There has never been a Sanremo last night like it: a Prince was openly booed, the orchestra threw their music on the floor, the entire audience stood up at one point to protest and now the police may be involved in investigating the vote.
By Saturday night the “Prince’s trio” of Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia, Pupo and Luca Canonici were back in the contest as a result of the television audience vote, a fact not appreciated by spectators in the Ariston auditorium, who booed and whistled at the trio again. As seven of the finalists were eliminated, feelings in the auditorium ran high and there were cries of amazement as popular Irene Grandi, who had sung “La Cometa di Halley”, Irene Fornaciari e i Nomadi with “Il Mondo Piange” and Arisa and the drag artists Le Sorelle Marinetti with “Malamorenò”- surely the most cheerful song of the Festival – were eliminated. Irene Fornaciari is Zucchero’s daughter.
When Malika Ayane, who had already won the Critics’ Prize, was eliminated, the Festival Orchestra threatened to mutiny, crumpling up their music and throwing it on the floor. By this time the audience, too, were on their feet, shouting. Only the splendid Antonella Clerici, the presenter, remained calm, explaining that the television audience vote was the deciding one, even though she herself did not agree with their decision.
Finally order was restored and the three finalists – the Prince’s trio, X Factor winner Marco Mengoni and Valerio Scanu – were able to perform their songs: “Italia Amore Mio”, "Credimi anc
Feelings were running high in some political circles too, with the editor of Ffwebmagazine, an organ of Gianfranco Fini’s “Farefuturo” think tank, proposing a hunger strike if the Prince’s song won. It would not, he said, be done in protest but in shame. Pier Luigi Bersani, Secretary of the Pd [Democratic Party] and guest of honour at the Festival’s final evening, thought that this would not be a bad idea:
“Well, perhaps a sandwich less”, he said, upon reflection.
The winner was Valerio Scanu with “Tutte le volte che..” with the Prince’s song taking second place. The winning song is a love ballad in which the protagonists make love in all the lakes in the world.
“How do you manage to do it in all of them?” quipped the indefatigable Antonella Clerici.
On Sunday the Artistic Director of the Festival, Gianmarco Mazzi, said that the televoting system favours particular artists from particular parts of Italy and ought to be reviewed. He also said that the orchestra had behaved unprofessionally.
Rai Uno Director Mauro Mazza has declared himself happy with the evening – as well he might be, with a television audience of over 15 million when the winner was announced – and Antonella Clerici has also said she is happy, though not with the result of the televote.
Meanwhile the consumer organisation Codacons has asked the Sanremo Guardia di Finanza to investigate the television audience votes with a view to ascertaining whether these were linked to particular interest groups.
Do you think televoting can be fair?
