“I won't have super Italian guests this year, except those who have turned 70 years of age.
I prefer, as is right, to celebrate a historical figure of Italian music who must rightly be presented as a super guest, I will be honored to have all the others in the competition".
Amadeus reveals some details of the next edition of the Sanremo Festival of which he is artistic director and conductor, tonight at an event of the Milan Music Week.
A decision, that of focusing on the singers in the competition, in line with his "mandate", or rather "to ensure that music is the most important thing at the festival".
And the "hottest phase" of the choice of songs is precisely these days: the singers in the competition, said Amadeus himself, will be revealed "on 4 December in the 1.30 pm edition of Tg1".
A selection made, according to Amadeus,
"with great honesty".
“I choose on the basis of what I think the public will like – she says again – starting from young people who have a crazy speed from a musical point of view.
And space must be given to them, starting with the music of the Sanremo festival".
What matters most at the festival is the choice of songs.
“The guests, the artists, are fundamental.
But everything must start from the competing songs because festivals are remembered for the competing songs”.
And if the past two editions were characterized by the absence of guests from abroad, due to the pandemic, "this year I would like to recover the international presence, we are working on it".
But no names, for the moment.
In fact, he jokes: “If I tell you who I'm thinking of, you'll tell me 'then you're contacting him'.
And if he doesn't come, you'll say 'you wanted it, but he said no'”.
This evening Amadeus also revealed the conductors of the TV strip that anticipates Sanremo for a week 'PrimaFestival': it is Andrea Delogu, and among the correspondents, the Own goals and Jody Cecchetto.
Among the memories of past editions,
“I never get overwhelmed when they make me listen to a song, but when I heard the Maneskin I said to myself: 'They are in Sanremo'.
Once I heard them - he continues - they asked me if I wanted to change something to the song since there were some bad words, but I replied 'No, this song shouldn't be touched by a comma'".
And finally, snatching a smile from the audience, Amadeus jokes again: "They also asked me if I liked the song, but I didn't go too far: I just said 'It's not bad'".