(by Claudia Fascia) (ANSA) - ROME, OCTOBER 27 - The march towards the Sanremo festival has begun.
From Thursday 29 October on Rai1 and Radio2, at 10.45 pm (after the episodes of the successful fiction Doc with Luca Argentero), AmaSanremo, the new project dedicated to young people in view of the 71 / o Festival, kicks off for five weekly appointments.
The host is Amadeus, artistic director of the event.
During the five evenings, the shortlist of 10 artists will be made up who will access the final evening of December 17th, broadcast from the Sanremo Casino Theater.
And then from there, for six boys, the big leap to Sanremo in the "New proposals" category.
But the uncertainties related to the pandemic and its consequences weigh on the new project, which sees Morgan, Piero Pelù, Luca Barbarossa and Beatrice Venezi being part of the television jury, and especially on the festival.
"In January we will understand what conditions we are in and then we will be able to evaluate and make a final decision on dates and audience in attendance", says Amadeus, who just a few weeks ago said he was against a festival without an audience.
"For now, let's think about doing Sanremo from 2 to 6 March, in total safety. It must be a festival of rebirth and positivity, not a humble festival".
On the same line, the director of Rai1 Stefano Coletta: "Sanremo will be there. Everything is proceeding as it should proceed in this part of the season: we are in the editorial phase of Sanremo, which is not held back by the covid theme. At the moment we also confirm that December Sanremo Giovani will be broadcast from the Casino ".
And so in the meantime AmaSanremo goes on, an "upgrade" - it has been defined - that year after year, step by step, has led young people competing late at night to spaces entirely dedicated to them.
Each episode, broadcast from Room B in via Asiago, will host four young people who will be voted by the television jury, Televoto and Music Commission of the festival.
The two with the highest score will move on to the final evening.
For each evening also a musical guest, whose story is linked to the Ariston stage: Arisa is expected for the first evening, then there will be Rocco Hunt, Marco Masini, Leo Gassmann (last winner of the New Proposals).
Two regular appearances: Riccardo Rossi, with his anecdotes about Sanremo, and Ema Stokholma, voice of Radio2.
"It was hard to choose only 20 guys", says Amadeus, who listened to 961 songs, an absolute record, and who is sure that among them there are the Big of tomorrow.
The first four to debut are Gavio with "La Mia Generazione", Geneva with "Vortice", MERLOT with "Sette Volte", Wrongonyou with "Lessons Of Flight".
AmaSanremo, which will clash in the war of ratings with the X Factor, is a bet carried out by Rai.
"We must dedicate space to the emergence of talent and do it with a composite seriality - underlines Coletta -. We must have the courage to experiment and not always focus on long-lived brands and faces".
The idea, dreamed of for some time by the deputy director of Rai1 Claudio Fasulo, is that of creating a real contest towards Sanremo.
The ratings do not worry or interest the director of Rai1 and Amadeus too much.
"Ours is an act of responsibility towards young people and of innovation".
Among the innovations that AmSanremo brings forward, also that of the close collaboration with the radio.
"It is the first time that the flagship network is our guest on a product of this type - says the director of Rai Radio Roberto Sergio -. And after Viva Rai Play with Fiorello, the handover could only be with Amadeus, for the relationship that binds them ".
Rai, through the voice of Coletta, also accepts the appeal of the Minister of Mibact Franceschini, who invited the TV networks to give more space in the schedules to theater, music, dance.
"We are thinking how to do it. The company has accepted the minister's words with great seriousness".
(HANDLE).
