Zecchino d'Oro (; meaning "

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Sequin A sequin () is a small, typically shiny, generally disk-shaped ornament. Sequins are also referred to as paillettes, spangles, or ''diamanté'' (also spelled ''diamante''). Although the words sequins, paillettes, lentejuelas, and spangles can ...

") is an annual international children's song competition established in 1959 by Niny Comolli. It is broadcast by

Rai 1 Rai 1 () is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the company's flagship television channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream and gene ...

. The first two contests were held in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

. In 1961, the contest was taken up by the

Antoniano Institute Istituto Antoniano was created in Bologna in 1953 by the Franciscans, (the ''Lesser Friars''). The Convent of the Franciscans who govern the establishment is built next to the Church of St. Antonio, hence the name of the Institute. The Instit ...

and moved to

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different na ...

. In 2009, Cino Tortorella left Zecchino d'Oro. In 1963,

Mariele Ventre Maria Rachele “Mariele” Ventre (16 July 1939 – 16 December 1995) was an Italian musician and singer, the founder and director of Italian children's choir Piccolo Coro dell'Antoniano. Biography Mariele Ventre was born in Bologna, Emil ...

, a conductor and director of young performers, created the

Piccolo Coro dell'Antoniano The Piccolo Coro "Mariele Ventre" dell'Antoniano, until 1995 simply Piccolo Coro dell'Antoniano ( en, "Little Choir of Antoniano"), is an Italian children's choir from Bologna. History The choir was created by Mariele Ventre in 1963 at the An ...

Children's Choir (called Piccolo Coro "Mariele Ventre" dell'Antoniano after her death in 1995, and directed by

Sabrina Simoni Sabrina Simoni (born 16 October 1969) has been interested in classical music since her childhood. Biography She graduated from Music Conservatory in Ferrara. She joined the Institute of Antoniano di Bologna around 1991. At first she was workin ...

). From 1976, the contest took on an international perspective - each year seven songs performed by Italian contestants and seven by foreign contestants voted for by a children's jury. The winning song is rewarded with the Zecchino d'Oro award. As has been regularly stated during the event, the winners of the Zecchino d'Oro and Zecchino d'Argento are the writers and composers of the songs, not the children who interpret them. This rule applies to all editions. Young songwriters are Yumiko Ashikawa (芦川祐美子, 7, who also has sung her song), Miruna Codruța Oprea (13), Ioachim Octavian Petre (13), and Lara Polli (13).

Songs from English-speaking countries at Zecchino d'Oro

Australia

*Il più dei canguri (1978) *In Australia c'è (1987) *La Rosella (1991)

Ireland

*L'amico dei perché (2001)

United Kingdom

*Big Jim (1976) *Mother's day (1990) *Il tesoro del re (1998) *La mia età (2009) *Choof the train (2016)

United States

*Sono una talpa e vivo in un buco (1976) *San Francisco (1979) *A mosca cieca (1981) *A come Alfabeto (1987) *Le barche della bontà (1992) *Il cestino dei sogni (1994) *Sottosopra (1997) *Su e giù (2000) *Rockhopper hop (2003) *Il segreto del sorriso (2007) *Regalerò un sogno (2011)

External links