It’s no secret that music is important to Italians. Singing is part of our own history and tradition. And we know how to celebrate our passion. Traditional Italian music has had, since the 1950s, a most prestigious event followed by the entire country: the Festival di Sanremo.
Il Festival di Sanremo è conosciuto anche come Il Festival della Canzone Italiana, il festival della musica italiana. Si svolge al famoso teatro Ariston a Sanremo dove, per una settimana, cantanti e interpreti italiani propongono brani originali, scritti per l’occasione.
L’imprenditore Pier Busseti ha organizzato il primo Festival di Sanremo. Nel 1951 le radio trasmisero per la prima volta lo spettacolo. Gli italiani hanno subito abbracciato il Festival e l’amore per la sua musica e il suo fascino non sono mai venuti meno. Durante la settimana del Festival cantanti e star sfilano sul red carpet di Sanremo. Bellissimi fiori della regione Liguria distribuiscono i protagonisti. Il tutto sotto gli occhi di milioni di italiani.
The rules of the competition
Two categories, one competition: famous singers and new proposals. The first includes well-known and popular performers. Both unknown or young artists make up the second category. To them, the Festival is a platform to get exposure. However, winning the festival doesn’t always mean becoming famous!
Still, there are rules for participants. One is ensuring the song has never been performed in public before. Secondly, the melody and lyrics must be original.
Nilla Pizzi, Adriano Celentano, Little Tony, Iva Zanicchi, Ornella Vanoni, Milva, Renzo Arbore, huge names in the history of Italian melodic music, are only some of the famous singers who have taken part in the Festival of Sanremo in the course of its history.
More recently, Eros Ramazzotti, Laura Pausini, and Elisa, who became famous internationally. Ramazzotti won the competition in 1986 with Adesso Tu. While Pausini was the best among the Nuove Proposte in 1992 thanks to the song La Solitudine. On the other hand, Elisa triumphed in 2001 in the “Big” competition with Luce.
The Italian cultural phenomenon
The Festival, though, is not only about the music and its singers. The Festival of Sanremo also belongs to its presenters, who often play a very important role in determining the success or failure of the event.
When you say Festival di Sanremo, almost every Italian thinks of two names: Pippo Baudo and Mike Bongiorno, who presented the show 13 and 11 times respectively.
In recent years, big names of Italian TV like Carlo Conti, Paolo Bonolis, and Amadeus — who is presenting this edition (2023) have made it to the most famous stage in the country.
The Festival is also an occasion to remember the big names of Italian music. During one specific night of the Festival, the competitors perform covers of songs of the past. The first evening in 2017 witnessed a touching moment when Tiziano Ferro sang a song by Luigi Tenco, 50 years after he committed suicide during the Festival.
Il Festival di Sanremo è un evento culturale. È una tradizione italiana in buona fede.
Most iconic guests at the Festival di Sanremo
The Festival has always had some guests of International prestige.
Among the many artists that cut through the Ariston stage, there are the Queen, in 1984, Village People in 1985, Europe and Elton John in 1989, and Liza Minelli. More name-dropping includes Tina Turner in 1990, Cyndi Lauper in 1995, Bon Jovi, and Bruce Springsteen in 1996. And have we said David Bowie, Cher, and REM in 1999.
More international celebrities include Eminem in 2001, Britney Spears in 2002, and Gwen Stefani in 2005. Plus the stunning Jennifer Lopez in 2010 and One Direction in 2012.
Probably the most “shocking” was Dita Von Teese, the famous Burlesque queen. In 2020, singers such as Mika, Dua Lipa joined the stage.
But international guests weren’t the only ones to attract the public’s attention. In fact, the young band Il Volo gained a standing ovation. After walking the stage as competitors, they came back as guests in 2018. The famous trio of opera singers captured the viewers with performances of Nessun Donnaa and Canzone per te. They even performed a duet with Claudio Baglioni, who was the leader of the 2018 Festival di Sanremo.
The Festival di Sanremo draws millions of viewers every evening. Italians attracted not only by the music, but also the culture, the fashion, and the gossip. Everything revolves around this music show.
What’s new in the 2023 Sanremo Edition?
Every year, the Sanremo Festival dazzles the public with innovative ideas and renovations. The 2023 edition is no different. Amadeus will host the event for the fourth time in a row, accompanied by Gianni Morandi. He is a well-known figure in Italian music, having performed on prestigious stages and winning the same edition of Sanremo in 1987. A certain level of co-host.
Amadeus, the host, has chosen four Italian women to accompany him, inviting them to share a personal story that will inspire the audience. The women in question are:
- Chiara Ferragni, opening night co-host and final – Entrepreneur
- Paola Egonu – Volleyball player
- Chiara Francini – Actress.
- Francesca Fagnani – Journalist and television host.
The Black Eyed Peas, a world-famous American music group, are among the most famous faces who will perform as guests on the Ariston stage.
After that, you can listen to Blanco and Mahmood (the 2022 winners) on the notes of “Brividi,” the song with which they won the competition.
The big expectation, of course, is for Maneskin, who will perform on Thursday, February 9th in the evening. They will be the honored guests on the third evening. With the single “Zitti e Buoni,” the Rome-based rock band won in 2021.
If you are interested in the Sanremo Festival, please see the links below.
