LLast year the trio formed by Al Bano, Gianni Morandi and Massimo Ranieri made the Ariston dance with their greatest hits. This year Amadeus is trying again by transforming the theater “into the largest dance hall in Italy”. In the second evening, that of Wednesday 7th, on Rai 1 The New Orchestra Santa Balera arrives with Mirko Casadei, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of My Romagna.
Sanremo 2024, Mirko Casadei with My Romagna
«There will be a lot of celebration, a lot of joy. Let’s celebrate this fifth and last Festival of mine as if to say: thank goodness, let’s party, it’s going away.” Thus Amadeus in an interview with Radio 105 when announcing the guests. My Romagna it was published in 1954 by Secondo Casadei, the greatest exponent of Romagna smooth music. The song represents her biggest success with over 4 million copies sold over time.
2024 also marks another anniversary: the 50th anniversary of the debut at the Festival of Raoul Casadei, Secondo’s nephew, with He sings it. Tonight Mirko, the son, arrives on stage. He is accompanied by Marco Lazzarini on sax, Stefano Giugliarelli on guitar and vocals, and Valeria Magnani on violin and vocals.
Born in 1972, since 2001 he has been head of the Casadei Orchestra, with which he carries on the artistic legacy of his uncle and father. Over the years she has played My Romagna around the world, from Australia to the United States, passing through Argentina, Brazil, Canada and Tunisia among others.
Sanremo 2024, Mirko Casadei guest for the 70 years of “Romagna mia”. In the photo, with his father Raoul. (Courtesy press office)
The musicians of the New Orchestra Santa Balera
The partnership with La Nuova Orchestra Santa Balera wants to be a tribute to maestro Secondo, to his father Raoul, but also to the Angels of the mud who in the dramatic days following the floods last May in Emilia-Romagna rolled up their sleeves and sang the song. Volunteers also mentioned by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella in his end-of-year speech.
The orchestra is made up of 15 young musicians: Loris Casadei, Kevin Cimatti, Alessia Daccelo, Angela De Leo, Anna De Leo, Christian Di Giacomo, Marika Lombini, Carlotta Marchesini, Andrea Metri, Matilde Montana, Riccardo Monti, Nicolò Quercia, Samuele Sangiorgi, Emanuele Tebaldi and DJ Martina Gaetano .
Also on stage were 10 dancersnamely Francesco Amati, Beatrice Biondi, Mattia Bonci, Matteo Carghini, Micol Curzi, Christian Ermeti, Elisa Fuchi, Rachele Morri, Alice Nicoletti and Edoardo Silvi.
Mirko Casadei. (Courtesy press office)
Riccarda Casadei remembers her father Secondo
«My family and I would like to thank Amadeus with all our hearts for the sensitivity and attention towards our music in hosting My Romagna», declared Riccarda Casadei, Secondo’s daughter, in a press release. My Romagna And entered “into the hearts of generations”, he underlines, and it is «one of the best known and most sung Italian hits in the world».
He then remembers the emotion his father felt at the success he achieved. He heard it “singing from the milkman, from the bricklayer on the scaffolding, from the students taking the train. People spontaneously loved it right from the start, making it their own, each dedicating it to their land of origin».
And it is for this reason that Secondo Casadei wanted to take it around as much as possible, putting all «his commitment to defending and spreading it, with many sacrifices and passion, especially in the very difficult post-war period», he continues. Regarding the audience, Riccarda remembers her father’s pride in seeing them at his concerts “people of all ages, especially many young people.”
Speaking of youth, he says he is happy to sing My Romagna in Sanremo 2024 is a band made up of young musiciansrepresentatives of Generation Z. An ideal passing of the baton of smooth”, he defines it, “of which My Romagna it is the most representative song.”
Sanremo 2024, the story of My Romagna
«My Romagna, Romagna in bloom, you are the star, you are love. When I think of you, I would like to go back to my sweetheart, to the farmhouse.” They are these the most famous verses they made of My Romagna an immortal song. Symbol of a historical moment, a hymn, but above all a song that belongs to multiple generations.
According to Casadei, he recorded it in 1954, but the writing dates back to some time before. The title initially chosen was My little housesince he had dedicated it to the house where he lived in Gatteo a mare, in the province of Forlì-Cesena. The change came when he proposed the song to the record producer Dino Olivieri. He suggested changing the title and the song was sung by Fred Mariani and Arte Tamburini.
It was an immediate success. The song went beyond regional borders and spread everywhere, even abroad. Over the years it has been translated into several languages including Chinese, Japanese, English, Russian, Spanish and German. Several Italian artists have recorded their own version, including Orietta Berti, Raffaella CarràNilla Pizzi and Claudio Villa.
iO Donna © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED