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Rating: A few months after the end of the Sanremo festival, with its inevitable controversies and disappointing Auditel ratings, I wondered if in a society increasingly hostile to traditions and festivities, have we really become festival-intolerant?
The fact that Sanremo is part of Italian popular culture is undeniable, and Italy itself, being a country historically born in the squares, whether due to the Mediterranean climate or a number of other reasons, considers the Ligurian event as the virtual square preferred by Italians. Speaking of squares, this summer I happened to attend a song festival, already in its second edition, created by a student who made good use of this concept with an excellent advertising campaign and a marketing strategy aimed at playing with the psychology of certain mithomanics. Artistic director and master of the evening, Antonio Casula managed to turn necessity into virtue, his Leitmotif entertaining more than two thousand enthusiastic people in the small center of Berchidda (Sardinia) for three and a half hours of uninterrupted spectacle, achieving enormous success and rightfully entering the fantasies and gossip of worldly salons, so much so that he was mentioned by the parish priest during the novena of the previous year when he urged the faithful to sing as if they were on stage that night in September.
It is not a real counter-festival, much less an amateur free-for-all; in fact, the performance is cleverly granted only to local talents whose main goal is to arouse the envy of their fellow townsmen (or spectators) who, in turn, begin jostling to book themselves as protagonists for the following year's edition. The intent is to transform a sometimes monotonous and repetitive reality into a spectacle that aims to disrupt it, giving bored citizens the chance to take revenge, redeem themselves from that mediocrity characteristic of daily life in a small center, and enjoy those 15 minutes of fame that Warhol convincingly advocated.
Strongly inspired by the motto of a well-known Italian TV variety show which proclaimed, "Don't envy the TV stars, do what they do!", the artistic director succeeds in his aim: to give everyone the chance to feel important for a night, to have "power" in their hands, allowing the audience to actively and passively participate in the show. A first summer evening requires an impeccable look, and Antonio, completely clad in a black Iceberg suit, made no compromises in terms of class and elegance, causing some discomfort for the 12 artists following him on stage, knowing they were momentarily overshadowed by his charisma and stage presence. I would say it was more of a festival of narcissism than a music festival, and Mr. Casula, like a modern Thackeray, offers us his modern version of this "Vanity Fair," where, like a skilled game master, he moves his creatures at will because they are willing to do anything to appear, as only those in the spotlight are considered, even if at the risk of making a fool of themselves. Therefore, Antonio benefits from this human comedy where values are identified in showcasing oneself and in securing a performance, necessary for the satisfaction of one's ego.
If you happen to pass through northern Sardinia in the summer, don't miss the appointment for early September because, overall, it's pleasant to spend some time in a bright and fun world where ordinary people set the rules, albeit for just 15 minutes. Photo and advertising poster curated by Andrea Sanciu.
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