The Sanremo di Mango festivals

There last edition of the Sanremo festival was won by Angelina Mango with the song “Boredom”. Angelina is a double daughter of art: her mother is a singer-songwriter Laura Valentethe father is Giuseppe Mango in art Mangowho participated in the Ligurian event seven times without ever winning. The father died on December 8, 2014, ten years ago, at the age of 60. He had felt ill the previous evening, on stage, in a concert in the Policoro sports hall, in the province of Matera. When the illness struck him he was singing “Gold”perhaps his most famous song.

When it comes to destiny. He died an artist, and an artist he truly was. An original musician who in his almost forty years of career – his first album.“My girlfriend is greatheat” was published in 1976 – he was lucky enough to have his talent recognized.

“Oro” was his first big hit. The song, whose authors are Mango for the music and Mogol for the words, was published as a 45 rpm single in 1984 and had as its B-side “Long kiss, long embrace”. In the wake of the notoriety acquired with “Oro”, the Lucanian singer-songwriter took part in the Sanremo festival in 1985, in the Nuove Proposte section, with “Il viaggio”. The song did not pass the preliminary stage of the singing competition, but won the Critics’ Award. The song is included in his fourth album “Australia”.

The following year Mango returns to the Sanremo competition in the Champions section with “Leivenire”. The song will occupy fourteenth position in the final ranking, but will have an excellent response in the public’s appreciation which will bring the song up to fourth place in the single sales ranking. “She will come” will be part of his fifth album “Odissea”. Also included in the album are “Oro” and “Lungo kiss, long embrace”, previously released only as singles.

Mango repeated the Sanremo experience for the third consecutive year in 1987. On the stage of the Ariston Theater he presented “From the heart onwards” and ranked in eighteenth position. The song will be part of the album “Adesso” which also includes “Bella d’estate”, one of the greatest successes of his discography. The song was written together with Lucio Dalla.

The musician from Lagonegro will return to the Riviera for the fourth time in 1990 with the song “Tu…sì”. That year the final ranking was drawn up only for the first three positions, all the other participants were classified equally. Each competing singer was paired with an international performer, Mango’s song was performed by the English singer-songwriter Leo Sayer. For the occasion the song changed its title to “The moth and the flame”. “Tu…yes” was included in the album “Sirtaki”.

In 1995 Mango returned to the Sanremo festival and presented the song “Dove vai” on stage, gaining eleventh place in the final ranking, but receiving the award for ‘best arrangement’. “Dove vai” will be the only unreleased song, together with “Sospiro”, from the live album “Dove vai…”

Mango’s participation in the 1998 Sanremo festival was more successful with the song “Luce”, performed together with Zenima, which achieved a good sixth place in the final ranking and the FIMI award for the ‘best song’.

Almost ten years later, in 2007, Mango participates in the Sanremo festival for the seventh and last time. His “Who knows if it snows” will close the event in fifth place. In the evening dedicated to duets he performs the song together with his wife Laura Valente. The song is included in the album “The Tree of Fairies”.