Måneskin Group: School Friends, Eurovision Winners, and Fans of Ukraine
The young rock band from Italy, Måneskin, won the coveted crystal microphone at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, which ended in Rotterdam on May 22. Here is a selection of interesting facts you need to know about the triumphators of Eurovision-2021.
School friends. The band members, 21-year-old Victoria de Angelis (bassist) and 20-year-old Thomas Raggi (guitarist), had known each other since high school, and although both knew about the other’s passion for music, they only bonded over common interests in 2015 during their high school years, at the Scientific Lyceum in Rome. That’s when they came up with the idea to form a band, which was later joined by frontman Damiano David (22) and drummer Ethan Torchio (20). By the way, the musicians found him through a Facebook ad.
Danish band name. In search of an original name for their collective, the Italian guys turned to Danish for a reason – de Angelis is half Danish, and the musicians began to look for interesting words in this language. The word “Måneskin” means “moonlight. With that name, the band won its first music competition for beginner bands and considered it a good sign.
Television fame. In 2017, Måneskin finished second in the X-Factor show in Italy, where their coach was Manuel Agnelli, leader of the rock band Afterhours. Four years later they took part in the famous TV music festival in San Remo. Traditionally, the national broadcaster of Eurovision in Italy offers its winners to represent their country at the European competition. “Måneskin” with the song “Zitti e buoni” (“Quiet and Obedient”), won first place at the festival.
Who is Marlena? In five songs of their debut album, Il ballo della vita, the musicians mention this name. As it turned out, this is not about first love, nor about a mysterious muse. Marlena is a collective image that embodies freedom, life and creativity. Not only the band members, but also their fans can find their reflection in it. “Marlena is each of us, but also no one in particular,” the musicians explain. Now the band has two studio albums, which have become “gold” or “multiplatinum” in their home country, and several singles.
Musical inspiration. The guys say they like the work of many artists: Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Arctic Monkeys and Harry Styles. And among the participants of “Eurovision,” musicians praised the performance of the Ukrainian band “Go_A” the most. Italians supported our team during the first semi-final and gave their album to Ukrainian musicians. “Every time we hear your song, we start dancing,” Måneskin admitted.
Text: Maria Melnik based on WiwiBlogs.
Photo: Eurovision Press Service
