Love returns to Sanremo, little Covid and rock is missing

 "I wish it were a current festival".

This is the hope that Amadeus makes for the 72nd edition which kicks off on February 1st and which marks its third consecutive artistic direction.

A festival that was hoped to be that of rebirth, marking the return to normality and that instead "it would be enough if it were somewhere between the first and last year".

 From Achille Lauro to Iva Zanicchi, the 25 pieces. The impact of the songs in the competition at the first listen

Current, in the sense of songs with a radio future (Ama's goal has always been), we'll see. Certainly not topical. In the traditional listening to the songs in the competition, reserved for the press fifteen days before the start of the event, what seemed clear is that the artists preferred - as last year - to close themselves in a more personal atmosphere. Few, very few references to the pandemic, with which we have been living for two years now. Only Dargen D'Amico who mentions the masks (and sings "without live with the fleece on the sofa") and The Representative of List ("in the silence of the general crisis") face everyone's fears openly. Rather, it is the feelings, the silences, the fear of confronting oneself that are the masters.An intimate and intimistic sphere that perhaps photographs the bubble in which, willy-nilly, we have closed ourselves for months. Yet the desire to have fun would not be lacking: at least five songs out of 25, a fifth, wink at the wildest dance.

 "Obviously there is a desire to dance - comments Amadeus -. A very strong lack for young people. It is a regret that they cannot dance". Few transgressions in the texts, a few bad words as usual, but nothing to make the wrists tremble in the right minds. A "fuck" shouted by Achille Lauro, a "bitch" sung by Noemi: a bon ton festival after all. Who sings about love, between her and him, but also between people without gender definitions like Michele Bravi or Mahmood and Blanco do. T.

pop, melodic, urban, soul, rock is absent this year, after the victory of the Maneskin and their subsequent success worldwide, with Le Vibrazioni the only representatives to carry the banner high. With the audience, therefore, the march towards the event officially started. Even if many boxes still need to be filled. So far the confirmed guests are only Checco Zalone and Cesare Cremonini. The pandemic situation weighs on the arrivals of big foreigners, making it difficult for arrivals from abroad (while for now the Ariston remains at full capacity). And so the focus is on local glories: the names of Marco Mengoni, Laura Pausini, Ultimo are mentioned. Fiorello for the Saturday evening. But Amadeus is not unbalanced: "Fiore? But maybe. The Maneskin? I don't know, let's hope. I'm just talking about who's there.is 100% ".

And to be there, on the evening of the covers and duets, as confirmed by herself on New Year's Eve, there is Loredana Bertè. The five co-hosts who will support the artistic director on stage have already been announced: Ornella Muti, Lorena Cesarini, Drusilla Foer, Maria Chiara Giannetta, Sabrina Ferilli. "A choice dictated by the desire to pay homage to the world of theater, fiction and cinema which has experienced difficult moments in recent months". The festival, assures Amadeus, will also remember Raffaella Carrà and Franco Battiato, recently deceased, and Lucio Dalla, whose 10th anniversary will be celebrated this year. And he makes a commitment to remember Milva too. A night marathon festival again this year? "Not having the young players at the opening, we anticipate the entry into the race of the big names.It is not my scientific desire to arrive at two in the morning. I wish I could close earlier, maybe we can finish 20 minutes earlier "