Several figures of Italian music and other countries will animate the days of the Sanremo Music Awards Festival that will host Havana, as announced on Monday by its organizers.
At a press conference held at the National Theater in the Cuban capital, it was confirmed that among those present at the edition that will open its curtains this Tuesday will be the Italian singer-songwriter Ricardo Cocciante, creator of several songs that have enjoyed great popularity such as “Margherita, Beautiful without a soul”, “When a love ends” and “If we are together”, according to the press of his country.
In addition to Cocciante, Italian music will be represented at the event by fashion designer Nino Lettieri and composer Liugi Panceri, author of the song “Vivo per lei”, popularized by Andrea Bocelli and the Spanish Marta Sánche, announced Flavio Ferrari, one of the organizers.
#SRMACuba warmly welcomes @Luigi Panceri who will be presenting at the #Club500.
??? Singer-songwriter author of great hits ? Italian ?? like the popular “I live for her” performed ? by Andrea Bocceli and Marta Sánchez. https://t.co/LzYTetrthD @EGREMOFICIAL #CubanMusic– SanRemo Music Awards Cuba (@SRMACuba) April 1, 2022
For his part, Jorge Luis Robaina, leader of the group Karamba and musical director of the event, referred to the presence of other international artists such as the Spanish Pilar Boyero and the Mexican Samuel Castelli, the latter winner of the talent show La Academia.
Also a teacher and presenter in the Iberian nation, Boyero defined herself as an eternal lover of music and the people of Cuba; She referred to the rhythms emanating from the roots and the Caribbean idiosyncrasy and recalled her collaboration with artists from the Island such as the singer Omara Portuondo and the Good Faith Duo.
It transpired that Boyero will be one of the figures who will perform this Tuesday at the Hotel Nacional, where he will have the collaboration of the Cuban pianist Alejandro Falcón.
In addition, the participation of young artists such as Sonia Mazza, Rossella Zitiello and Sara Scognamiglio, as well as the fashion designer Dayán Naziri, was announced.
According to Robaina, “the language of music will unite the participants in the event” and announced that in the coming days Havana will receive other representatives of the artistic world from Spain, Mexico and the United States.
Who has guided the organization of the event on the local side pointed out that several cuban musicians They will be involved in the activities of the event, and he mentioned among them Mayito Rivera, Adrián Berazaín, Niurka Reyes, Elito Revé, Pedrito Calvo, Tony Ávila and Toques del Río.
The organizers reported that the inaugural program of the San Remo Music Awards in Havana will feature, among others, the String Quartet of the National Symphony Orchestra, the pianist Alejandro Falcón, as well as Gastón Joya and his group, made up of Rolando Luna, Yaroldi Abreu and Oliver Valdes.
In addition, 16 young Cuban singers will participate for four nights in the interpretation contest, whose jury is chaired by maestro Joaquín Betancourt, National Music Award, and made up of Cuban and foreign professionals.
The San Remo Music Awards Festival, created by the Italian Nicola Convertino, was the center of controversy after initially announced international music figures –among them the Spanish Alex Ubago and the duo Andy y Lucas, as well as the Mexican Kalimba–, they canceled their participation with the argument that they were unaware that it was an event organized by the Cuban authorities.
San Remo Cuba Festival remains despite cancellations, organizers say
After these events, Jorge Luis Robaina declared at a press conference that these artists backed down due to “harassment” and “the pressure to which they have been subjected.”
Since the program was announced, opponents of the government have urged the artists, mainly through social networks, not to intervene in the festival and to take sides on the political situation in the country and the trials of the participants in the anti-government protests. July 2021.
“People have demonized an event for political interests,” said Robaina, who stated that the festival was actually a “genuinely cultural” event and that it would continue despite the campaigns against it.
