Italian channel RAI have announced the 20 acts who will be taking part in next years’ Sanremo Music Festival 2018.
Beginning on 6th February and finishing on 10th, the contest will feature some previous Sanremo contestants, aswell as 4 singers who’ve previously represented Italy in the Eurovision, such as Enrico Ruggeri, Nina Zilli, Riccardo Fogli and Luca Barbarossa.
As always in Sanremo whilst the contestants have been announced, it’s not possible to hear the songs until the night of the first show on February 6th.
The contest will be hosted by songwriter and musician Claudio Baglioni, aswell as the actress and model Michelle Hunziker.
The contestants for net years’ Sanremo contest include:
ANNALISA – “IL MONDO PRIMA DI TE”
Annalisa will be competing in the contest for the 4th time, having taken part in 2013 with “Scintille“, in 2015 with “Una finestra tra le stelle” and in 2016 with “Il diluvio universale“.
DECIBEL – “LETTERA DAL DUCA”
Decibel previously took part in the 1980 Sanremo contest with the song “Contessa“. Their lead singer is Enrico Ruggeri, who represented Italy at Eurovision 1993 with the song “Sole d’Europa“.
DIODATO & ROY PACI – “ADESSO”
Paci is a trumpeter and singer, who has previously collaborated with artists such as Frank London and Boban Markovic. Diodata took part in the 2014 Sanremo Music Festival and has also won an award the MTV Italian Music awards
ELIO E LE STORIE TESE – “ARRIVEDORCI”
Elio e le Storie Tese are an Italian comedy rock band formed in 1980. They first took part at the Sanremo in 1996 with the song “La terra dei cachi“. The band then returned to the contest in 2013 with the song “La canzone mononota“.
ENZO AVITABILE & PEPPE SERVILLO – “IL CORAGGIO DI OGNI GIORNO”
Enzo Avitabile is a saxophonist and singer-songwriter, playing a mix of world music and jazz. Avitabile will sing a duet wih Peppe Servillo, who won the Sanremo contest in 2000 with the band Avion Travel, performing “Sentimento“.
ERMAL META & FABRIZIO MORO – “NON MI AVETE FATTO NIENTE”
Both singers were in Sanremo 2017’s line up as solo artists, with Meta singing “Vietato morire“, and Moro singing “Portami via“.
GIOVANNI CACCAMO – “ETERNO”
Caccamo rose to fame in 2015 after winning the Newcomer’s section of Sanremo with the song “Ritornerò da te“. He returned in 2016, reaching third place in the Big section with “Via da qui“, a duet with Deborah Iurato.
LE VIBRAZIONI – “COSÌ SBAGLIATO”
A four-piece rock band who previously took part in the competition in 2005 with the song “Ovunque andrò“. The song for next year translates as “So wrong”
LO STATO SOCIALE – “UNA VITA IN VACANZA”
Formed in 2009, the band perform a mix of indie rock and electropop. The song translates as ‘A life in Holiday’
LUCA BARBAROSSA – “PASSAME ER SALE”
A singer-songwriter, Barbarossa made his debut at the Sanremo contest in 1981 with the song “Roma spogliata“. He has returned to the contest several times, most recently in 2011 with “Fino in fondo”. Barbarossa also represented Italy at the 1988 Eurovision with the song “Vivo (Ti scrivo)”
MARIO BIONDI – “RIVEDERTI”
Mario Biondi came to the public’s attention when he was 33 with the international hit “This Is What You Are“, He has published several albums and always singing in English.
MAX GAZZE – “LA LEGGENDA DI CRISTALDA E PIZZOMUNNO”
Gazze is a signer/songwriter known for his high pithced voice He’s took part in the Sanremo contest 4 times; in 1999 with “Una musica può fare“, in 2000 with “Il timido ubriaco“, in 2008 with “Il solito sesso” and in 2013 with “Sotto casa“.
NINA ZILLI – “SENZA APPARTENERE”
Zilli is the most recent Eurovision participant, coming 9th at the 2012 Eurovision with “L’amore è femmina (Out of love)“. This will be Zilli’s fourth attempt at the Sanremo contest. Her debut was in 2010 with “L’uomo che amava le donne” followed by her 2015 entry “Sola”.
NOEMI – “NON SMETTERE MAI DI CERCARMI”
Noemi is ued to reality TV, taking part in the italian version of the X Factor in 2012. Noemi has been at Sanremo four times before; in 2010 with “Per tutta la vita“, in 2012 with “Sono solo parole“, in 2014 with “Bagnati dal sole” and in 2016 with “La borsa di una donna“.
ORNELLA VANONI, BUNGARO & PACIFICO – “IMPARARE AD AMARSI”
2018will mark Vanonis’ 9th appearance in the contest, taking to the stage with two songwriters, Bungaro and Pacifico. They also participated in Sanremo, most recently in 2004 with “Guardastelle” and “Solo un sogno“.
RED CANZIAN – “OGNUNO HA IL SUO RACCONTO”
Lead vocalist and bassist of the band Pooh — a band which won Sanremo in 1990 with “Uomini soli”. The song for next year translates as “Everyone has a tale”
ROBY FACCHINETTI & RICCARDO FOGLI – “IL SEGRETO DEL TEMPO”
Together with Red Canzian, they also have been members of the band Pooh. Riccardo won Sanremo 1982 with “Storie di tutti i giorni“. He also represented Italy at Eurovision 1983 with “Per Lucia“, placing 11th. Roby took part in Sanremo in 2007 with his son Francesco, singing “Vivere normale“.
RENZO RUBINO – “CUSTODIRE”
Rubino is another previous Sanremo contest, taking part in 2013 with the song “Il postino (Amami uomo)” and in 2014 with the song “Ora“.
RON – “ALMENO PENSAMI”
In 1996 Rosalino Cellamare’s won the Sanremo contest with the song “Vorrei incontrarti fra cent’anni“.
THE KOLORS – “FRIDA”
An italian electopop band who won the 14th series of Italian talent show ‘Amici di Maria De Filippi’.
Below is the announcement of when Francesco Gabbani won last years contest, coming a respectable 6th.
