In three stages a singing competition to remember Battisti

In the year in which he would have turned 80 and on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death, many initiatives are taking place all over the country to celebrate the myth and greatness of what was one of the greatest interpreters of the Italian music: Lucio Battisti. This list could not miss an event that also celebrated him in the province where he lived for several years and which has always paid homage to him starting immediately after his death. It will be a singing competition reserved for songs signed by the Mogol-Battisti duo to provide the opportunity to celebrate the myth of the singer from Poggio Bustone.

Organized by LTM Lecco Tourism Events, with the contribution of the municipalities of Mandello, Lecco and Molteno and with the live arts contribution of the Lecco Community Foundation, the competition will be divided into two episodes from which the finalists will emerge who will compete in the final held on September 9, just the day of Battisti’s disappearance, in “his” Molteno.

The first semi-final will be held in Mandello in Piazza Leonardo da Vinci on 22 July and will see as guest and juror a singer who can say a lot about Lucio Battisti because he collaborated with him from the beginning: Dario Baldan Bembo. It was not easy to have Dario Baldan Bembo in Mandello but he was the first choice ever, he who has collaborated with Lucio from the beginning, from the first album released in 1971. Thanks to Lucio, Baldan Bembo, although very young, begins his journey which it will lead him to lead the charts for years to come. First he joined ‘Equipe 84, then, again thanks to Battisti, he met Bruno Lauzi with whom he wrote two pieces for Mia Martini – Little man And Lonely Woman. The following year, with the collaboration of Califano, he composed another piece for Mia Martini which consecrated him as an author: Minuet. He therefore decides to launch himself not only as an author but also as an interpreter and in 1975 he publishes Air, Album of international success and two years later it is confirmed with the song “don’t leave me”. The 80s are those of the definitive consecration, third in Sanremo in 81 with “Tu cosa fai oggi” Dario Baldan Bembo is in great demand, he collaborates with Renato Zero, with Riccardo Fogli and in 83 it is very popular with a song interpreted together with Caterina Caselli which thanks also due to the fact that it is the theme song of one of Mike Buongiorno’s extremely successful television programs (who is also one of the authors), it reaches the top of the charts and incredible sales levels, consecrating it as the event of the year and consigning the refrain of the piece to history still today it is sung by adults and children and we don’t struggle to believe it, it will be one of the songs he will propose from the Mandello stage.

The second semi-final will be staged in Lecco and then, after the holidays, the finalists will meet in Molteno on 9 September for the grand final.

The management and artistic direction of the three evenings was entrusted to Giustino Comi.

The selections to be able to participate in the Mandello Del Lario competition closed on 16 July but it is still possible until 30 July to send your application and an audio demo to the email [email protected] for the Lecco evening on 05 August in Piazza Garibaldi in Lecco.