of the Night is Jenny B, whom my research tells me won the Mia Martini Prize at Sanremo 2000.
She won Sanremo Giovani. And literally she has been treated s… by the Italian music sector.
I was watching her Sanremo song, Semplice sei, on YouTube… she has talent. I only knew her from Rhythm up until today, and I didn’t even know it was her. Sad.
Did she sound anything like the “real” singer?
Big hit performed by Jenny B (the rhythm of the night)
Yes, just like that woman from Black Box
In the videoclip of “Un ragazzo, una ragazza” by The Kolors (Sanremo 2024) there Is Blanka! (Poland 2023)
I hope Loredana Bertè gets to go to Malmö, just like her sister Mia did 32 years ago
Is the actually in the contest or not? It is not very obvious from the article. Anyway, yeah, that would be lovely.
Here are the two sisters performing together at Sanremo 1993!
https://youtu.be/Wwj9hEzgkx0?si=9vrSJRPMrnavxv_n
She
They’re related? I never would have guessed because of different surnames.
Please don’t mix gold with metal. Mia Martini was a star. Not her sister
Loredana wow, Jalisse that’s unexpected, and Corona omg they are legends in the eurodance genre!
That’s going to be sick! Looking forward to it!
Loredana Bertè with “Pazza” would bring San Marino in top 15
Loredana is exactly what this years Eurovision needs! Just by being there and being the one she is she may draw some attention away from all the politcs. Scrap the meaningless semis and just send her to Malmo!
Well Loredana said that she wants to go to Eurovision because she wants to piss her ex-husband so heeuyyyy lol
Don’t forget her sister Mia Martini was the Italian contestant in Malmo 1992
Obviously, the Eurovision line-up needs a 74 year old woman serving polar bear realness haha. I unironically love the song though. Dana, you slay!
I’m not an environmentalist, but she’s making me reconsider my position every day! Just give her some quirky staging and Eurovision televoters would go for her!
Everyone should be an environmentalist.
So, Loredana Bertè can compete with the song of Sanremo, right?Of course, I’m rooting for her.
My other choice would be Dana Gillespie, but with different song. I don’t like an AI song to compete in ESC
Tomorrow starts the semi final 1 of San Marino, with 31 songs.
I don’t know if this is allowed. Achille had a different song than his Sanremo one, but I don’t know if he had to or choose to change it
Well, the article makes it sound like it is all a last-minute thing. San Marino seem to have approached her literally in the last week… so she’ll have to produce a new last-minute song, or stick to the tried and tested. The Sanremo option would most definitely be the easier for her.
Honestly, I love San Marino. Leave it to them to have the most out-there, random national final.
I am so syked about this selection! I find this to be one of the more interesting selections since the two last years and there are always a handful of great entries – despite the complaints and the less than perfect production of the contest. I am mostly interested in the songs in the studio recording anyways in the long run.
Such a mess but I hope Dana Gillespie will go.
Haha me too, oddly Dana’s song this year is my fav alongside baby lasagne from any of the national finals. If Dana wins I think San Marino will easily get their best placing and maybe even a top 5 finish in the final
Loredana Berté endind up representing San Marino with “Pazza” so we have two Sanremo 2024 songs in Eurovision would feel very correct to me after such a legendary edition of the Festival.
Loredana Berte in Eurovision would be epic. Jalisse too – their 1997 entry is one of my all time favourites. And without trying to sound criticising or ageist, but why does Un Voce per San Marino this year has so many singers that had their last hits in the 80s and 90s? I like being nostalgic but I think they’ve taken it a bit too far.
Dana being there probably means Marie Wegener is out. It’s quite sad such good singers participate in this farce and then don’t even get a live performance out of it. Morally and geographically, I’ve long thought San Marino would only serve a purpose if it just sends one of the many good Sanremo acts, though. Glad this could finally happen.
Well, happen again, anyway. Achille Lauro was the first.
This is a big mess, a bunch of has-beens, musical performers from England and Loredana whose obsession to perform in her exe’s homecountry is funny.. Kudos to the fans spreading rumours that Annalisa will accept to take part in this messy NF lol. Anyway just like last year, i bet there will be a surprise unless they fix the win and give it to Loredana (she is not 100% confirmed as she might mot be able to attend dur to scheduling issues) Ps: it is funny how they call some random singers from England as ‘big acts’ lol Ps2: they… Read more »
And since when AI songs are accepted?
Annalisa did seem crushed after being on stage watching Angelina take that trophy. It was visible how hard she had to pull herself together.
They asked also Annalisa and Mahmood to participate but both of them declined….
However, I would like Annalisa to represent San Marino with Sinceramente
I didn’t think she was interested, I just noticed it was hard for her not to win Sanremo this year, especially since Angelina was the first woman to win in 2014, she really outsold Annalisa.
*since 2014
Aaron Sibley needs to stop haunting this selection! Hyped for Loredana Bertè, her personality always brings something interesting. It seems to me that this entire show is a farce to boost San Marino’s economy, 138 artists will have to sleep and eat there after all.
It is weird how countries don’t have own talent representing themselves at Eurovision. Even weirder to accept AI, after all isn’t that putting real artists out of work?
But give Aaron a break, he obviously puts the effort in to get his music out there into the public domain. It must be tough trying to get into the music industry so respect to him, everyone loves a trier.
I dont know? AI sounds fun in this context, since they most likely wont qualify anyway.
Oh lord, you’re right :-)) haha
Aaron Sibley literally participated once 2 years ago and believe he won their emerging acts final, and then this year. There’s Melfest artists that have been participating for years, so why the hate?
Aaron’s also a longtime Eurovision fan who reacts to songs on his channel!
Yes, I think you are right. I’m not big into the music scene but it’s great that for some just being part of Eurovision is important to them. The fans keep the fun and party atmosphere alive, otherwise it would just become another corporate money spinning sham with political overtones ( which I fully realise is also true of Eurovision but it still has a friendly vibe and pan-nation buzz that keeps me watching each year). From what I’ve read about Aaron he really loves Eurovision and gets more involvement by reaching out to other countries. The UK music industry… Read more »
Hi, 2 time UVPSM participant here, that’s exactly accurate. Plus all advancing artists from the casting have to pay AGAIN just to perform in the semis. It’s basically a scam by the italian record industry and I’ll certainly be watching their result at Eurovision this year. See if they score another deserved goose egg.
Jesus i would so want to have Loredana Berte at Eurovision it would be iconic! Could she go with Pazza? It’s great and would debut high in my current top.
Jalisse were great with Fiumi di Parole. I think they had song that was excluded from this year’s Sanremo. Maybe they will go with that song
I don’t want to get my hopes up too high, but I’d love Corona to bring a Rhythm is a Dancer level song
*Rhythm of the Night hahaha woops
So no Mahmood ? I am gonna support Jalisse. Fiumi di Parole is one of my favourite of all-time eurovision songs.
LOL I’m gonna have to watch this. Leave it to San Marino to hold pointless endless auditions, play with AI and then come up with the most exciting names of the season. It’s probably rigged for whoever pays most but if San Marino sends Loredana, Dana or Jalisse, I’m just gonna have to stan.