The Festival of Sanremo, every year celebrated in Italy, for the joy of millions of viewers, born in 1951 and the first years just on air, represents more than anything else the mirror of Italy. The Festival of the Italian Song has been in grade of capturing, during the various decades italian moods, new tendencies and customs, always presenting hours of good songs and great show.
This pandemic year means that the show will be presented by Amadeus, a wonderful and sunny TV presenter without spectators; postponed in march, when the days of the kermesse are in general at the beginning of february, it will be a great show, because after all... Sanremo is Sanremo.
Although times are hard, there is a book, that can illuminate you regarding this TV festival of the italian song from the beginning to the last Festival (more or less): Il
Festival di Sanremo 70 anni di storie, canzoni, cantanti e serate by Eddy Anselmi; a generous, wonderful tale plenty of informations, stories, anecdots, starting from that 1951, with the first winner in Nilla Pizza.
We see thanks to this book the competition between Claudio Villa, the little king of the italian song and Gino Latilla; we arrive at the 1958 when the winner of the Festival will be Domenico Modugno with Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu. In 1960 at Sanremo the debut of Mina and in 1964 the arrival of a shy singer called Gigliola Cinquetti with a song that made history: Non ho l'età.
In 1965 RCA boycotts the festival and Gino Paoli can't participate.
Se piangi, se ridi, sang by Bobby Solo wins the festival!
In 1967 Luigi Tenco kills himself officially because his song Ciao Amore Ciao, sang with Dalida not admitted to the final phase of the show: the story of this sucide is too controvertial, and I am happy that everything is reported in the book; Dalida found the body of her boyfriend, like also Lucio Dalla, who later rushed away for giving the alarm: something extremely bad happened to Luigi Tenco. Investigations didn't dig in profoundity because it was a scandal thinking that a man could have killed himself: suicides were not treated in the news. So, no one understood realistically what happened at that boy.
The last world war had created in the mind of people the desire of escapism; in particular in the musical field. If art, movies, books, so creatives of different fields had felt what had happened, music remained cristallized in its position of pre-second world war, desidering so a good song in grade to transport people in a relaxing and dreaming land; a song that can be sang by everyone and remembered very well.
If you think that Sanremo didn't live other stress apart the pandemic flu created by Covid-19, well, you would commit an error: in 1969 the Festival is implemented with wagons of police-men because of the turnmoil caused by protesters; it is also recorded before, for trying to avoid problems of various nature.
The winners Bobby Solo and Iva Zanicchi with Zingara.
In 1970 the revelation of the couple Celentano, winners with the song Chi non lavora non fa l'amore. Morandi leaves the song La prima Cosa Bella at the band of I Ricchi e Poveri arrived at the second place.
The 1970s are conflictual years; for too many people the Festival is becoming old (eeek, it is now 71 years!) and some singers decides of not participate.
In 1972 the Festival risks of not being celebrated. Mike Bongiorno is at his sixth consecutive edition! In 1973 situation is worse: just the final evening is transmitted in RAI. In 1974 the last participation of Domenico Modugno.
In 1975 there are many singers not known at the festival and this one is won by a girl called Gilda with an anti-feminist song La Ragazza del Sud.
In 1976 most songs will have sex as main thematic. The winner will be Peppino di Capri.
The wonderful voice of Antonella Ruggiero with Matia Bazar wins the 1978 edition, but there is an important novelty: Anna Oxa, a new and rebel singer, makes her entrance in scene for the first time, as a punk.
Rino Gaetano arrives at the third place with Gianna.
In 1979 an edition with unknown singers.
In 1980 Sanremo tries with a new beginning. Benigni is the main guest, wins Toto Cutugno with Solo Noi and for the first time traffic is blocked because of the competition.
In 1981 all the three evenings of the kermesse are transmitted by Rai Uno.
In 1984 the kermess is thought like a perfectionist moment: so the playback for not committing errors is largely used. The steelworkers protests, and their protests end on the stage of Sanremo.
In 1986 back with songs sang during the performence, wins an unknwon young singer: Eros Ramazzotti with Adesso Tu.
In 1987 is announced the shocking death of Claudio Villa, in hospital because of heart's problems. All Italy is shocked.
In 1988 is the turn of Massimo Ranieri with Perdere l'Amore and second Mino Reitano with Italia.
In 1989 starts the era of Aragozzini. The Festival is won by Anna Oxa and Fausto Leali with Ti Lascerò. Five days, three sections, 48 songs, the years of Aragozzini are dominated by novelty.
In 1992 Pippo Baudo imagine the kermesse as a tv show. In 1993 Laura Pausini new promises of Sanremo makes her first appearance winning in the category young singers with La Solitudine.
1995 is the year is Giorgia. In 1997, Jalisse wins the festival with Fiumi di Parole.
1998 is not a great edition of the Festival.
In 1999 Fabio Fazio brings a new wind at the Festival: Anna Oxa wins with Senza Pietà.
The next decades will be highly influenced by the success of the show in TV; in the while the advent of the net creates a drastic crisis in the music industry thanks to the possibility of downloading songs.
In 2005 the Festival will be presented by Paolo Bonolis. Wins Francesco Renga.
In 2010 all the performers are little stars of the TV. Wins Valerio Scanu.
After years of economical passivity, the festival rediscovers thanks to social medias new humus and music returns to be the protagonist. In 2011 for example Roberto Vecchioni wins with Chiamami Ancora Amore while in 2015 Il Volo wins with Grande Amore.
Francesco Gabbani in 2017 wins the kermesse with Occidentali's Karma.
A section of the book is dedicated to the tv presenters seen during the decades and there is chapter on statistics and curiosities of various genre.
Oh, I know that you'll love this book!
Anna Maria Polidori
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