“Big or not big, it's all relative.”
Carlo Conti, host and artistic director of the Sanremo Music Festival, which will take place from February 24th to 28th, is riding the furore that erupted after the announcement of the thirty competing artists : "No, I don't read anything and I don't watch anything. I have my own slightly peculiar way of life, detached from everyone. I'm not very social, but I always have been . It's my choice and I can't help it. I listen to the radio."
However, she doesn't let herself be influenced when it comes to musical decisions: "My mother-in-law doesn't know who Samurai Jay is, but she knows who Patti Pravo is. Conversely, maybe there's a kid who doesn't know who Patti Pravo is but knows Aka7even very well." "The strength of these last few years has been mixing and broadening the horizons as much as possible across different generations."
Last year, "I'll name one for everyone: Lucio Corsi was practically unknown to most people, and look what he managed to do and how he represented Italy at Eurovision ."
"Choosing the songs," he continues, "is a huge responsibility. Let's not forget that Sanremo is the Italian song festival, and therefore it must be a snapshot of what our country's music scene is currently offering. Fortunately, there's been a lot of excitement in recent years."
As for the criteria, " I can't sleep at night. Maybe I wake up with a song I've put aside and it comes back to me. So you start to wonder if it's a standout, right? It's a bouquet of flowers; you have to try to make it as varied as possible and satisfy as many tastes."
There will be tributes to Pippo Baudo, Ornella Vanoni, and Beppe Vessicchio: "I think it will all be automatic and perhaps in my style. A few small quotes or ideas will suffice to remember these great figures who shaped the history of the festival and Italian music." The guests? "I don't have any names yet; I'll keep them separate."
(Unioneonline/D)