🇮🇹 Italy: Sanremo 2021 “An Opportunity For The Country To Unite”

Details and goals for the 2021 Sanremo Festival have been revealed at a RAI press conference at their studio in Rome.

The Italian broadcaster RAI has held a press conference to reveal further information about the upcoming 71st Sanremo Festival. At the event, director of RAI Uno Stefano Coletta spoke about the importance of the festival during the current pandemic:

“Sanremo is an opportunity for the country to unite, it is part of our identity… We haven’t given up on the expression of entertainment because people demand it from us, it fills the loneliness. The 26 songs chosen are an expression of this… they are often love songs because pain and loneliness are answered with the most emotional ingredients that accompany our existence”

Stefano went on to say that whilst the past year since Sanremo 2020 Italy has been divided due to COVID-19, RAI hopes to unify the country with the festival. He also praised artistic director behind the planning of the event:

“Thanks to the artistic director who worked very hard to prepare these five evenings, I am sure that he will also contrast the songs with a sub-text story of what we are fighting”

It was also revealed at the conference that any competing artist who tests positive for COVID-19 and / or has to self-isolate will be forced to withdraw from the show. This precaution follows on from the earlier announcement that there will be no audience for the contest, social distancing will be in place, and artists are limited to two supporting persons in their entourage.

The competing acts in this year’s Sanremo are:

• Francesco Renga – “Quando trovo te” (When I Find You)
• Coma_Cose – “Fiamme negli occhi” (Flames In the Eyes)
• Gaia – “Cuore amaro” (Bitter Heart)
• Irama – “La genesi del tuo colore” (The Genesis of Your Colour)
• Fulminacci – “Santa Marinella”
• Madame – “Voce” (Voice)
• Willie Peyote – “Mai dire mai (La locura)” (Never Say Never (The Madness))
• Orietta Berti – “Quando ti sei innamorato” (When You Fell In Love)
• Ermal Meta – “Un milione di cose da dirti” (A Million Things to Tell You)
• Fasma – “Parlami” (Talk to Me)
• Arisa – “Potevi fare di più” (You Could Have Done More)
• Gio Evan – “Arnica”
• Måneskin – “Zitti e buoni” (Silent and Good)
• Aiello – “Ora” (Now)
• Annalisa – “Dieci” (Ten)
• Bugo – “E invece sì” (Instead Yes)
• Colapesce & Dimartino – “Musica leggerissima” (Very Light Music)
• Francesca Michielin & Fedez – “Chiamami per nome” (Call Me By Name)
• Ghemon – “Momento perfetto” (Perfect Moment)
• La Rappresentante di Lista – “Amare” (To Love)
• Lo Stato Sociale – “Combat Pop”
• Malika Ayane – “Ti piaci così” (You Like Yourself Like That)
• Max Gazzè & Trifluoperazina Monstery Band – “Il farmacista” (The Pharmacist)
• Noemi – “Glicine” (Wisteria)
• Random – “Torno a te” (I Come Back to You)

The 2021 Sanremo Festival will begin on Tuesday 2 March and end with a grand final on Saturday 6 March. The winner of the festival will receive first refusal to represent Italy at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest.

Image Source: Eurovision.tv – Andres Putting | Source: Eurovision IN