(by Giorgiana Cristalli) Showman Fiorello says he wants to "warm up the public" at the famed Sanremo song festival opening on Tuesday night.
Calling the festival's presenter, singer-songwriter Claudio
Baglioni, on air during the first episode of Fiorello's new show
on Radio Deejay, the showman last night told his longtime friend
Baglioni that he would accept his invitation and wanted "to warm
up the public on opening night".
"Claudio, 10 days ago you sent me a great message to invite
me to the festival and I told you that I'm an anxious type, that
I couldn't do it", Fiorello jokingly said during the program.
But then, he went on, "I thought it over and told myself why
not?", the Sicilian-born entertainer said on his show, Il
Rosario della Sera, or The Evening Rosary, a play on Fiorello's
first name Rosario.
Baglioni reacted by saying "what great news!".
The two artists, who were both born on May 16 - Baglioni in
1951 and Fiorello nine years later - have often appeared
together, both on Fiorello's program Viva Radio2 and in live
performances including at the O'Scia' music festival in
Lampedusa.
Fiorello has attended the Sanremo song fest both as a singer-
in 1995 with 'Finalmente Tu' - and as a guest in 2001 with
conductor Raffaella Carrà.
Italian pop stars Laura Pausini, Gianna Nannini and Gianni
Morandi, and rock group Negramaro will be among the special
guests at the 2018 Sanremo song festival-contest.
The stars are scheduled to perform two songs at the popular
festival screened by RAI, including a duet with this year's
artistic director, singer-songwriter Baglioni.
Sting and James Taylor are also set to appear.
Sting's performance will also include a song with Shaggy to
present their upcoming joint album, organisers said.
The festival runs February 6-10 in the northwestern Italian
coastal city.
Organizers recently announced that Swiss-Italian presenter
Michelle Hunziker and actor Pierfrancesco Favino have joined
Baglioni's Sanremo 2018 team.
Baglioni is the main presenter of the 68th edition of Italy's
much-loved song festival-contest, which will be aired by State
broadcaster RAI.
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