Because Sanreno is NOT Sanremo

Or rather, is it still the springboard for new proposals?

If we think of the historical winners of the "young" category, from Ramazzotti (1984), to Laura Pausini (1993), up to Andrea Bocelli (1994), it is clear that today, talents like these, recognised Italian voices of an international nature, no longer appear in Sanremo. (Okay, Maneskin are an exception. Exception: failure to apply a rule).

It is mastered by the talents that flood the pay-TV channels from the autumn of each new year. Comparing even just the photos of the historical winners mentioned above, with the aspiring singers of the X-factor (I draw on what I follow the most), a great difference emerges: the latter are performers. They arrive on stage with the knowledge that they must also sing.

Their way of dressing, their attitude and – indeed – tears at the right moment, can allow them to make inroads with the public. Until when? Until the first elimination by a technical jury that knows how to go beyond appearance; but in the meantime these singers, in putting themselves forward for future work engagements, will be able to use the logo of the well-known programme that hosted them.

But they are often performers, rather than singers. They aspire to fame and want to become well-known personalities.

Conviction, personality, extravagance, talent and kindness. Then add passion and determination. These are the ingredients for ensuring that the doors of success open wide today. Or so it seems.

What about the recording industry? It focuses on those who have a lot to say and tell about themselves, with a personality that knows how to make itself likeable to the public. Character categories that are immediately recognisable by the public are the cornerstone of talent.

Cultivating and bringing out a talent is no longer a job that takes years. Patience and dedication are no longer needed. And if in the past many doors were closed in your face, but none was definitive, today if a talent closes the door, finding space elsewhere is almost impossible.

And in all this, returning to our Sanremo, we can only call it the show within the show, which must be recognised, however, in recent years, it has found room for great Italian voices, also because the means to reach the general public are different now, from Spotify to YouTube and the internet more generally.