RAI have released the names of the singers and songs competing in the 2009 Sanremo festival. Among the names are some which will be familiar to Eurovision fans.
Al Bano will be aiming for his second victory and his first as a solo artist. Iva Zanicchi and Fausto Leali also return for one more try at a second win. This year’s festival will be held from 17th to 21st February in the Teatro Ariston, the usual venue. The names of the hosts have not been made public yet.
I Big
Afterhours – Il paese è reale (The Country is Real)
Al Bano – L’amore è sempre amore (Love is Always Love)
Alexia feat. Mario Lavezzi – Biancaneve (Blackwhite)
Marco Carta – Dentro ad ogni brivido (Inside Every Shiver)
Dolcenera – Il mio amore unico (My Only Love)
Gemelli Diversi – Vivi per un miracolo (You Live For a Miracle)
Fausto Leali – Una piccola parte di te (A Small Part of You)
Marco Masini – L’Italia
Nicky Nicolai & Stefano di Battista – Più sole (Lonelier)
Patty Pravo – E io verrò un giorno là (I Will Come Here One Day)
Povia – Luca era gay (Luca Was Gay)
Pupo, Belli e Youssou’n Dour – L’opportunità (The Opportunity)
Francesco Renga – L’uomo senza età (Man Without Age)
Sal di Vinci – Non riesco a farti innamorare (I Failed to Make You Love Me)
Tricarico – Il bosco delle fragole (The Forest of Strawberries)
Iva Zanicchi – Ti voglio senza amore (I Want You Without Love)
I Proposte (Newcomers)
Silvia Aprile – Un desiderio arriverà (A Wish Will Come True)
Irene – Spiove il sole (The Sun Stops the Rain)
Iskra – Quale amore (Which Love)
Filippo Perbellini – L’ orgoglio (Pride)
Chiara Canzian – Prova a dire il mio nome (Try to Say My Name)
Malyka – Come foglie (Like Leaves)
Barbara Gilbo -Che ne sai di me (What Do You Know About Me?)
Karima – Come in ogni ora (As in Every Hour)
Arisa – Sincerità (Sincerity)
Simona Molinari – Egocentrica (Egocentric)
Controversy surrounds the song by 2006 winner Povia. His song, whose title translates as Luca Used to Be Gay, is thought to be anti-gay. The lyrics haven’t been released yet and the context in which the song will be sung is unknown, but this hasn’t stopped protests and calls for Povia to be disqualified by gay rights groups. A group has even been set up on Facebook supporting these calls. There are also groups who support Povia and the freedom of speech.
