Cristiano Godano, on music today: "In young people, personality is what counts."

The Rimini Meeting will also feature music, with the fifth edition of the Meeting Music Contest, a competition born from the collaboration with the MEI in Faenza. This year, six young artists will compete before an honorary jury composed of Casadilego, winner of X Factor 2020, Giordano Sangiorgi, Otello Cenci, and Cristiano Godano. The Marlene Kuntz frontman will be present today in the Fair's pavilions for the final (Piscine stage at 9 pm) and for the panel "What future for emerging artists and small music businesses" (Piscine stage at 6 pm), in conversation with Sangiorgi of the MEI. Godano, how has the "apprenticeship" for artists changed?

"The internet has changed everything. Now people think they can achieve success quickly and without having to work their way up. Sometimes I wonder if it makes sense to teach my son the value of starting from the bottom, when no one around him does it anymore. We come from another world."

What world?

"A world of uncertainty, small concerts, and hours in the rehearsal room before recording an album. Today, there are tools like Autotune and many shortcuts." And how did you get started making music?

"With a lot of discipline and hours of rehearsals to hone our skills. When the first concerts came around, we were ready."

You'll be chairing the jury alongside Casadilego. How do you feel about this role?

"We didn't come from the world of contests, but from that of live performances in clubs. But you might hear something beautiful, something that makes you say 'wow', and that's a great opportunity."

What do you look for in a musician? "Originality is the primary value. Technique matters, but it comes second. I look for personality, not imitation. That doesn't mean not having role models, but not copying them." How has music changed? "There's a before and after the internet. It brought positive things but also damage. Now music is made for free: we give to the platforms and get little or nothing back." Your musical influences? "I come from post-punk and new wave, from groups like Nick Cave and Sonic Youth. Introverted and aggressive music."

And today?

"Over time, I was also influenced by Cohen, Dylan, and Cash. At fifty, you feel the need to break free from role models." How did you manage to last so long?

"Being aware that anything could end. Every album was an opportunity to give my best. And then intelligence in relationships: in forty years, never a devastating argument. My teammates avoided the trap of jealousy, even when the media portrayed me as the 'leader.'"

What do you remember about the early years with Marlene?

"We wanted to make it at all costs. Lots of discipline, rehearsal space, and an era favorable to our music: neither mainstream nor too indie, children of the grunge explosion."