Festival della Canzone Napoletana
(Festival of Neapolitan Song)
Ornella Vanoni at the festival in 1964
Genre
Location(s)Italy
Years active1952–1971
1981
1998–2004
Founded byRAI

The Festival della Canzone Napoletana ("Festival of Neapolitan Song"), commonly known as the Festival di Napoli, is a Neapolitan song contest. The first edition was held in 1952 and the last in 2004. From 1952 to 1970 the show was broadcast on RAI and from 1998 to 2004, in a differently spirited version, by Rete 4.

History

A symbol of Neapolitan song of the second half of the twentieth century, the Festival della Canzone Napoletana was born in Naples in 1952, the year following the birth of the Sanremo Music Festival.

Among the protagonists of the Festival from 1952 to 1970 would be such Neapolitan singers as Sergio Bruni, Aurelio Fierro, Nunzio Gallo, Maria Paris, Giacomo Rondinella, Mario Abbate, Gloria Christian, Mario Trevi, Fausto Cigliano, Franco Ricci, Mirna Doris, Tony Astarita, Mario Merola, Enzo Del Forno, Peppino di Capri, Gianni Nazzaro, Nino Fiore, Gegè Di Giacomo, Tullio Pane, Peppino Gagliardi, Giulietta Sacco. They would be joined by such singers from the Sanremo Festival, as Carla Boni, Wilma De Angelis, Domenico Modugno, Ornella Vanoni, Claudio Villa, Don Backy, Giorgio Gaber, Julie, Fred Bongusto, Nilla Pizzi, Oscar Carboni, Betty Curtis, Giorgio Consolini, Tony Dallara, Jula De Palma, Johnny Dorelli, Equipe 84, Louiselle, Los Marcellos Ferial, Marino Marini, Miranda Martino, Milva, Gino Latilla, Anna Identici, Wilma Goich, I Giganti, Luciano Tajoli, Teo Teocoli, Achille Togliani, Iva Zanicchi, Carmen Villani, Luciano Virgili, Narciso Parigi, Katyna Ranieri, Flo Sandon's, Lara Saint Paul, Memo Remigi, Dean Reed, Anna German, Mei Lang Chang, Nini Rosso, Robertino, Teddy Reno and authors as Franco Franchi, Oreste Lionello, Nino Taranto, Renato Rascel, Ombretta Colli, Lando Fiorini, Beniamino Maggio, and Angela Luce.

As presenters the festival would see, over the years, such people as Nunzio Filogamo, Enzo Tortora, Pippo Baudo, Mike Bongiorno, Corrado, Daniele Piombi.[1]

Interrupted in 1971,[2] after many organizational efforts it returned to the city in 1981, taking the name "Festival di Napoli '81". The show, divided into three nights and organized by DAN with the help from RAI and the patronage of the Campania Region, was presented by Franco Sulfites, assisted by Maria Laura Soldano, and broadcast in full color from the Metropolitan Theatre of Naples on the television channel Rai Tre from 22.30 until the end. It was also broadcast on the radio on Rai's second station from 22.45.

After that edition, the Festival, once again, was interrupted for a long period of time. In 1998 it returned, though with a different spirit and different results, on Rete 4 and was held regularly until 2004, when it ceased again.[3]

Winners

Year Artist Song
1952 Nilla Pizzi and Franco Ricci "Desiderio 'e Sole"
1953 The Festival di Napoli was not held this year. See Note 1 below.
1954 Tullio Pane and Achille Togliani "Suonno d'ammore"
1955 Gino Latilla with Carla Boni and Maria Paris "'E stelle 'e Napule"
1956 Grazia Gresi and Aurelio Fierro "Guaglione"
1957 Marisa Del Frate "Malinconico autunno"
1958 Nunzio Gallo and Aurelio Fierro "Vurria"
1959 Fausto Cigliano and Teddy Reno "Sarrà chi sa?"
1960 Ruggero Cori and Flo Sandon's "Serenata a Margellina"
1961 Aurelio Fierro and Betty Curtis "Tu si' 'a malincunia"
1962 Sergio Bruni and Gloria Christian "Marechiaro marechiaro"
1963 Claudio Villa and Maria Paris "Jammo ja'"
1964 Domenico Modugno and Ornella Vanoni "Tu si' 'na cosa grande"
1965 Aurelio Fierro and Tony Astarita "Serenata all'acqua 'e mare"
1966 Sergio Bruni and Robertino "Bella"
1967 Nino Taranto and I Balordi "'O matusa"
1968 Mirna Doris and Tony Astarita "Core spezzato"
1969 Aurelio Fierro and Mirna Doris "Preghiera a 'na mamma"
1970 Peppino di Capri and Gianni Nazzaro "Me chiamme ammore"
1971 The Festival di Napoli was not held this year. See Note 2 below.
1981 Mario Da Vinci "'A mamma"
1998 Ylenia "Ehi Pascà!"
1999 Gianni Fiorellino "Girasole"
2000 Pia Paterno "Sempre con te"
2001 Mario and Francesco Merola "L'urdemo emigrante"
2002 Anna Calemme e gli Istentales "Vorrei"
2003 Roberto Polisano "Amore senza parole"
2004 Marika "Astrigneme"

Notes

  • Note 1: In 1953, the Festival was not held because it was initially designed to be biennial (every other year), but the Organization later reconsidered.
  • Note 2: In 1971, the Festival was not held because it was suspended by RAI.

See also

References

    • Ettore De Mura, Enciclopedia della canzone napoletana, Napoli, Il Torchio, 1969
  1. Festival di Napoli '81, Salvatore Palomba, La Canzone Napoletana, Ed. L'ancora del Mediterraneo - Napoli 2001
  2. Enciclopedia del Festival della canzone napoletana 1952-1981 di Antonio Sciotti (Ed. Luca Torre), 2011
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