Italian tricolor and rainbow flag. Marco Mengoni at Eurovision 2023 he brings all of himself. Not only a creepy song but also the themes he believes in like love and respect. And conquers an excellent fourth place and the critics prize.
During the initial parade of the 26 countries competing in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, the singer from Ronciglione shows up at the Liverpool Arena with a flag of Italy and a rainbowin support of the LGBT cause.
His gesture triggers thunderous applause from the audience and is also particularly appreciated on social media. There are those who register “How to make an entire country proud… Marco you were phenomenal, a giant!”, and who “With you we always win! Thank you Marco for taking us with you”.
And, again: “A moment of important visibility for the queer community that struggles every day against homo-bi-lesbo-trans-aphobia” writes Arcigay Salento thanking the artist. Amanda Lear is limited to a “Bravo Marco” but the hashtag says it all: #stopomophobia.
“We thank Marco Mengoni for a gesture that really impressed us” he comments Mario Colamarinopresident of the Circle of Homosexual Culture Mario Mieli.
“Raising the rainbow flag is an act of support towards the Lgbtqia+ movement, a source of pride for the responsibility that follows” he continues.
“Marco conquered a prominent place in our hearts and we hope to be able to involve him directly in our battles,” he adds.
Mengoni’s entrance onto the stage, therefore, becomes a profoundly political gesture because Italy is experiencing a period where i civil rights are under threat, just remember the stop to the transcripts of the children of homosexual couples.
Accompanying the tricolor flag, banner of all the Italian people, together with the rainbow one means reminding the world that Italy is democratic, anti-fascist, inclusive and therefore by nature not homophobic.
And all these things are written on the banner raised in Liverpool. It is in fact the flag designed by the graphic designer Daniel Quasar to make the famous Rainbow Flag even more inclusive.
Indeed presents five more colors: white, pink, blue, brown and black, positioned to the side.
The new colored strips are dedicated to the black community, the transgender community, HIV patients and those who died carrying on the battle for rights.
In short, the moral winner of this Eurovision 2023 is undoubtedly the 34-year-old from Ronciglione, a town of not even 9 thousand souls in the province of Viterbo where the community gathered in the square to follow his ‘boyfriend’ during the performance in Liverpool (as had already happened for Sanremo 2023) , partying regardless of the race.
Eurovision, the race
Yep, the race. To win the Esc 2023 is – as expected – Sweden. Loreenwith the song “Tattoo”, triumphs for the second time at the Eurovision Song Contest, bringing the gold medals of the Scandinavian country to seven (a record together with Ireland, which hasn’t won since 1996).
Second the Finlandacclaimed by the audience and televoting, third Israel. As per tradition, Germany is in last place. The other Italian Alexandra Mele competing for Norway with the song “Queen of King” comes fifth.
Italy is fourth. But a fourth place that smells like victory. Mengoni was at his second Esc in ten yearsout of 13 in his career: in 2013 with “The essential” he came seventh, this time with “Due Vite” – a song with which he triumphed in Sanremo 2023 – he did much better (and for a few minutes he climbed up to second place on the podium).
Critics Award
“When I go on stage I have no perception of what is happening, it’s like you’re in a parallel universe”, the words of the ‘Marco Nazionale’ to Mara Maionchi and Gabriele Corsi on the sidelines of his performance.
“For me it already is a win to be here, especially in Liverpool. City of the Beatles. It’s already a great gift, regardless of the position in the standings” comments the Italian artist even before knowing the final outcome.
And he’s not entirely wrong when he says that his presence in Liverpool is already a victory for him. A few minutes before the start of the evening, during the delivery ceremony of some collateral prizes to the race, the Marcel Bezençon Awardsprize for the European criticism for the best composition, it goes to Mengoni.
Written by the singer from Ronciglione together with David Petrella And David Simonetta, “Due Vite” is awarded with the recognition named after the founder of the European event. It is the same that was also delivered to Mahmood in 2019, for his song “Soldi”, which was then classified second.
If on the stage of Sanremo 2023 he had dedicated the victory to the women competing at the event – given that in the final five there was no trace of an artist – this time the singer (in addition to the messages of the rainbow flag) wanted to remember why the Esc 2023 took place in Great Britain, in Liverpool colored in yellow and blue.
The English city was chosen for the final due to the impossibility of Kiev to host the event, following the victory of the Kalush Orchestra last year. “We are here to say stop this crazy war in Ukraine” the singer’s words during the pre-final press conference.
