Milva to receive career award

(ANSA) - Sanremo, February 5 - 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.