"Perché Sanremo è Sanremo!" says the slogan. One of the annual highlights of the Peninsula's musical and TV schedule, Sanremo returns this year on Italian screens - channel Rai 1 - from the 17th to the 21st of February, with both new promising and talented artists and old beloved ones involved in the famous competition.
"I big", as the Italians call them, are established artists that fight it out for the top prize, while "i giovani" are up and coming talents that get the chance to breakthrough on the national scene.
The essence of the Sanremo-styled song? A melodic style, inspired by the light arias of 19th century musical drama performances.
Sanremo - named after the town where it takes place every year - is not only the Festival della Canzone Italiana, a music competition, but a true Italian institution - one of those events that bring all Italians together through television sets. The details of songs, stage sets and presenters are argued over endlessly before, during and after the festival and the country is taken over what can only be described as Sanremo-fever. No suprise given that the initial objective of the competition, created in 1951, was precisely to offer a break from the drudgery and depression of postwar Italy - a way to unify and cheer Italians through song.
The Festival has recorded, year after year (from 1951 up to this, the 59th edition), the story and evolution of contemporary Italian song - giving the first break to some of the most important artists of Italian pop music (musica leggera) such as Adriano Celentano, Mina, Vasco Rossi, Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazzotti and many others.
Head over to the Sanremo Official website to find out more about this year's edition and have fun with this interactive game about Italian songs.
Click here to discover all available books to find out more about the Canzone Italiana.
