The Sanremo Music Festival is here, which is celebrating its 69th edition this year. In honour of Italy’s most popular music festival, we’ll discover some songs from Sanremo that became real smash hits. And there had to be references to good food in some of these song lyrics!
Patatina (Little potato). Played at the Sanremo Music Festival in 1961 by Wilma De Angelis, this song ironically focuses on our favourite tuber vegetable: “un tiepido raggio di sole, frugando nel verde dell'orto, trovò una cosina piccina così, patata, patatì, patatina come te” (a warm ray of sunshine, foraging in the green vegetable garden, found such a small thing as a little potato like you). The song was very successful with the public and, still today, it’s one of the most popular Italian songs.
Felicità (Happiness). Albano and Romina played this song on the Ariston stage in 1982, coming in second. “La felicità è un bicchiere di vino con un panino” (Happiness is a glass of wine with a sandwich) is one of the most famous lines ever, even outside Italy, an anthem to simplicity and the pursuit of happiness in small everyday acts and honest feelings.
La terra dei cachi (The land of persimmons). This is an original, outside-the-box song played by Elio e le Storie Tese at the 1996 Sanremo Music Festival, where it won second place. Despite the light, catchy tune, La terra dei cachi is a metaphor and parody of Italy with irreverent, deceptively shallow lyrics.
7 mila caffè (7 thousand coffees). As a way of telling a love story, coffee is the star of this hit written and played by Alex Britti at the 2003 Festival, winning second place. The lyrics highlight its main characteristic: the invigorating property which helps you stay awake (“settemila caffè li ho già presi perché sono stanco di stare al volante e vorrei arrivare entro sera da te” – I’ve already drunk seven thousand coffees because I’m tired of driving but I want to be with you by the evening).
And what does the Sanremo Music Festival hold in store for us this year? There’s not long to find out!
See also:
Potatoes in movies
Potatoes in art
