The 74th Sanremo Festival is over - for the whole of Italy
and Italian people, it is an obligatory watch: 30 singers (selected from 100’s -
some have been refused for 25 years but still try!) compete in the festival
The festival is a competition but
also and above all a tribute to Italian music: the singers, during 4 evenings,
must sing a duet with famous and
important figures of Italian music, who re-propose their ‘battle song’, perhaps
40 years old, or they interpret a cover from the past…
It is a music festival of show,
costumes, of fashion and the latest trends: from trash to classic, the singers
interpret folk songs, love songs or rap….with the fashion industry vi-ing to
dress anyone that walks the stage….
Comedians, theatrical actors,
intellectuals and protagonists enrich the evenings with their contributions and
every edition can not (and must not) end without there being some controversy
(this year on shoes - cult sponsor? - international guest John Travolta dancing
routines from Pulp Fiction, Grease and Saturday Night Fever).
As testament to the importance of
the festival and it’s history, President Mattarella was the guest of honour (in 2023) …and
this puts the festival in league with other finals such as the European
football championships…with over 70% of viewers watching!
Ultimately, the significance of the
festival in the community of Italian abroad: talking to lots of friends, I
heard ‘tonight I’ll watch Sanremo until 3am’ and is followed by many Italians
abroad as a way to reconnect and feel their Italian heritage, to debate over
who is going to win and have heated discussions with the family in Italy!
The winner is decided by a mix of
judges including the peoples vote, journalists and members of the music
industry - to win or lose is not of great importance: many that have won the
festival have disappeared with other, such as Vasco Rossi and Zucchero, have
gone on to have careers spanning decades and coming last in the festival!
The most important thing is to be
there because ‘SANREMO IS SANREMO!’
Nicola Burazzi, 12/02/2024 14:20:51
