“I’m very happy to be here, I want to become the Pippo Baudo of EurovisionI want to be there Always!”
The enthusiasm of Gabriele Corsi for theEurovision Song Contest he doesn’t fade away even after years in which he was the Italian voice of the European music event. Also in 2024, his sagacious comments will accompany the Italian public during the two semi-finals and the final of the most followed singing competition in the world. He will be there at his side Mara Maionchi and both will cheer, like all of Italy, for Angelina Mango. And indeed, says Corsi, if the Italian singer were to win, he is ready to invade the stage dressed as Abba. Also because, one of the editions that remained closest to his heart was the one in which i Maneskinwhich however he didn’t fully enjoy: “Malgioglio and I were in the studio, alone in the Fabrizio Frizzi studios, we didn’t even have anything to celebrate”.
We therefore hope to uncork a sparkling wine on May 11th to celebrate the Italian victory, but in the meantime, Gabriele Corsi is preparing for the event and also looking to the future, as he says in this interview with Libero Magazine.
What do you write in the notebook that you always carry with you? Notes for Eurovision?
“I write down everything, because I’m a nerd, I’m a nerd, I take notes all the time. Now for example I have it in my hand because I took some notes for the Eurovision press conference, but there’s also more on this notebook. For example, a book will be released in September that I wrote about the experience I had with the civil service in a mental hospital, and this morning I wrote down a phrase that I liked to start with which is: “crazy people have always made me crazy” .
Eurovision is a show that is not only widely followed on TV, but above all very social, loved by very young people who this year will be able to follow one of their peers on stage, do you have this impression?
“Yes, I confirm this, having two children of that age. My daughter is 21 years old and he wanted me to tell Angelina Mango that she is a great artist. Moreover she is also a singerstudies jazz singing in New York, at New School. She won a scholarship, I’m very proud, even though I miss her very much. When we accompanied her to New York, on the return plane a stewardess approached me and said: ‘I have to ask her to cry more slowly’, because I saw the ocean under the plane and I thought look at how much water there is. ‘it’s time between us! But my niece-in-law, Martina, Furio’s daughter, has always been a super fan of Eurovision Medusa trio. She forced her father to take her on holiday to Israel because a few years ago she had seen her commercial during Eurovision, which is also a way in which the participating countries make themselves known about her. My son, who is 18, has already said that he will make a listening group with friends to follow the semi-finals and final, so yes, I realize how much young people follow this show.”
Having already listened to the competing songs, do you think that Angelina Mango has formidable rivals?
“Unfortunately yes, someone can give us a hard time. A beautiful piece and a beautiful performance is that ofUkrainebut in my opinion the ones we have to fear most for the final victory are the songs of Croatiawith Baby Lasagnaand that of Swiss with Nemo The Codea beautiful piece even if a little more complex musically, while the Croatian one is the classic song that can become a hit, like Cha cha cha they passed it.”
Gabriele Corsi is also one of the most popular faces of Nove, what do you think of Amadeus joining your network?
“Using a sporting metaphor, there are football players who ask themselves, how many goals have I scored? Instead I look more at whether the team won. Already when Fazio arrived I was very happy and I’m very happy now that Amadeus is arriving. If the team buys a player of that caliber it is good for everyone. I immediately believed in the project Nine, which is developing and becoming an incredible reality. For my part, more than belonging, I think it is always important to focus on what you do. Eurovision, for example, I’m happy to do because it’s something I love, and I’m privileged to be able to choose to do it, but I realize that there are cases in which you can’t choose, so I never judge my colleagues, because you can never know in detail the realities and lives of others.”
But you fear that Amadeus will steal your place, aiming precisely for your time slot since yours Don’t forget the lyrics occupies the same time as Your business?
“Apart from the fact that when you sign a contract it’s not like you sign and allocate a slot, it’s not like you book a five-a-side football pitch. Then, here too I reply that the most important thing is always the project, What are you doing. I remember that the first time I did that early evening slot, I did it up Real Time with Take me out. Everyone told me you’re crazy, you go against packages and against Strip… Now we’re jostling for that same range. But for me it’s not a question of time, it’s the program that is winning: us with Don’t we average 2.8-3%, people who watch us because they want to sing: 8.30pm? At 7.30pm? In my opinion they want to sing anyway, maybe we will have to find a different solution, but it doesn’t scare me at all.”
So you won’t feel displaced?
“No, I repeat, I have never thought of occupying my own slot, I have always thought about the project. Then among other things with Nove we are doing other things, in addition to The Farmer is looking for a wife which will return in September, we are working on another prime time show. I would really like to do a musical variety show but we are still thinking about it, or maybe it will be a game, a talent show, but with the orchestra, live music.”
What relationship do you have with auditel data?
“I have a degree in statistics, I read the numbers in the auditel but I also look at the graphs, because I like to understand who I’m talking to. Don’t, for example, it also attracts an audience of very young people. Even the children follow me a lot, they write to me, they send me drawings. Here, for example, we were talking about times, the kids’ TV slot, the 3.30 pm slot, but that too is beautiful, if you have the right plan.”
You said you wanted to become the Pippo Baudo of Eurovision, but not of Sanremo?
“Pippo Baudo from Eurovision, I said it with absolute respect. For Sanremo there is an official candidate I think, Carlo Conti, right? Did he slip away? You are more informed, but I believe that you have to do Sanremo when your face has already become very familiar to the general public. I made a generalist program like Chain reaction and then my professional life went in other directions, so I think I’m a fairly well-known face but not as much as I think is needed to do Sanremo. But then, why? Was I in the full names? So I’ll do it, I didn’t know! Then the problem with the total names is always that they have to ask you, because there are always a lot of people who nominate themselves.”
Is Malgioglio or Mara Maionchi better as a Eurovision adventure companion?
It’s like asking me: do you love mum or dad more?
And between the two, who is the more politically incorrect?
Well, I had to make a public apology for Malgioglio, he created a political case, we needed the Blue Helmet with Cristiano…
Does Eurovision have a trashy charm?
Trah is a word that I don’t like for Eurovision, I accept the word colourful, or even the word kitsch, because what we see is not bad taste, but it is freedom of expression, even in truly dressing as one wants.
