The 58th annual San Remo Song Festival kicks off tonight at 21:10 CET and will be broadcast live on TV Rai Uno in Eurovision Network. Among this year�s contestants there are Toto Cutugno, winner of 1990 Eurovision Song Contest and Paolo Meneguzzi, Switzerland�s representative in the forthcoming contest in Belgrade.
From 1951 to 1954the San Remo festivalwas transmitted only on radio but since 1955 itis broadcast live on tv. The mega-show of the Italian Riviera that inspired the Eurovision Song Contest has a large and popular following despite some occasional scandals; in 1967, Luigi Tenco was 29 years old when he committed suicide once he was informed that he didn’t make it to the final of the contest and another year someone threatened to jump from a balcony in the venue, a publicity stunt which ended in a lawsuit.
In this year’s edition Toto Cutugno, 1990 Eurovision Song Contest winner with his own composition Insieme 1992 and host of the contest a year later in Rome, is participating again, for the 14th time; he won the San Remo Festival in 1980 but he finished second in six editions.
Paolo Meneguzzi, who willl represent Switzerland in Belgrade next May, is participating for the fifth time in the San Remo Festival; he gained a 4th place in 2004, his best result in the contest to date.
Antonio Ciacci aka Little Tony, president of the jury that will select the Sanmarinese entry for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest , is also among the contestants in San Remo Festival. This is going to be his 10th participation.The actual San Remo Festival odds, given by Italian bookmaker Match Point (SISAL) look as follows:
- Paolo Meneguzzi: 25-1
- Toto Cutugno: 30-1
- Little Tony: 50-1
For the first time in the San Remo Festival history the scenography will be different every night; change of colours and unrevealed surprises will animate the 58th edition of the festival with Broadway style elements and a diamond-shape stage
Click here to see the stage of the 58th San Remo Festival in our gallery.
