Sal Da Vinci‘s victory
(by Andrea Laffranchi, sent to Sanremo) The Festival is by Sal Da Vinci. «Forever yes», a neo-melodic catchphrase on the theme of fidelity, won the 76th edition of Sanremo. Tradition beats the new Sayf and Ditonellapiaga. It was chosen by the vote of three juries: Televoting, Press Room, Radio. The Mia Martini Critics Award goes to «Stupid bad luck» by Fulminacci. That of the Radio-TV-Web Room Lucio Dalla to Serena Brancale and «Qui con me». We celebrate on stage, but the evening began with a completely different atmosphere. Yes, it was the final, desire for jacket and tie, even black tie, sequins and long dress, but also the day of the attack by Israel and the United States on Iran. Cameras on, Conti lined up with co-hosts Laura Pausini and Giorgia Cardinaletti of Tg1, says good evening and invites “reflection”. The word goes to the journalist: “We are experiencing a great contradiction, on the one hand we all want the Iranian people to be free from oppression and suffering, on the other a conflict is opening up of which we don’t know the outcome.”
The host and artistic director recalls the contradiction between the duty to «celebrate Italian music and the winner» and the need to «not ignore what is happening in the world». He relaunches an appeal from Unicef “for a global commitment to protect children wherever they are, especially in war zones”. It’s Laura Pausini’s turn: «Children have the right to sleep to dream and not to dream of sleeping because they are woken up by the noise of bombs. Enough hate.”
So far the institutional part, the one thought and written. During the evening the artists then joined together freely. Rock has always been pacifist and Cleo, voice of the Rag Dolls, personalizes the dress with the Lennon-style writing “Give peace a chance”. «Down with war and tyrannies. Long live peace and love” is the cry of Leo Gassmann. Ermal Meta, to the message of his song about a little girl who died in Gaza, adds a dedication to “all the children silenced by the bombs”. «Happiness and peace are a collective work» for Colombre and Marie Antoinette. At a certain point, after the update of Tg1, the cry of “peace, peace” rises from the audience.
The night grows longer and silence falls on the Ariston when the names of the 301 women killed since 2023 scroll on the giant screen. Gino Cecchettin, who experienced that drama with the femicide of his daughter Giulia: «We must educate to respect, to accept rejection: we must not be afraid of a woman’s freedom, a no is a no, but a yes is true freedom
Flash from the evening. Tommaso Paradiso rejoicing (“I’m alive”) as if he had won a marathon: he went beyond all expectations – perhaps even his own – in terms of stage management, emotion control and performance. Two screws to adjust and on the next lap he wins for sure. In addition to the dedication song, Serena Brancale is wearing her mother’s dress: the tears are also those of her sister Nicole who conducts the orchestra. Family festival: Sayf brings his mother on stage and Samurai Jay joins her in the audience to the rhythm of merengue and reggaeton. Elettra Lamborghini goes hunting for hugs to convert into FantaSanremo points because “I understand that I don’t win anything here”.
Small elements. Double Lifetime Achievement Award. One for Andrea Bocelli who arrives at the Ariston riding his Caudillo, a white thoroughbred. The other goes to Pooh. No, they didn’t disband. And not even reunited for the umpteenth time. They celebrate 60 years of career from the stage to the square. Mara Venier is the protagonist of a couple of gags. Everyone at «Aunt Mara» tomorrow, winners and losers.
