dcome to Sanremo and think about the controversies. The Festival is about singers and songs but often it gets people talking about things that concern everything but artists. Something always happens, or maybe something is deliberately made to happen. Often it is about bar talk, sometimes however, these are real tragedies.
Sanremo Festival: the 10 most famous scandals
Pippo Baudo avoids the (fake) suicide of Pino Pagano
San Remo 1995during the evening of February 23, such Pagan Pine he climbs onto the balcony of the Ariston and threatens to throw himself off. My eyes widen a thousand spectators in theaters and 17 million people glued to the TV from the house. Panic.
Foo Baudo he takes the reins of the situation, rises panting towards that “desperate madman” and convinces him not to do extreme things. The hugs him and puts his feet back on the groundto everyone’s applause. The next day the comments go crazy. At first they say “Goofy hero”, then doubts arise: isn’t that a big hoax? Years later the presenter admitted that it had all been arranged. And Pino Pagano himself confirmed that it was him to “tampinare” Baudo to become famous. It is not known whether the suicide attempt or the discovery that she was just a giant staged caused more scandal. Of course, those who witnessed that event remember one thing: the mountain maxi sweater of the alleged murderer. Not exactly a Sanremo look.
Pippo Baudo and Pino Pagano in Sanremo 1995. (Ipa)
Rino Gaetano clears the word «sex» with Gianna
Paradox lover, in 1978 Rino Gaetano presents itself in front of the cast public of the Ariston with Gianna. She immediately catches the eye the look: an elegant close-fitting tailcoat, white bow tie, red and white striped shirt and sneakers. On his collar an infinite number of medals, which he delivers to the conductor and throws to the audience during the performance.
The piece raises a fuss of controversy. For the first time in the history of Sanremo the word “sex” appears in the text of a song (“A world begins, a different world, but one made of sex, time will tell”). The criticisms are huge, but the song is liked and comes third (behind Matia Bazar and Anna Oxa).
Rino Gaetano, 1978 (Getty Images)
Freddie Mercury protests playback in 1984
At the 1984 Festival Queen are super hosts with Radio GaGa. Freddie Mercury wants to sing live. But the rules of the time enforce playback.
What does he do? In protest sing while holding the microphone away from your mouth, making it clear to everyone that the song being listened to is recorded. The director awkwardly tries to lower the audio, hoping that someone misses what happens. But the reality is clear to all. An embarrassed Pippo Baudo, on stage with Beppe Grillo, tries to ignore it.
Freddie Mercury, 1984. (Handle)
Loredana Bertè with the fake belly in 1986
Total scandal (and endless controversy) with Loredana Bertè at the 1986 Festival and the fake belly while singing King written for her by Mango.
She wants to raise awareness of the topic of pregnancy. «A pregnant woman is not sick, but even more powerful“, explains. But everyone is against her (she will later say that she was forced to hitchhike back home, even abandoned by the record company). Arrives ninthhowever the consequences on his career are evident, becomes angrier, discontented and pessimistic, and then runs off to Sweden as bride of Bjorn Borg. She will return to Sanremo in 1991, with the cupissima In this town (by Pino Daniele).
Irony: in 1987 Romina Power sing pregnant Rogue nostalgiawhile a “century later”, flaunting a baby bump and passing it off as a revolutionary artistic gesture is Lady Gaga.
Loredana Bertè 1986. (Ansa)
Belen’s butterfly in Sanremo 2012
He is the protagonist of a sexy scandal in 2012 Belen Rodriguezwhen he co-hosts the Festival with Elisabetta Canalisnext to Gianni Morandi.
At the time it was there “queen of gossip” for its history, which has just begun, with Stefano De Martino, who had robbed Emma Marrone (with De Martino then Belen got married, had a son, broke up and recovered). However, she causes a sensation when she shows up on the Ariston stage in a dress with a slit much more than a crotch and, voluntarily, he shows everyone his butterfly tattoo just above the crotch. «Exaggerated», «excessive», «vulgar». They said all of them. Certainly that year, the Festival, which at the time was struggling a bit, was talked about a lot.
Belen Rodriguez 2012. (Ipa)
The suicide of Luigi Tenco in 1967
Luigi Tencoa close friend of Fabrizio De Andrè, reluctantly participates in Sanremo with Hello love hello. Immediately eliminated by the jury with 38 votes out of 900. Disappointed, on the evening of January 26, in his room at the Hotel Savoy Tenco kills himself with a pistol shot; they find him at dawn. Next to it, it has a note stating that it is one «protest» against the commercialization of the Festival. The case has fueled doubts, questions, assumptions.
In the 2005 the body was exhumed and to carry out autopsy for the first time. The results put an end to the controversy ascertaining that it was suicide. The revaluation of the singer-songwriter came only after his death with the establishment of an award in his honor. Claudio Villa and Iva Zanicchi win that edition with Do not think about me.
At Sanremo 2020 everyone is asking: where is Bugo?
There were misunderstandings between Bugo and Morgan which the second decides to smooth out turning the text of into an invective against the colleague Sincere: «Your bad intentions, your rudeness, your bad impression last night, your ingratitude, your arrogance, do what you want by putting your feet up». It is the most egregious stage abandonment ever.
Bugo turns on his heel and walks away. Morgan looks around in bewilderment and asks “Where’s Bugo?” The network explodes with memes that go on for months. Both are eliminated. It follows a lawsuit in which Bugo denounces Morgan for having “deformed” the piece and the judges agree with him.
Morgan and Bugo in 2020. (LaPresse)
The gay community against Povia in 2009
At the 2009 Festival Povia (fresh from the victory of Sanremo 2006 with I wish I had the beak) features the song Luke was gay. It’s about a homosexual who becomes heterosexual, and evidently conversion therapy.
The LGBT community rises up considering the passage offensive and discriminatory. An uproar breaks out with Povia who defends himself by displaying billboards various during his stage performance. He even intervenes politics. In fact, a parliamentary question is presented for an alleged violation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. In the end Povia comes second behind Marco Carta who wins with My strength. And he also won the Mogol award for best text of the year.
Achille Lauro is baptized in Sanremo 2022
Never-ending controversy Achilles Lauro that, singing Sunday accompanied by the Harlem Gospel Choirstage a baptism on the Ariston stage with a cup of water. The look consists only of tight pants. Feet and chest are bare. «Desecrating», it thunders. He explains that: “I am the first to perform and baptism is the beginning of everything.” This year in Sanremo participate as a guest.
Achille Lauro 2022. (Ipa)
Madame and the fake green passes
Among the most recent controversies there is one that concerns San Remo 2023. In particular the presence in the race of Madame, which in December was investigated by prosecutor of Vicenza for false ideology for having obtained, during the period of the Covid restrictions, fake green passes to be able to circulate.
Many have asked his exclusion from the Festival (participates with the song The good in the bad). But the landlord Amadeus he always defended her. «I evaluate her as a singer, I don’t anticipate the judiciary. It would be a grave mistake to oust her.” he said. The interested party he tried to justify himself on Instagram explaining that he comes from a family that has always been resistant to vaccines and that he has no other vaccinations.
iO Woman © REPRODUCTION RESERVED