With Sanremo taking place next week, escXtra.com started to wonder: What do the acts of Sanremo think of Eurovision? Why are they doing Sanremo? We spoke to Grazia di Michele, who’s up for her fourth participation in Sanremo, this time together with Mauro Coruzzi! Read what she had to say below!
escXtra.com: Hey Grazia! First of all, thank you very much for doing this interview! How are you preparing for Festival di Sanremo 2015?
Grazia di Michele: We don’t have so much time to prepare our performance, anyway we are working on the new orchestration of the song and on a videoclip too. The song will be included in my new CD, Il mio blu, which will be issued on the same days of the Festival.
X: Could you tell us something about yourself?
G: What can I say in a few words? I fell in love with music since I was child and now the music is all my life, since I work not just as singer-songrwriter, but also as music teacher and music therapist.
X: Why did you decide to enter Sanremo 2015?
G: Because I have a tale to tell, a tale that it is very important to me, and Sanremo gives me the best way to spread it.
X: You’ve entered Sanremo before. How do you look back on those participations?
G: The first time – I admit – that I was scared because I brought a very intimate song, Io e mio padre, which was not a very “pop” song; it was a very personal song, the relationship between me and my father. But the public was so enthusiastic: they confirmed to me that my personal history could become the story of many, so the other times it was easier to bring my “personal” songs.
X: What can you tell us about your Sanremo song, Io Sono Una Finestra?
G: This song is a reflection on the fact that prejudice can blind us to the beauty and the wonders of a human being.
X: You’re not going to sing the song alone. You’ll be joined by Mauro Coruzzi. How did the cooperation between you two start?
G: Mauro and I have been friends for many years. This song is the result of our inner and deep talks on ourselves.
X: Now, the Italian entrant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 will come from the Sanremo Festival. How would you feel if you’d be asked to go to Eurovision?
G: It would be an honour for me to bring a song of mine to an audience as big and important as the Eurovision Song Contest.
X: What’s going to be your special ingredient to win Sanremo?
G: Our song is a story that everyone can relate to, full of love and truth. If one more person will be touched by this, if one more person will reflect on this, we will have already won.
X: What’s your favourite place in Italy?
G: We’re lucky because we have a lot of magical places full of beauty. I really love the sea, so I would tell you that above all I love our islands, Sardinia and Sicily, but also small and less known ones.
X: Italy is known for its music and its cuisine. What’s your favourite Italian food?
G: I’m vegetarian, and if you bring me a plate of melanzane alla parmigiana well… I’ve won.
X: Are you a Eurovision fan?
G: Of course! I love European music.
X: Do you have an all time favourite Eurovision song?
G: There are many. I remember the performance of Rona Nishliu and Suus some years ago. I liked a lot, while last year I rooted for Emma Marrone: her song, La mia città, which was well written and performed.
X: Finally, do you have a message for the readers of escXtra.com?
G: Let the good music invade your life!
escXtra.com would like to thank Grazia di Michele for her time and we’d like to wish her and Mauro Coruzzi the best of luck in next week’s Sanremo Festival! Below, you can watch the song Grazia mentioned: Io E Mio Padre, which she performed in Sanremo 1990!
