The evening started with the granting of the prize for his career to Roberto Murolo (90 years old), an emblem of Neapolitan song. Then they started the competition with Botero and their track "Siamo treni" nice metaphor on loves and lives which, running on different rail tracks, never succeed in meeting.

Marco Morandi continued with a song born of Italian song writing tradition. After the usual link with Simona Ventura's Dopo Festival, where Crozza/Pavarotti exploded a satire without censure, a fun leit motif of the Festival, was the moment for Franco Nero, a great International actor, who presented the Destiny's Child trio, a female Rhythm & Blues band from Texas who's brought class, joy and love for the show calling "Survivor".

As always the show transforms into a Baudo "living room" which occupies a enormous amount of television space, making too much time go by between one block of songs to another. Finally it is the third Young Simone Patrizi's turn with a very melodic song despite his "dread" look and wins him third place.

Overtaken by his own eagerness Baudo does a terrible gaffe, introducing a partner with the name of the other, a blunder he tries to make up for but upon the start of the theme song, which obviously does not correspond to the name he's just uttered. After this television "bonus", it was the fourth Young, Daniele Vit's song, a track full of blues, very beautiful and interpreted with a strong and firm voice, but he did not encounter the quality jury's favour.

After the umpteenth attempt to Baudo's lower stomach, hinted at by Sabrina Ferilli, but stopped before starting to Baudo's huge disappointment, Andrea Febo's performance with the song "All'Infinito", a track without much personality. Then it was Anna Tatangelo's turn with "Doppiamente Fragili". The track and the rendering were top rate and the girl, despite her very young age, wins the Festival dei Giovani.

Gigi Proietti's act was also top rate, engaging in a medley that embraced some of his most classic pieces, from Modugno's "L'uomo in frack" to "Gastone" of the comedian Petrolini. The singing competition continued with the 78 Bit, Luna pop clones but with less vocal incisiveness, and Valentina Giovagnini, who, according to us, sung the best song of the Festival dei Giovani. A Great Artist who arrives second place.

Also Alicia Keys was great, the revelation performer of the year and winner, just 22, of the beauty of 5 Grammy Awards. She sung Schubert's "Ave Maria" with live piano accompaniment in honour of the singing event and, still live and with the accompaniment of four vocalists, she performed "Fallin'", world hit at the top of all the world's charts.

The competition saw the end with Archinuè and Gianni Fiorellino's acts, the former winning the press and TV critics prize and with a niche country march, the latter singing a classic track De Crescenzo style. Excellent vocal rendering. The Festival was closed by Paulina Rubio's performance, s bubbly Mexican artist who sung an enthralling salsa song.

March.2002