The ANNOTICO Report

San Remo, Italy's most famous musical festival which hosts mostly homegrown
stars like pop singer Vasco Rossi, and is famed for its middle-of-the-road,
family-friendly crooning, thought that Mike Tyson, a household name even in
Italy, would add a bit of spice to the annual Festival, March 2nd
through March 6.

Tyson had no clue why he was being paid  almost $100,000, and organizers
were not saying if
Mike would sing, or do "Gangsta rap" his favorite.

Does the word "incongruity" spring to mind??

San Remo Notes:
Nilla Pizzi won the first Sanremo Festival in 1951 with "Grazie dei Fior".
Pizzi repeated in '52.
Domenico Modugno took first place four times, more than anyone else. His
first win was in 1958.
for Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu, referred to also as Volare, made him an
international legend.
Milva has participated in Sanremo 16 times, but has never won.
Many of the biggest hits in Italy debuted in Sanremo but did not win the
competition.

Reuters
By Phil Stewart
Tue Mar 1, 2005

ROME (Reuters) - "Iron" Mike Tyson didn't have to bite anyone's ear off to
grab attention of music fans in Italy.

The self-proclaimed "baddest man in the world," who once bit a boxing
opponent in the ring, is giving Italy's most famous musical festival a dose
of controversy since being invited as a celebrity guest.

Tyson will reportedly earn as much as 70,000 euros ($92,460) from state
broadcaster RAI to appear at the Sanremo festival on Wednesday, outraging
groups, including Amnesty International, which pointed to his rape
conviction.

"We are talking about a rapist ... a personality that, even with all of the
precautions, we cannot say what he will do or say in the confines of a big
spectacle," said women's support network, Telefono Rosa.

Tyson served three years in prison for the 1991 rape of a former beauty
queen and was suspended from boxing after he bit off part of Evander
Holyfield's ear in a 1997 title bout.

As a concession to critics, RAI will make sure the celebrity guest appears
on television only after 10:30 p.m. -- when more "adult" material is
permitted on the airwaves.

"This is a decision that is taken under my responsibility," said Fabrizio
Del Noce, director of the state-run Raiuno television channel. "We're
talking about one of the greatest fighters in history, who has paid his
debts to society."

Sanremo organizers thought the appearance of Tyson, a household name even
in Italy, would add a bit of spice to the annual Italian music festival
which hosts mostly homegrown stars like pop singer Vasco Rossi.

For his part, Tyson, who has millions of dollars of debts, said he had no
clue why Italian organizers picked him to appear at a music festival.

"I really don't know. I have no idea why they invited me ... Maybe it's
because I'm a music lover," the former heavyweight champion was quoted as
telling Italian newspaper La Stampa, listing his favorite Gangster Rap
bands.

It was not clear if Tyson would sing at the festival, which is famed for
its middle-of-the-road, family-friendly crooning.

The former boxing star said he was open to more opportunities in the
entertainment industry, but wanted to distance himself from "bad guy"
television or movie roles.

"Maybe there are different ways I would define myself. But I can tell you
that my biggest weakness is my sensitivity. I am too sensitive a person,"
he said.

The first edition of the San Remo Song Festival was held in 1951, a few
years after the end of World War II. The festival was broadcast on the
radio and there were only three singers. The audience kept on dining all
the time. On the following year, the number of participating singers
increased to five and then to ten in 1953. The Festival gradually gained
prestige and the introduction of television in 1955 was pivotal in its
definitive recognition. The following years are considered as the time of
the great Italian singers and songwriters, such as Nilla Pizza, Teddy Reno,
Claudio Villa, and Domenico Modugno, who won the Festival in 1958 with his
world-wide famous song "Nel blu dipinto di blu" (also popularly known as
"Volare").

Great Italian artists have performed on the Festival stage and their songs
also marked an important moment in history. The Festival has always caused
a tremendous outcry and this was also due to certain memorable episodes.
For instance, several years ago Nunzio Filogamo (a famous Italian compere)
simply could not stand the blunders made by his colleague Marisa Allasio
and so he decided not to let her participate to the final night of the
Festival.

Sometimes the lyrics were thought to be too "explicit" - and this was the
case of "Uno per tutte" (i.e., "One for all") by Tony Renis and Pericoli in
1962. Funny episodes were also accompanied by upsetting and mysterious
ones. Luigi Tenco (a famous Italian singer) committed suicide in his hotel
room after knowing that his song had been eliminated. This event shocked
and moved people deeply and its repercussions on the Festival audience
lasted for quite some time. In recent years, something rather strange
happened during the Festival.

In 1996 a man tried to jump over the balcony in the Ariston Theatre so as
to kill himself, but the compere managed to talk him into giving up his
plan. At first, this episode caused emotion and sympathy, but then it all
turned out to be a stunt and it thus ended with a lawsuit. Through the
years the Festival has certainly been characterised by various episodes,
which have also contributed to the establishment of a certain scent of
mystery and fame that has always accompanied this great music event.

Italian singers and world-wide famous artists, comperes and their
assistants: every year something new or strange has to happen so that
gossips can flourish and spread.

The town and the Festival have a close and deep connection, as can be seen
outside the Ariston Theatre - the place where the Festival is held - where
a huge audience keeps waiting for the singers, or outside the hotels where
the very same singers stay during the Festival.

When the Festival is on, the town is filled by a peculiar atmosphere made
up of flashes, colourful lights, and dreams that come true. Once
preparations are over, the list of performers is ready, the stage is set,
and the audience is patiently sitting in the hall, then the show can start.
When a new edition of the Festival begins, nothing really matters. As one
of its past protagonists used to say "whatever happens, it will be a
success" simply because "San Remo is San Remo".

http://www.sanremoguide.com/inglese/eventi_festival.htm