JOY Eurovision

28 Nov 2014

San Marino: From JESC to the real deal

Sammarinese public broadcaster SMRTV have revealed that it will not be a matter of fourth time lucky for Valentina Monetta in Vienna. Instead, they have chosen two Junior Eurovision alumni to represent the small European nation in next year’s Contest.

Michele Perniola and Anita Simoncini will be heading to Austria to fly the Sammarinese flag with a yet-to-be-revealed song.

Image source: sorrisi.com

Perniola is a 16-year-old Italian singer, famous for winning RAI’s child talent show Ti Lascio Una Canzone in 2012, represented San Marino in 2013 at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. He sang O-o-O Sole Intorno a Me, coming tenth out of twelve songs.

Simoncini will turn 16 by the time the Contest rolls around in May. She was one of the members of The Peppermints, who represented San Marino in this year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest with Breaking My Heart. The song came fifteenth. Simoncini is the only Sammarinese member of The Peppermints, which also includes Perniola’s sister Rafaella.

Only two other acts have been in both contests: The Tolmachevy Twins (Junior Eurovision 2006, Eurovision 2014) and Nevena Božović (Junior Eurovision 2007, Eurovision 2013). No acts have competed in both contests in consecutive years though.