Samurai-Jay-Credit_-Luca-Paparo-2026
Samurai Jay will compete at the 76th edition of the Sanremo Festival 2026 with the song Obsession.
Obsessionwritten and composed by Samurai Jay, Luca Stocco and Vittorio Coppola, co-written by Salvatore Sellitti and produced by Vito Salamanca and Katoo exaggerates the concept of motivation with which we carry forward the passions we have.
The central theme of the song is the relationship with music, experienced by Samurai Jay as a positive obsession that is at the center of his life as a songwriter and musician. Samurai Jay, who will perform for the first time on the stage of the Ariston Theater in February, stands out for his experimental sound full of contaminations, which blends rap and electronic and urban sounds, enriched by Latin influences.
We meet Gennaro Amatore (his real name) a few days after his debut at the Ariston. It talks about roots, the orchestra, Bad Bunny, banners hanging under the house and that word uttered by Carlo Conti which transformed a private story into a public fact. This is his first time on that stage.
THE INTERVIEW
“Ossessione” was born without thinking about the Festival. How did this really happen?
It was born totally instinctively. I had recently met Vito (Vito Salamanca) and we started making music without strategies, without external objectives. In his bedroom, at his house. It was the second thing we did together. No thoughts about Sanremo, no projections. Just the pleasure of playing, getting to know each other, understanding where we could go.
We were at the beginning of a journey, before we had even clearly defined the album we were working on. I came from a period of pause, almost of suspension. Finding myself with real musicians, with the same hunger for the instrument, rekindled something in me. The pure desire to write, try, make mistakes has returned. Like at the beginning.
You often talk about “obsession” as a driving force. In what sense?
Healthy obsession is energy. It's what pushes you to evolve, to do better than yesterday. When you are ambitious and don't see a clear goal you risk getting stuck. Obsession, on the other hand, gets you moving again. In this case I'm talking about my relationship with music: wanting to run, grow, surpass myself. It's not a negative spiral, it's a constructive tension.
What effect does listening to the song have on you today?
It brings me joy. It lightens me up. It's the first parameter I use: if a song doesn't make me feel good, I hardly carry it forward. I have also always asked my mother's opinion, who is very strict. If it passes your filter, it means there is something true.
What should we expect from the performance at the Ariston?
Movement, smiles, lightness. I want that happiness to come that I feel when I sing it. I don't think about building a solemn image. I want to have fun and entertain.
Does that stage scare you?
I deal with it as if I were still in the bedroom. As a child I stood in front of the mirror with my guitar and imagined a sea of people. I have always done this exercise. At the rehearsals at the Ariston I breathed a sigh of relief: I felt at home. Then maybe the emotion will overwhelm me, but I want to remain spontaneous.
How was the meeting with the orchestra?
A huge emotion. My first musical memory is the middle school orchestra, I played classical guitar. Hearing a song born in your bedroom come to life with that arrangement was powerful. The orchestra embraces you, makes you understand the value of every single element. There was real enthusiasm, immediate harmony.
For the cover evening you chose Roy Paci and Belen. Why?
It was an instinctive choice, consistent with the Latin mood that runs through my sound. We rearranged everything, put our own spin on it. Belen struck me with her humanity, with the simplicity with which she put herself on the line. We are preparing with great enthusiasm. And Roy Paci brings an energy that sets any stage on fire.
How do you fit into the Neapolitan scene?
I'm Gennaro, first of all. I take Naples with me, its values, hospitality, respect. I try to represent the bright part of my city. Neapolitanism is not an aesthetic label, it is a way of being in the world. I want to take it to the national team and, one day, to the international team.
You said that, for the place you come from, being in Sanremo has an enormous specific weight. Why?
Because nothing is taken for granted. I come from a small village, from a family where only my father worked, with many difficulties on his shoulders. The dream of music, where I come from, is not a luxury you can afford lightly. Saying “I'll be a singer” almost sounds like a provocation. They tell you to find a stable job, to bring bread home. For this reason, having reached this far is already a victory.
In Mugnano they hung banners for you. What effect does it have on you?
It's an incredible thing. It was almost midnight on Valentine's Day, I was at home to surprise my mother and I found the banners. Mugnano is experiencing a moment of joy and I am with them. Getting to Sanremo Festival from a country like this it is a collective victory. I still live there, I'm happy there. I want to carry my country's name as high as possible.
So, beyond the race, has the goal already been reached?
I'm preparing to give my best, that's for sure. I want to give the best performance I can. But my victory was another: when Carlo Conti said “Samurai Jay”. There is a video: my mother jumping and crying, my father in disbelief, my brother in tears. That scene is worth everything.
Six years ago you talked about urban Latino and how much the American scene fascinated you. Looking today at what Bad Bunny did, even at the Super Bowl, what idea did you have?
Bad Bunny he is one of the pioneers of that world. Its strength is not just musical, it is planning. Vision, imagination, coherence. On the latest album he went back to his roots and that party atmosphere you feel in Puerto Rico. It's an authentic energy. The performance at Super Bowl for me it was crazy. I've seen conflicting opinions, but I found it very powerful. Also because among the dancers there was a fellow villager of mine, Antonio Spinelli: I was glued to the screen.
And then I listen to a lot of Latin music, also thanks to my brother who is a kind of obsessive talent scout. Bad Bunny does it like no one else today.
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