NHe has even tried to hide his enthusiasm: “I really felt the need to return to singing in Sanremo”. Effectively, Marcella Bella, 72 years old, waited for 18 years before climbing the Ariston stage again. The last time – the eighth – took place in 2007, when 12th with Forever forever.
The artist will challenge the 28 colleagues bringing to the Ariston stage Diamond skina song that “describes a bit of me, but also of many strong, self -confident women, who have suffered and who have the skin lasts almost like that of the diamond. […] The song talks about women and the armor that we must create to defend ourselves. We must be strong and independent. Real warriors ». Indeed, “if it becomes a hymn even for one of us only I know I had made my duty as an artist».
And even if it will go up on that stage with determination and cazzimmahis hope is above all “that the song likes”, because, for her, «It was never important to win. I arm a good performanceI hope to conquer the boys and I expect young people from young people to young people. ” It takes “special attention, a unique force to face such an important stage. I want to transform this emotion and make sure that it becomes energy».
Marcella Bella in Sanremo 2025 with Diamond skin And the duet with the Twin Violins
In the evening of the duets, however, He will perform with the Twin Violins – or the violinist twins Mirko and Valerio Lucia – on the notes of The emotion has no voice by Adriano Celentano, song written by his older brother Gianniwho lost his voice 15 years ago due to a stroke. «The idea was born seeing these guys on the internet, they are Sicilians and went to America. I have the same taste as the Coldplay! »He joked.
In addition to his music, Marcella Bella in Sanremo will also focus on his look. “The first evening I will amaze you with something unusual. But then I want to “shine”, yes. The diamond of the title, however, has nothing to do with the jewels. It refers to the hardness and resistance of the stone. There are too many cases of violence, feminicides. And we must be stronger than everything ».
The 7 participations of Marcella Bella in Sanremo
We have to go back in time to 50 years ago to trace Marcella Bella’s first participation at Sanremo Festival. It was 1972, and the artist placed himself in seventh place with Green mountainsone of the most famous songs in his repertoire. “It is the edition I remember most affected,” he said. «The first Sanremo is like the first love: it is never forgotten. It was a fairy tale for me, as an unknown I found myself in the ranking ». In 1981 in Sanremo «I sang Think for youbut it was too light a song, I don’t feel it in my ropes ».
To remember, however, the 1986 edition: his Without a greedy head He went up to third place on the podium (“it was a song that committed me vocally a lot and allowed me to place myself in front of many important artists of the time”)while the following year he arrived sixth with Congratulations.
Sanremo 1986: in the center the young singer Eros Ramazzotti, winner of that edition, with Marcella Bella (third position) and Renzo Arbore (second). (Getty Images)
In 1988 he reached a fourth place with After the stormwhile in 1990 and 2007 he returned to Ariston to sing Towards the unknown And Forever forever Together with Gianni, his brother and composer. For her, the “forever” is him, “my brother Gianni: the artist, the musician, the man. From an early age I owe it all, it was a gift. After the stroke, I was afraid it would intrud. Instead it was he who gave me courage, with his great inner strength. He lost his floor, but he never lost his smile ».
In the middle, in 2005, he arrived second in the “Classic” category with Bastard man«Not an autobiographical piece. I must say that I opened the way, I tried to say something. I started a speech continued with My soul steals mewith Loredana Bertè, we sang women affected with acid, two wounded women who passed the pain ».
The friendship with Loredana Bertè
Yes, Loredana Bertè. A very important figure in his life. «When I found myself catapulted to Milan from Sicily for my first album, Loredana for me was my lighthouse“, Marcella Bella said. “He behaved with me like a older sister and I keep a lot to her.”
Sanremo Festival 1986: Loredana Bertè, Marcella Bella and Anna Oxa. (Getty Images)
In the evening between one recording and the other “we went out together and she made me know the most interesting places in Milan. We were very different: she very emancipated and I was very shy. Over time, life has divided us but then when we meet again and as if the weather had never spent. I must say that I also became a friend with Patty PravoI got to know her better, beyond her character. It may seem shy, instead she is a woman with a thousand resources, nice and self -deprecating ».
And the disagreements with Donatella Rector
While for Bertè he has only words of esteem and affection, With Donatella Rector seems to have been some disagreements. The singer of Splendid shining He wanted to “be ironic and play on the fact that I was not as tall as her”he said. Even if to create rivalry They had been “journalists, especially radio ones, for a phrase that had given me. And that I had actually said, but under provocation. They know I’m Sicilian, passionate. It was designed to make me say unpleasant phrases».
