Think of the skating gala night at Olympics, where the athletes have fun and entertain the public with their skill, free from points and the contest.
Sanremo Cover night is like that, except it isn’t, because, after all, Sanremo è sempre Sanremo: Sanremo is Sanremo.
What exactly is Cover night and when was it introduced in Sanremo?
Cover night was first introduced in 2004 as a way to celebrate Italian music and Sanremo history.
Through the years, the night’s structure has undergone several adjustments (sometimes becoming just a duet show where the artists were performing their entries with a guest); but nonetheless, it quickly became a favourite for the Italian public.
In 2011 a prize for the best cover was established, and, since 2019, the results of the night have been accounted for in the final result.
First established as a night to celebrate Italian music, starting last year, the artists have been able to perform an international song if they want to.
What are this year's rules?
This year, the artists can choose any song, Italian or not, released between 1960 and 2009.
They can also choose to perform their own previous songs (and some of them have).
But don’t forget that Sanremo is a competition after all, so the ranking of the night will be calculated by adding up televote (34%), press (33%) and demoscopic (33%) jury votes, and will be taken into account in the final result.
What are the songs?
While waiting for the show, here are the original versions of the songs that you’ll see on stage Friday night
- Anna Oxa with Iljard Shaba – “Un’emozione da poco”
Anna Oxa is performing the song she participated in Sanremo 1978 with, ending in second place.
Many were hoping to see her sing with actor Luca Marinelli, who performed the same song in this iconic scene of 2015 movie They call me Jeeg.
- Ariete with Sangiovanni – “Centro di gravità permanente”
Ariete has chosen the famous 1981 song by Francesco Battiato.
- Articolo 31 with Fedez – Medley
Articolo 31 has been one of the main hip-hop groups during the 90s in Italy.
They are bringing a medley of their songs and we don’t know yet which one they’ve chosen, but probably “Domani smetto” will be among them.
- Colapesce and Dimartino with Carla Bruni – “Azzurro”
The duo of Musica Leggerissima is performing, with the Italian-French model, the 1968 song by Adriano Celentano, one of the most famous Italian songs ever.
- Colla Zio with Ditonellapiaga – “Salirò”
The group has chosen the hit by Daniele Silvestri, that ended in 14th place at Sanremo 2002
- Coma_Cose with Baustelle – “Sarà perché ti amo”
The indie duo is singing the 1981 hit by Ricchi e Poveri, which placed 5th at Sanremo at the time.
- Elodie with BigMama – “American woman”
Elodie is presenting the 1970 song by The Guess Who, later covered by Lenny Kravitz.
- Gianluca Grignani with Arisa – “Destinazione paradiso”
Gianluca Grignani has chosen Arisa, the Sanremo 2014 winner, to perform with him the song he presented at 1995 Nuove Proposte section of Sanremo.
- gIANMARIA with Manuel Agnelli – “Quello che non c’è”
Manuel Agnelli, member of the rock band Afterhours, is accompanying the young gIANMARIA in the cover of one of their songs. You may remember him from 2021 Sanremo cover night, when he sang with Maneskin.
- Giorgia with Elisa – “Luce (Tramonti a nord est)” / “Di sole e d’azzurro”
Giorgia is bringing out the big guns for the cover night, performing with Elisa, another huge voice in Italian music.
The two songs they are performing competed in Sanremo 2001, when Elisa won with “Luce (tramonti a nord est)”, and Giorgia ended 2nd with “Di sole e d’azzurro”.
- I Cugini di Campagna with Paolo Vallesi – “La forza della vita” / “Anima mia”
The group will sing their 1973 hit “Anima mia” with Paolo Vallesi. They are also performing “la forza della vita”, with which the singer ended 3rd in Sanremo 1992.
- Lazza with Emma and Laura Marzadori – “La fine”
Lazza has chosen Nesli’s 2009 song, in the moving 2011 Tiziano Ferro version.
- LDA with Alex Britti – “Oggi sono io”
LDA is performing the song that granted Alex Britti the winning place in Nuove Proposte section at 1999 Sanremo.
- Leo Gassmann with Edoardo Bennato and Quartetto Flegreo – Medley
It is impossible to summarise Edoardo Bennato’s career in few lines and only one song. Maybe this is the reason behind Leo Gassman’s choice to perform a medley of his discography, that will make the entire Ariston sing for sure.
One of Edoardo Bennato’s most famous songs is “Il gatto e la volpe”, that you may have heard in the Disney Pixar movie, “Luca”
- Levante with Renzo Rubino – “Vivere”
The Sicilian singer has chosen to perform the 1993 song of the Italian rock legend Vasco Rossi.
- Madame with Izi – “Via del Campo”
Fabrizio de Andrè is the most famous Genoese singer and writer, and is often regarded as a modern poet.
In his songs he often described the outcasts with a gritty style, and the song chosen by Madame, “Via del Campo”, is a perfect example it.
- Mara Sattei with Noemi – “L’amour toujours”
Mara Sattei is performing the most famous song by DJ Gigi d’Agostino, certified silver, gold and platinum in 2000 across Europe. The whole world still dances on its notes, and the Ariston will be no different.
- Marco Mengoni with Kingdom Choir – “Let it be”
There’s no need to introduce this song from The Beatles, and Marco Mengoni version will do it justice for sure.
- Modà with Le Vibrazioni – “Vieni da me”
Modà will perform “Vieni da me” with the authors of the 2003 song themselves.
- Mr. Rain with Fasma – “Qualcosa di grande”
Mr. Rain is presenting the 2000 Lunapop song “Qualcosa di Grande”.
The group never participated in Sanremo, and the frontman Cesare Cremonini sang there for the first time as a guest last year.
- Olly with Lorella Cuccarini – “La notte vola”
This extremely popular 1989 song and choreography is another one you can bet will make everyone dance.
- Paola e Chiara with Merk and Kremont – Medley
The sisters duo have chosen to perform a medley of their songs. “Vamos a Bailar” was a hit in 2000, and you can expect to hear it Friday night.
- Rosa Chemical with Rose Villain – “America”
Rosa Chemical is singing this 1979 raffish rock song by Gianna Nannini.
- Sethu with Bnkr44 – “Charlie fa surf”
Sethu is performing the 2008 song by Baustelle. The rock group will be on stage this Friday, but is performing with Coma_Cose instead.
- Shari with Salmo -“Hai scelto il diavolo in me” Medley
Shari and Salmo are performing a medley of Zucchero songs, that apparently they have decided to title “Hai scelto un diavolo in me”, after his 1989 song “Diavolo in me”.
- Tananai with Don Joe and Biagio Antonacci – “Vorrei cantare come Biagio”
In 2005, before winning Sanremo, a young Simone Cristicchi was singing how much he wanted to be like his much more famous colleague Biagio Antonacci.
On Friday night, the king of twitter and fantasanremo Tananai will perform this song not with the author, but with Biagio Antonacci himself.
- Utimo with Eros Ramazzotti – Medley
Eros Ramazzotti is another one of those artists that have so many songs in their discography, that you can’t choose just one. He won Sanremo in 1986, with the song “Adesso tu”
- Will with Michele Zarrillo – “Cinque giorni”
Last but not least, Will has chosen to sing “Cinque giorni”, the song with which Michele Zarrillo participated in 1994 Sanremo, ending in 5th place.
Who do you want to see in Liverpool, representing Italy? Let us know in the comments below
