It has come around again, the Sanremo festival of Italian songs started on 27 February and will continue for five evenings until 4 March (the festival rests on Wednesday 1 March so that the Italians may watch a friendly football match between Italy and Germany). The festival is a competition divided between I big, famous names on the Italian music scene, many of whom have competed and indeed won the competition in the past and I nuovi proposti, young musicians unfamiliar to the Italian public. Invited guests at the festival include John Travolta and Harrison Ford along with several Italian film stars. Each evening a famous Italian designer, Armani, Dolce e Gabbano, Ferr and Valentino, will provide the clothes for four models who will be present on stage. And the winners are the Italians who for 56 consecutive years have survived the festival. Love it or hate it, it has become a national tradition.