On Thursday 26 February, on the Ariston stage, a moment destined to remain in the history of the Festival takes place: Alicia Keys and Eros Ramazzotti perform together live for the first time in a world premiere, duetting on L’Aurora, the song that the two have already shared in the Roman artist’s latest recording project. A special evening that brings to Sanremo 2026 one of the most iconic voices of international music, singer-songwriter, producer, activist, philanthropist and actress, absolute symbol of female R&B.
Alicia Keys’ Sicilian origins
Few know that Alicia Keys has Italian, and more precisely Sicilian, roots. Born on January 25, 1981 in Hell’s Kitchen, a neighborhood of Manhattan, her real name is Alicia Augello Cook. His mother Teresa Augello is of Italian origins, with a family from Sciacca, in the province of Agrigento, as well as English, Irish and Scottish ancestry. His father Craig Cook is African American. Her parents separated when Alicia was just four years old and it was her mother who took charge of her artistic growth.
From actress to prodigy pianist
Alicia’s first love is acting. Her mother took her to several auditions, including one for The Robinsons, where she got a small part in a 1985 episode. But music soon took over. At seven he began studying piano, approaching the great classical composers such as Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin. At fourteen he wrote and composed his first song, Butterflyz, and shortly after signed a contract with Columbia Records. At sixteen she already wrote a track on the Men in Black soundtrack.
Admitted to Columbia University, she however chooses music. After the end of the contract with Columbia Records she was immediately picked up by Clive Davis for his J-Records label. It is worth mentioning that at the beginning of her career Alicia used the stage name Alicia Wilde, which she later transformed into Keys. Her first album, Songs in A Minor, was released when she was just twenty years old and immediately established her as one of the most extraordinary artists of her generation.
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His most famous songs
In over twenty years of career Alicia Keys has built a catalog of songs that have crossed generations and borders. Fallin’, the debut single, is still one of his most loved tracks today, with that mix of classic soul and contemporary R&B that tells of love in its most complex form. If I Ain’t Got You is one of the most touching ballads in his repertoire, a reflection on the essentials in life. No One, with its enthralling rhythm, has become a hymn to unconditional love, while Girl on Fire has over time taken on the value of a symbol of female strength and independence.
Empire State of Mind Part II is her most direct homage to New York, the city that raised and shaped her. You Don’t Know My Name shows his ability to tell the nuances of falling in love with a disarming naturalness. A Woman’s Worth, Superwoman and Unbreakable complete a coherent artistic journey, in which female empowerment is never a slogan but always a lived story. Underdog, among his most recent songs, is a tribute to those who chase their dreams despite adversity.
A career, that of Alicia Keys, which demonstrates how talent and authenticity can produce music capable of speaking directly to the soul of anyone who listens to it.
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