The artistic director of this
year's Sanremo song fest, singer and song-writer Claudio
Baglioni, is preparing to present his first edition of Italy's
iconic competition, which will debut on Tuesday.
The music extravaganza, which will be broadcast by Rai1, will
wrap up on Saturday.
Baglioni announced on Monday that Italian singer and actress
Milva, 78, will receive a lifetime achievement award on Friday
during the festival.
"Milva will receive the city of Sanremo's career award on
Friday", the presenter said, after showman Cristiano Malgioglio
and other artists had urged the song fest to award the artist
with a campaign on social media.
Baglioni announced that artists, including Laura Pausini on
opening night, are scheduled to perform outside the Ariston
theater, where the event takes place.
The singer, who is also an architect, joked that the coastal
town of Sanremo has so much to offer in terms of beauty that "it
is likely that we will end up in the street, though hopefully
not in the middle of the road"
Artists on Monday were rehearsing behind closed doors at the
Ariston theater.
"I was used to be so calm", Baglioni said about hosting the
festival, noting that his anxiety on the eve of opening night
has mounted and is now "as high as a suburban skyscraper".
Swiss-Italian actress and presenter Michelle Hunziker and
actor Pierfrancesco Favino will co-present with Baglioni, who
will also sing some of his most successful songs and duet with
several guests.
Hunziker, who previously co-presented the festival with Pippo
Baudo in 2007, said Monday that she will be wearing a pin to
raise awareness on violence against women and urged singers to
do the same.
Popular showman Fiorello is scheduled to make an appearance
on opening night while Pippo Baudo, who has hosted the event a
record 13 times, will be a guest on Thursday.
This year's guests in Sanremo will include singers Gianni
Morandi, Biagio Antonacci, Gianna Nannini and the band
Negramaro.
Other high-profile stars set to appear are Gino Paoli, Danilo
Rea, Piero Pelù, Giorgia, Nek, Max Pezzali and Francesco Renga.
Foreign artists to perform at the festival include James
Taylor, Sting and Shaggy.
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