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Valentina Monetta and Jimmie Wilson

Valentina is back! The jazz singer is representing San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest for the fourth time, this time together with Jimmie Wilson, who has starred in the musicals Sisterella and Hope. 

Valentina Monetta is a jazz and funky singer and was born in 1975 in San Marino. She is very well known to followers of the Eurovision Song Contest having participated for San Marino in 2012, 2013 and 2014 where she qualified for the Grand Final. Valentina prefers to sing live with different musicians in Italy and in Europe to promote her music. Currently she’s performing with her band Myfunky Valentine and also collaborating with a jazz band called Live Tropical Fish.

Jimmie Wilson is a singer and songwriter, born in Detroit, Michigan. He came to Europe as the star of Michael Jackson’s musical Sisterella and now lives in Germany. In 2010, he starred as President Obama in the musical Hope. As a major highlight in his career he joins legendary producer Ralph Siegel and Valentina Monetta in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest as part of Team San Marino with the song Spirit of the Night. His life’s motto is “life is a journey – enjoy the ride”. He recently released a brand new album, So Damn Beautiful. 

Things you should know about Valentina Monetta and Jimmie Wilson

What are the three most interesting aspects about your entry?

Valentina: I sing with another artist on stage with a completely different approach and a responsibility. The song is completely different compared to my earlier Eurovision entries.

Jimmie: It’s an international duet, Sammarinese meets an American. It’s high energy and it’s simply a FUN song!

What are the three most impressive facts about you?

Valentina: I see not colour but feel everything, I feel the pain of the world and the beauty with in, I respect all energies around me.

Jimmie: My voice, the value of friendships, my adventurous nature.

Do you have a (lucky) routine before you go on stage?

Valentina: I think how much I'm lucky and give all that is true of my heart.

Jimmie: I don’t have any rituals before going on stage. Just some vocal warm-up exercises and focusing on being a good entertainer for the audience. That’s what the audience is expecting and I want to deliver.

Why is the Eurovision Song Contest important for you?

Valentina: It is one of the biggest chances to show my talent, enjoying music, people and a professional environment.

Jimmie: Eurovision is important to me as a singer because you reach a multi-million international audience with ONE performance! Also Eurovision stands for diversity and inclusiveness which is so needed in the world today.

About the song writer & composers

Ralph Siegel was born in Munich in 1945. At 13, he started taking lessons in harmony and composition and studied various instruments such as the piano, accordion, guitar and drums. After graduation, he spent years in Paris, Nashville and New York and started his professional career at the age of 20, as composer, lyricist, producer and publisher.

Ralph wrote the Eurovision Song Contest winner in 1982, A Little Peace, performed by Nicole, and has participated in the competition 24 times. He wrote Theater, Johnny Blue, Journey to Jerusalem and We're Giving a Party, all of which reached the top three in the contest.

Ralph said; "Music is still my life and the Eurovision Song Contest is the most wonderful possibility to present a song as a composer, that millions of people around the world can hear and hopefully like. As a producer I love to help great artists to be able to show their talent and touch the hearts of the audience. This is my 25th participation in the contest and I want to thank all the artists and musicians that have joined me on this journey".

Jutta Staudenmayer is a German singer and lyricist who was many years of experience on stage. She specialises in lyrics in all genres of pop, classical music, TV Shows and children's songs. Lyrics on rockers like The Huguenots and Friedrich Rückert were characteristic in the early years. She has worked on many successful projects. The essence of the language and their emotion, and the craft of rhyme and metric is its unique selling point. She says about herself: a song can change your life in just one moment.

Steven Barnacle is an English musician, composer, lyricist, with extensive experience with many famous artists. He loves the challenge of working with different people from different backgrounds and countries to see if the mix works, always in search of magic! "For me the unique thing about a good song is, that you can take it with you, memorised, unlike a good book, film or painting you can re-create it yourself, alone or with other people, this makes it most interactive art form of all".

