The winner of the Young section opened the evening, coming onto the stage with Baudo and performing her song "Doppiamente Fragili".  For the first time in this edition music was the real protagonist and the artists followed one another on the stage without excessive time wastage between one block and the other, livening up an open competition, which has seen some performances that are finally at the level of the 'big' role.

Public opinion were chosen on the basis of family units, though the number of jurors remains unaltered. Loredana Bertè started, making up for her previous performances and giving the go ahead to a competition where everyone gave the best of themselves in a finally relaxed atmosphere.

After the escaped danger of the eggs throws on Roberto Benigni, menaced by Giuliano Ferrara, director of the newspaper "Il Foglio" and a peak exponent of Berlusconi's centre-right coalition (more than a protest against the Oscar winning director of "La vita è bella", who has always declared himself to be left-winged, Ferrara's initiative appeared as a communication manoeuvre to exploit the visibility train which the Sanremo Festival undoubtedly guarantees in the Italian public - editor's note), the great comedian has illuminated the scene with a performance loaded with humanity, surrealism and depth.

Roberto Benigni, as always improvising, has launched his satire against the powerful and the bossy in a breathless escalation which has touched philosophical depths of comedy and has had all the public present in the hall standing up for the only standing ovation of the Festival. Between a joke, a gag, the unfailing squeeze to Pippo Baudo's "hidden virtues", the recital of an Italian 14th century love poem and an excellently performed song, Roberto Benigni was undoubtedly the true pearl of the whole Festival.

Next Raul Bova presented Britney Spears, first International guest and teenage idol that sung an "unplugged" version of "Not a girl, not a woman".

Besides the jury's response and the Auditel figures, our personal Sanremo had us discover some little musical "bonuses" such as Daniele Silvestri's "Salirò", which exploits a regular and captivating rhythm, to unroll a happy melody and successful lyrics, and Patty Pravo's "L'immenso", with rhythmic division of the melody in the very peculiar refrain, thus resulting the only true innovation among the "big"'s songs.

Francesco Renga and Michele Zarrillo's songs were good, but absolutely in the average of this Sanremo that we thought was far more alive in the Young's section. Absolutely to be forgotten were Lollipop and Timoria's performances, the former living a framing syndrome which has nothing to do with music, the latter needing to decide which one of them has to do the singing, and perhaps it would be better if hey picked someone else.

The quality jury has given a special prize to Gino Paoli for best lyrics, to Alexia for the best song and Valentina Giovagnini for the best musical arrangement. Daniele Silvestri who received also those of Radio and TV journalists won the critics' prize "Mia Martini". The Sanremo Mayor gave a special prize, to Pippo Baudo for his loyalty to the Festival.

Waiting for the final verdict the Coors and the Cranberries performance took place, two very famous Irish rock bands and last international guests of the festival. Final voting totally reflect the previous evenings' results and steal the Festival from Alexia, an international standard artist, in favour of the Matia Bazar who presented a song made to win Sanremo and which reflects the current average taste of the Italian public. Gino Paoli's third place, completes and absolutely Ligurian podium.

The Charts of the 52nd Festival

 1  Matia Bazar
 2  Alexia
 3  Gino Paoli
 4  Fausto Leali - Luisa Corna
 5  Enrico Ruggeri
 6  Mariella Nava
 7  Filippa Giordano
 8  Francesco Renga
 9  Fiordaliso
 10  Gazosa
 11  Michele Zarrillo
 12  Gianluca Grignani
 13  Alessandro Safina
 14  Daniele Silvestri
 15  Nino D'Angelo
 16  Patty Pravo
 17  Loredana Bertè
 18  Mino Reitano
 19  Lollipop
 20  Timoria

March.2002