Italy’s iconic San Remo Music Festival, the blue print for practically every televised musical competition - from Eurovision to Idol & X-Factor, has concluded it’s 69th edition. Yet despite being the oldest and most prestigious of its kind, this year proved that San Remo can still dish up some modern drama befitting the current social zeitgeist.
As the Top 3 were announced, the Teatro Ariston - traditional home of San Remo, was palpable with surprise. Not just at 26 year-old Mahmood making it, but then proceeding to beat perennial favorites Ultimo and Il Volo.
But win he did, and perhaps with the most contemporary song of the night - Soldi.
Victory does not purely lie with Soldi’s fresh mix of hip hop & pop, or crisply smooth, inter-cultural production. It’s not even down to the infectious hand claps in the chorus (which is fast approaching pop culture meme status).
No, what may be Mahmood’s & Soldi’s biggest triumph is its victory over the Italian far-right’s criticism. Mahmood was born in Milan, to an Italian mother and an Egyptian father. Soldi contains Arabic, with references to the holy Islamic month of Ramadan. Suffice it to say that this package does not fit into the far-right’s assertion of what constitutes ’true Italian-ness’ or what should be representing Italy at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest.
However, despite the flurry of criticism, it’s heartening to see the Italian public drown it out, sending Soldi straight to the top of the charts while garnering international recognition too. Its now one of bookies’ favorites to take the Crystal Trophy at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest.
And a worthy winner it will be too. For many more reasons other than it being the best song.
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