###

Today is the grand finale of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, and we’ve got a doozy of a guest. Please welcome Alessandro Capicchioni, the majordomo of all things Eurovision in San Marino!

Topics on the table: Our hometown champions the Piqued Jacks, and their flameout earlier this week. That time Flo Rida repped San Marino on the Eurovision stage. Mostly: Why don’t Americans “get it”?

You ready for this? The Eurovision final stages will be broadcast live in the United States starting at noon, on the Peacock streaming service. For Italian speakers: Our friends in the enclave have a free stream for you here. Keep your eyes peeled when the nations start announcing their votes — you just might see a familiar face!

Let’s take a moment to honor each of this year’s finalists. Please read names of the following countries aloud, in a solemn voice:

• Austria.
• Portugal.
• Switzerland.
• Poland.
• Serbia.
• France.
• Cyprus.
• Spain.
• Sweden.
• Albania.
• Italy.
• Estonia.
• Finland.
• Czechia.
• Australia.
• Belgium.
• Armenia.
• Moldova.
• Ukraine.
• Norway.
• Germany.
• Lithuania.
• Israel.
• Slovenia.
• Croatia.
• United Kingdom.

Now, our conversation with Signor Capicchioni. Video above, rough machine transcript below.

###

JOHN KENNEDY O’CONNOR:

Welcome to what I’m very sorry to say, and very sad to say, is the last of our San Marino Conversations. Three interviews we’ve been having this week while I’ve been here in this beautiful European nation, this microstate nestled in the heart of Italy. And for our last conversation I’m very happy to welcome Alessandro Capicchioni. Did I say that right?

CAPICCHIONI:

Yes.

O’CONNOR:

Because I usually get it wrong.

CAPICCHIONI:

Yes.

O’CONNOR:

Now, Alessandro is the head of delegation for the Eurovision Song Contest for San Marino. Now I’ve been very honoured to be invited to be here this week because I have a very small, very small part in the show tomorrow night. But sadly San Marino will not be participating in the grand finale this year. This must be very disappointing for you after all your hard work.

CAPICCHIONI:

Yeah, but we’re used to it. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last time. We just passed three times in our Eurovision history, which is not very long, but still it’s 14 years long. So, and we are the micro-state taking part, the smallest country and the country without friends, without neighbours. So it’s very hard for us to be in the final. We know it, we go and we are prepared to it, we are prepared to everything and we are prepared to joy when it happens.

O’CONNOR:

And you will still though come back next year, you aren’t disappointed and think, oh what’s the point of this? There is a real reason for San Marino to participate on this great international stage.

CAPICCHIONI:

Of course, that is a great opportunity for us to be very international. We are a landlocked country, Italy is surrounding us. We share the same culture with Italy, so we are often confused with Italians. And that’s a great opportunity for us to stand out as an independent country, as an independent television. And we also we have the full liberty, freedom to decide how to take part with an internal selection, with an international selection. So it’s up to us. It’s a huge opportunity. So once we confound our choices, then we’re happy.

O’CONNOR:

Now our audience in Humboldt County and in the city of Eureka — and also we cover Del Norte County as well — I know they really got behind San Marino in this year’s contest because we had this rest of the world vote this year. But the EBU, who organized the contest, they do seem to be making a big effort to push the contest in the US, but I’m not seeing that it’s getting any traction. Why do you think the US really could never understand what Eurovision is all about?

CAPICCHIONI:

Well, yes, I have never really thought about this but probably the United States have a different music culture and a different approach to music in television. This could be the reason. The Eurovision Song Contest is something very particular that is born in Europe and has grown up since like 56, I think, so it’s many years and it is particular and it’s unique. I don’t know any television that does national programs as Eurovision. Eurovision exists only a union of television, of European televisions. So that might be the reason. I mean Eurovision is so particular, so unique that it’s difficult to export its format outside the country.

O’CONNOR:

Now there was an attempt last year — the American Song Contest was launched on NBC and by all accounts, I don’t know if this is accurate, it was a disaster, was the word that was used. Apparently it was the most unsuccessful entertainment format NBC had ever used, which is very worrying. And again, I wonder why. I felt that you have this conflict in Europe, so it’s a competition, you know, the Dutch and the Italians and the British and this matter. But interstate, I don’t feel you have that between New Yorkers and Californians.

CAPICCHIONI:

I see two levels. The first level is how many states are composed in the United States.

O’CONNOR:

Well there’s 50 states but they also have territories like Samoa and Puerto Rico. So there’s something like 58. 

CAPICCHIONI:

First, at the first level, you have the competition among the states. So 50 states potentially fight against each other to have one single performer winning the internal selection, the national selection, which is already international because we’re talking about 50 different realities. And then this performer, after such a long way, has to go to Europe and fight against 37, 38, 40 more nations. It’s a long way. Second, the music that is played on Eurovision is not often recognised by the market.

O’CONNOR:

That’s very true.

CAPICCHIONI:

Apart from Rosaline last year, from Armenia with the song Snap, which exploded over the platforms. But I don’t remember a lot of songs.

O’CONNOR:

Success.

CAPICCHIONI:

Yeah, but there could be a problem because American music industry is leading the world, basically, and you have the highest number of stars, probably. And will these stars take part in that selection to compete with a strange music done by half-unknown European countries like San Marino or like Azerbaijan?

O’CONNOR:

Well, that almost happened in the American Song Contest because they did have Michael Bolton, and they did have Macy Gray, two huge international stars. Macy Gray got knocked out in the first stage and the contest was won by this very young Korean girl from Oklahoma so it was all a bit strange. But many American artists have actually taken part in Eurovision Song Contest.

CAPICCHIONI:

This is true.

O’CONNOR:

And probably the most famous of all was Flo Rida, the rapper. Yes, I remember him. Which country did he represent? It was us. It was San Marino. This is incredible. How did Flo Rida get to be representing San Marino in Eurovision?

CAPICCHIONI:

I told you, we have the freedom to choose how to take part, that’s amazing. Well, I can’t remember really precisely the details, but it’s been that he was thinking what is it, and we got in touch with him and we proposed him and he said, yes, why not? And there was first the song, he updated the song, he wrote part of the song, and then he came to Rotterdam and he sat with us in the green room after the performance. It was amazing.

O’CONNOR:

It was incredible, it brought the whole show alive I thought because it was the last performed song — there was Sunit who’s an amazing artist doing her thing and then suddenly exploding onto the stage was Flo Rida and I actually said I think they’re gonna win in the end.

O’CONNOR:

There was a Chicago guy, Jimmy… I’ve forgotten his name, sorry. He represented San Marino as well, but he sang with a San Marino singer. Yeah, but… Jimmy Wilson.

CAPICCHIONI:

Yes, he was living in Germany. He moved to Germany some years ago, so he spoke perfectly German. And then he met the producer, he was with us that year. But yes, he was American, was perfect American, definitely yes. Well…

O’CONNOR:

I’m disappointed you didn’t make the final this year but of course we will be watching tomorrow and we will enjoy it. I think many people in Humboldt County will be watching the show this year as well, if only just to see me because I have the most important part in the show.

CAPICCHIONI:

You’re more than welcome to say they vote for San Marino. It’s a honour for us.

O’CONNOR:

No, it’s an honour for me and I really appreciate it. Alessandro, it’s been an absolute delight. I do want to thank your colleagues at RTV for inviting us into this beautiful studio, all the cameramen here as well. This has been amazing. Thank you for hosting us for a Humboldt Conversation. It’s a pleasure. For a San Marino Conversation. And thank you for joining us. Join us again. I’ll be back in the US on Monday and I look forward to seeing you there.