Today, fortunately, the two have buried the ax of war. «I collided several times with Donatella Rector, but we met in the Rai 1 broadcast Now or never And we clarified », Marcella Bella said. «We said that it is absurd at our age to make rivals e we hugged each other. Each has its followers, his repertoire and his own personality. However, if someone behaves like rude I don’t suffer. As a good Sicilian I react and I don’t send them to say “. The only singing rivalry, he added, “If we want to call it that, but more than anything else it was mutual respect, I had it with Mia Martini.”
The beginning of Marcella Bella
Born in Catania in 1952, Marcella Bella has always had a marked Sicilian accent. “I was 14 years old, I always lived in Sicily and it was normal for it to be felt,” he said. Was Mike Bongiorno “To make me study diction: on the dint of exercise, I learned to pronounce the” erre “well». And it was a good advice, that of the father of television: due to his Sicilian accent, He struggled a lot to find a record company that he wanted to focus on her.
In 1965, in the province of Catania, he won the selections to participate in the Festival of Unknown Ariccia. However, he loses the title: he is only 13 years old, two less than those provided for by the competition regulation. In 1968 he signed his first contract with the CGD, which leads her to record the first 45 rpm (1969), followed by over twenty albums.
She felt independent for the first time “when I earned something working,” he said. The first time «who paid me I was with my father: Five thousand lire to sing four songs. Mine did not sail in gold, they were very normal people. And that’s why the most beautiful thing for me was Being able to give my mom a house. Seeing his face and contentment in having a house of his own was incredible ». Also, be independent «He made me free to choose who to love. Unfortunately, many women cannot afford it ».
His brother Gianni
And two men were the men that Marcella Bella chose to love. One is her husband, the other is his brother Gianni, composer and songwriter – signed the greatest successes of his sister – who on January 15, 2010 was hit by a stroke. “This bad illness literally paralyzed it. For me and for the whole family It was not easy to face this painThe artist told.
“He from real warrior In recent years he has dedicated himself to his rebirth trying to improve his physique and his health. In all this path he has not lost the most playful side of his character, always positive and sunny. His great intelligence and his creativityeven if hindered by the disease, do not fail to emerge and to be a stimulus to live for him ».
Gianni and Marcella Bella in 2007. (Getty Images)
When the brother was hit by the stroke, “I felt isolated, I had to start again. Seeing my brother no longer doing the job he loved, playing, singing and speaking was very hard. From here I started writing my songs for the first time. Those who listened to them in preview told me that they had found the freshness of the first times ».
The words for the brother are always, today and in the past, of esteem and admiration. “I owe everything to him“, he said. “I don’t even know if I would have sang without him. When I don’t be there anymore I would like to be remembered for my songs, those that my brother wrote ».
Marcella Bella, boyfriends and husband
After a short flirtation with Red Canzianwhich lasted a few months («At that particular moment of my life I was very busy with my career and I didn’t want ties that they could then bind too much ») falls in love with Mario Merelloa Milanese entrepreneur. When they know, He was married and had a daughter. This did not prevent the couple from dating and, in 1989, to get married after the man left his first wife.
Marcella Bella and Mario Merello at the wedding of Fiona Swarovski. (Getty Images)
“I was pregnant,” said the artist. “I was very young and I welcomed the news with happiness. Although he was married and already a father. I received a phone call from Mining who had found himself in a similar situation many years earlier with the actor Corrado Pani. He wanted to manifest my support. He said to me: “It will go better to you”. “
After so many years of marriage, the two are still very in love. «Or a wonderful man next to me, my husband. THEMy place is in his arms», She said. «It will accompany me to Sanremo again this time. And when I need it, in moments of défaillance, I will take refuge in his embrace ».
Marcella Bella, her husband Mario Merello and their daughter Carolina Merello in 2016. (Getty Images)
The three children
Over the years, the couple had three children: Giacomo (1980), Carolina (1991) and Tommaso (1992), to whom Benedetta must be added, the daughter that Mario had since the first marriage.
«For a period hOr preferred to stay at home enjoying my children. I didn’t want to be an absent mother around the world, “explained Marcella Bella. In the show the long -lived couples are few. Before they were there Romina Power and Albano who made us dream, now it is more difficult to keep the reins of a lasting and healthy relationship ».
But how can you last love for so long? The artist is pragmatic: «It is a recipe with many ingredients. Love must be great, not a love like this. Then complicity and loyalty are needed. I have never discovered escapades, Check your phonefears me. And he says to me: “Betting would be too tiring”. And he is already quite stressed ».
I woman © RESERVED REPRODUCTION