Sanremo and politics in all its forms represent a solid and timeless combination, if we consider that at the time of the second festival, in 1952, 'Papaveri e papere' was considered a song 'at risk' because it alluded to the power of poppies of the then DC.
Over the years, the controversy with a political background, almost always linked to the interventions of comedians, has become a practically fixed ingredient of the festival but this time it is not a question of the intervention of a comedian but of the president of a nation at war, the Ukraine.
It is in fact the first time that an ongoing war arrives live on the most pop stage in Italy.
This is why Vladimir Zelensky causes discussion who will arrive with his video on the final evening of the festival, Saturday 11, at the end of the competition, while outside the
Ariston the city of flowers will be invaded by two demonstrations, one in support of the Ukrainian president, one by pacifists against the shipment of arms.
Also in 1969 Dario Fo and Franca Rame organized a counter festival which was supposed to foment protest but the effects were mild.
Still on the subject of protests, in 1984 Pippo Baudo had the metalworkers of Italsider take the stage against the closure of the plant and again superPippo the following year thwarted the famous jump from the balustrade of the unemployed.
Speaking of religion, it was Roberto Benigni who caused a scandal in 1980 for addressing the then pope with the epithet 'Wojtilaccio'.
In the following decades Benigni also became an absolute protagonist of Sanremo, always causing a stir.
In 2002 the Oscar winner presented his own political version of the Last Judgment and launched into jokes about the sexual organs of Baudo, Berlusconi, Di Pietro, Fassino.
In 2009 scattered jokes about Berlusconi but did not spare Veltroni, Mina and Iva Zanicchi and, above all, in defense of homosexual love, closed his speech with the letter from prison by Oscar Wilde.
In 2011 he made Italy rediscover patriotism with the Mameli anthem.
One of the most turbulent editions was that of 1989:
Beppe Grillo - who today says he is against Zelensky's presence from his blog - destroyed the festival, vicious attacks on singers, journalists and above all on the then leader of DC De Mita and the general director of Rai Biagio Agnes.
Claudio Martelli was not spared for the Malindi affair.
The conclusion of Grillo, then only a comedian, was: "I make you laugh and then they do something like that to me".
The Solenghi-Marchesini-Lopez trio caught the arrows of the Catholic world for the parody of the Gospel and the letter of San Remo.
In 2004 Adriano Celentano, who arrived at the Ariston to help his friend Tony Renis (artistic director of a boycotted edition of the record majors), said: ''I'm not saying that politics shouldn't be involved.
Wasp did '
Porta a Porta Speciale Sanremo' and as he did it, politicians are fine with it.
Because the Festival and the politicians must remain two distinct things''.
In the meantime he had also criticized the connection with Nassiriyah, in Iraq, where a massacre of carabinieri had taken place.
Just Celentano in 2012 created a case that almost caused the festival to be commissioned for his fee (later donated to charity), but above all for the violent criticism of the Catholic press.
In 2006, the year of vitriolic exchanges between Pippo Baudo and Fabrizio Del Noce, then director of Rai1, it was Padoa Schioppa and Prodi who criticized the fees of the festival hosts, earning Baudo's piqued response.
Going back in time, in 1999, Gorbachev had the most pop crowd in Italy in Sanremo, invited by Fabio Fazio.
"We have come from Moscow, where there is still wind and snow, to bring you our feelings of friendship", he explained from the stage together with a
very elegant Raissa.
Also in 1999 Teo Teocoli appeared on stage in his underwear imitating Gabriele Albertini;
in 1992 the small epic of Crazy Horse reached its peak, which managed to enter the theater earning first place in the festival's most wanted list.
More recently in 2016 all the artists wore rainbow ribbons in favor of the Cirinnà law on civil unions.
"The theme of violence against women (2020) was brought to Sanremo with Rula Jebreal. The story of the bloody mafia massacres (2022) with Saviano. Suddenly politics is concerned about Zelensky's intervention on the war at #Sanremo2023. I explain why?", Enzo Mazza, CEO of Fimi, the Federation of the Italian Music Industry, wrote on Twitter.
Also in 1999 Teo Teocoli appeared on stage in his underwear imitating Gabriele Albertini;
in 1992 the little epic of Crazy Horse reached its peak, which managed to enter the theater earning first place in the festival's most wanted list.
More recently, in 2016, all the artists wore rainbow ribbons in favor of the Cirinnà law on civil unions.
"The theme of violence against women (2020) was brought to Sanremo with Rula Jebreal. The story of the bloody mafia massacres (2022) with Saviano. Suddenly politics is concerned about Zelensky's intervention on the war at #Sanremo2023. I explain why?", Enzo Mazza, CEO of Fimi, the Federation of the Italian Music Industry, wrote on Twitter.
Also in 1999 Teo Teocoli appeared on stage in his underwear imitating Gabriele Albertini;
in 1992 the little epic of Crazy Horse reached its peak, which managed to enter the theater earning first place in the festival's most wanted list.
More recently, in 2016, all the artists wore rainbow ribbons in favor of the Cirinnà law on civil unions.
"The theme of violence against women (2020) was brought to Sanremo with Rula Jebreal. The story of the bloody mafia massacres (2022) with Saviano. Suddenly politics is concerned about Zelensky's intervention on the war at #Sanremo2023. I explain why?", Enzo Mazza, CEO of Fimi, the Federation of the Italian Music Industry, wrote on Twitter.
who managed to enter the theater earning first place in the festival's most wanted list.
More recently in 2016 all the artists wore rainbow ribbons in favor of the Cirinnà law on civil unions.
"The theme of violence against women (2020) was brought to Sanremo with Rula Jebreal. The story of the bloody mafia massacres (2022) with Saviano. Suddenly politics is concerned about Zelensky's intervention on the war at #Sanremo2023. I explain why?", Enzo Mazza, CEO of Fimi, the Federation of the Italian Music Industry, wrote on Twitter.
who managed to enter the theater earning first place in the festival's most wanted list.
More recently in 2016 all the artists wore rainbow ribbons in favor of the Cirinnà law on civil unions.
"The theme of violence against women (2020) was brought to Sanremo with Rula Jebreal. The story of the bloody mafia massacres (2022) with Saviano. Suddenly politics is concerned about Zelensky's intervention on the war at #Sanremo2023. I explain why?", Enzo Mazza, CEO of Fimi, the Federation of the Italian Music Industry, wrote on Twitter.
The theme of violence against women (2020) was brought to Sanremo with Rula Jebreal.
The story of the bloody mafia massacres (2022) with Saviano.
Suddenly politics worries about Zelensky's intervention on the war at #Sanremo2023.
Can you explain why?", Enzo Mazza, CEO of Fimi, the Federation of the Italian Music Industry, wrote on Twitter.
The theme of violence against women (2020) was brought to Sanremo with Rula Jebreal.
The story of the bloody mafia massacres (2022) with Saviano.
Suddenly politics worries about Zelensky's intervention on the war at #Sanremo2023.
Can you explain why?", Enzo Mazza, CEO of Fimi, the Federation of the Italian Music Industry, wrote on Twitter.