The Neapolitan singer, who won the 2026 Sanremo Festival, responded to critics who questioned his song's merit during a Tuesday appearance on the RAI 2 talk show.
10:38 PM
Sal Da Vinci, winner of the 2026 Sanremo Festival, appeared on Belve Tuesday evening, where he addressed criticism that followed his victory at Italy's premier music competition.
During the interview with host Francesca Fagnani on RAI 2, Da Vinci responded directly to remarks made by Aldo Cazzullo, a journalist at Corriere della Sera, who had written that Da Vinci's winning song "Per sempre sì" resembled a composition suitable for a Mafia wedding rather than a festival victory. Cazzullo had noted that similar popular songs in past years "had the good taste of finishing second."
When Fagnani cited Cazzullo's comments, Da Vinci questioned the premise underlying the criticism. "Why is there a repertoire of Mafia songs?" he asked. "Saying that songs like mine shouldn't win Sanremo is like calling an idiot whoever voted for me," Da Vinci stated.
The singer said he had deliberately avoided responding to such provocations and had asked his fans not to engage with them either. He described the post-festival debate as excessive, particularly given the prominence of some voices involved in the discussion.
Da Vinci's appearance on the program came days before he is set to represent Italy at Eurovision. The Neapolitan artist discussed various aspects of his lengthy career during the interview, responding to Fagnani's questioning with what observers described as diplomatic answers interspersed with pointed remarks directed at critical prejudices in the music industry.
Fagnani, attempting to press Da Vinci further, employed the show's signature "10 Commandments" segment, but the artist deflected the questions with what was characterized as old-fashioned elegance. The host humorously referred to Da Vinci as "a Christian Democrat" in response to his diplomatic approach to her inquiries.
The interview touched on sensitivities that have long existed within Italy's music landscape, with Da Vinci addressing the tension between popular and critical tastes in evaluating artistic merit at the festival level.
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