Music video

Lyrics of Spirit of the Night

Lui: Hé, es-tu celui avec lequel je rêve
Elle: Je suis bébé
Lui: Je ressens vraiment la nuit
Peut emporter mon doute
Elle: Je vais essayer de faire ce que je peux
Lui: Chaque fois que je vous vois sourire -
Il y a de la tristesse dans vos yeux
Elle: j'ai été blessée avant
Lui: Je sais que ce n'est rien de nouveau - et le temps vous fera réaliser
Elle: Nous souhaitons toujours plus
Les deux: Nous trouvons que nous cherchons haut et bas et toujours à la recherche du bon moment


Les deux ensemble
Nous Choir: nous
Can Choir: can
Passez la nuit

Refrain
Les deux: C'est l'esprit de la nuit
Esprit de la nuit
Brûlant comme le feu de Saint-Elme
Esprit de la nuit
Prend nos sentiments tellement plus haut Lui: nourrir notre désir profond
Elle: C'est l'esprit de la nuit
Lui: c'est un sentiment - m'a fait rouler
Nous pouvons vivre notre fantasme
Les deux: Esprit de la nuit
Brûler dans notre extase
Verse 2
Lui: Hé, êtes-vous celui qui prend ma douleur
Elle: prenez juste ma main
Lui: J'ai été si blessé avant -
Il est difficile de faire confiance à nouveau
Elle: vous savez que je comprends
Lui: Vous me faites sentir bien - et je peux voir que l'avenir est lumineux

Elle: Je vais prendre ton blues

Les deux: Donc pas plus de recherche haut et bas et toujours à la recherche du bon moment

Les deux ensemble
Nous Choir: nous
Can Choir: can
Passez la nuit
Refrain:
Les deux: C'est l'esprit de la nuit
Esprit de la nuit
Brûlant comme le feu de Saint-Elme
Esprit de la nuit
Tire nos sentiments beaucoup plus haut
Lui: nourrir notre désir profond

Elle: C'est l'esprit de la nuit
Lui: c'est un sentiment - m'a fait rouler
Lui: nous pouvons vivre notre fantasme
Elle: c'est l'esprit de la nuit
Lui: C'est un sentiment, juste un sentiment
Brûler dans notre extase


Pont:
Elle: Le temps de célébrer notre amour -
Nous sommes pris dans son rayon de lumière
Lui: appeler le monde à haute voix laissez simplement nos esprits voler
Les deux: nous pouvons écrire une autre page un âge d'or dans notre vie

Les deux: C'est l'esprit de la nuit
Esprit de la nuit
Lui: brûlant comme le feu de Saint-Elme
Elle: C'est l'esprit de la nuit
Lui - en même temps:
Lui: C'est l'esprit - de la nuit
Les deux: prend nos sentiments beaucoup plus élevés
Et plus

C'est l'Esprit de la nuit
Esprit de la nuit
Brûler dans notre extase
Esprit de la nuit
Nous pouvons vivre notre fantasme
Him: Hey, are you the one I dream about
Her: Baby I am
Him: I really feel the night
Can take away my doubt
Her: I’ll try and do what I can
Him: Every time I see you smile –
There is sadness in your eyes
Her: well I’ve been hurt before
Him: I know it’s nothing new - and time will make you realize
Her: We always wish for more
Both: we find we’re searching high and low and always looking for the right time

Both: Together we can make it through the night

Both: It’s the spirit of the night
Spirit of the night
Burning like St. Elmo’s fire
Spirit of the night
Takes our feelings so much higher
Her: It’s the spirit of the night
we can live our fantasy
Both: Spirit of the night
Burning in our ecstasy

Him: Hey, are you the one to take my pain
Her: just take my hand
Him: I’ve been so hurt before –
It’s hard to trust again
Choir: Trust again
Her: you know I understand
Him: You’ve got me feeling right - and I can see the future is bright
Her: I’ll take your blues away
Both: So no more searching high and low and always looking for the right time
Choir: right time

Both: Together
We Choir: we
Can Choir: can
Make it trough the night

Chorus:
Both: It’s the spirit of the night
Spirit of the night
Burning like St. Elmo’s fire
Spirit of the night
Takes our feelings so much higher
Him: feed our deep desire

Her + Choir: It’s the spirit of the night
Him: it’s a feeling – got me reeling
Him: we can live our fantasy
Her: it’s the spirit of the night
Him: It’s a feeling, just a feeling, burning in our ecstasy

Her: Time to celebrate our love – We’re caught in it’s ray of light
Him: calling to the world out loud just let our spirits fly
Choir: spirits fly
Both: we can write another page a golden age within our lifetime

Both: It’s the spirit of the night
Choir: Spirit of the night
She: It’s the spirit of the night
Echo: night night night
Him: The spirit - of the night
Both: takes our feelings so much higher and higher

It’s the Spirit of the night
Spirit of the night
Burning in our ecstasy
Choir: Spirit of the night
Spirit of the night
We can live our fantasy