This article is published in number 10 of Vanity Fair on newsstands until March 9, 2021
This week I came across two vintage images from the Sanremo Festival. The first: February 1997, on the stage of the Ariston Piero Chiambretti appears dressed as an angel with lots of wings, literally hanging from a rope. Under him, dressed up in crazy striped dresses, the Spice Girls they sing Say You’ll Be There. Leading is Mike Bongiorno and someone is already starting to send the first text messages to friends to comment on the show and the looks.
The second dates back to 2001, exactly 20 years ago: Italy is divided in half until the last evening of the festival. On the one hand there is the Elisa team, who sings the song Light. On the other hand, there are those who support Giorgia and hers Of Sun and of blue. Elisa will win, but that doesn’t matter. What makes us think is the epochal change not so much of the Festival (which is always and in any case a surreal photograph of the country), but of this year which has put a mass of doubts, nostalgia and questions between us and the past.
We have decided to dedicate part of this issue to the most famous singing competition in Italy for many reasons. First of all Achille Lauro who exclusively for Vanity Fair continues his performances in Sanremo between these pages: for the first time, the artist used the cover of this issue as if it were the Ariston stage. To see his performance, just scan the QR code on the cover with the camera of your smartphone (if not successful, download the relevant app). And again: at the bottom of this editorial and at the end of each interview with the singers in the competition, you will find another code that leads you to the first collaboration between a newspaper and Spotify. Always framing the code with your smartphone, you will listen to a playlist suggested by the artists and designed for you as a soundtrack to read, to relax and to remember the most beautiful moments in the history of these 70 years of the Festival.
Make a gift to yourself and everyone: hold on, do not pour into the streets and respect the safety rules that still serve us to protect the health of everyone, not just those who are most at risk. The images of gatherings we saw last weekend are not good for anyone. I know, it is a time of doubts, nostalgia and questions. And Sanremo will certainly not solve the problem. But the music and the show, however, will give us some respite. Maybe even a little bit of hope and lightness.
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Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
