"The one from 'Cagliari dopo le 7', that's him!" eroCaddeo's audition on X Factor on Thursday was one of the most talked-about parts of the Sky talent show, but the Sardinians recognized him from his first steps on stage. Damiano Caddeo, 27, the singer-songwriter from Sinnai who won four yeses from judges Paola Iezzi, Achille Lauro, Jake La Furia, and Francesco Gabbani with his unreleased song "Punto," is the author of the viral hit "Luglio," taken from his first EP "Scrivimi quando arrivi."
The former winner of the Radiolina Contest thus flies to Bootcamp—"Thanks for the super messages," he exclaims on social media—and enters the pantheon of Sardinian voices who, over 19 editions, have brought prestige to the program created by English record producer Simon Cowell.
The first was in 2008, Ilaria Porceddu : a singer and pianist from Cagliari, who joined Mara Maionchi's team at 21. Eliminated in the semifinals, five years later she placed second in the Young Artists category at Sanremo. She now has three studio albums under her belt and is working on a new album.
The third season was the turn of Giuliano Rassu from Sassari : among the seniors led by Claudia Mori, he narrowly missed out on the win, snatched up by future pop star Marco Mengoni. In 2011, Jessica Mazzoli from Olbia took center stage, captivating the judges: first Simona Ventura, who chose her for her team, and then, romantically, Morgan, with whom she began a relationship that would lead to the birth of her daughter, Lara. Eliminated in the semifinals, in 2019, she competed on Big Brother VIP.
In 2012, a very shy young man showed up at the auditions: "My name is Alessandro Mahmoud." Today, Mahmood, an honorary citizen of Orosei, two-time winner of Sanremo, runner-up at Eurovision, dozens of platinum records, and the author of "Tuta Gold," a worldwide top-seller for weeks, was rejected by Ventura at the Home Visits, reeled in by televoting, and eliminated in the third episode: "I wasn't ready."
In 2014, a Sardinian duo performed well. Between pop, electronic, and ethnic music, Madh (aka Marco Cappai) from Carbonia—member of Fedez's roster—held his ground until the final, where he narrowly missed out on Lorenzo Fragola. Mario Gavino Garrucciu, from Tempio Pausania, finished fourth in the senior category with Mika.
The Island shines in 2018 with Luna Melis , a very young artist from Uta. With a surprising timbre for her 16 years, Luna, mentored by Manuel Agnelli, becomes a promising talent on the new rap scene: she achieved third place and her unreleased song, "Los Angeles," has been streamed millions of times.
Finally, Alessandro De Santis of Santi Francesi, the winning duo in 2022 (teaming with Rkomi). The frontman, with a giant mammoth tattooed on his arm, is originally from Burcei: his grandfather, Efisio Contini, emigrated to Piedmont at a very young age, before returning to Castiadas.
Sardinia is competing but also on the judging panel with Hell Raton, aka Manuel Zappadu. The Olbia rapper sat on the other side of the table in 2020 and 2021. He won both editions, first with Casadilego, then with Baltimora. Therefore, Sardinia is not only home to undiscovered talents, but also artists capable of nurturing the next generation.