Il Club Tenco è stato fondato a Sanremo nel 1972 da un gruppo di appassionati per promuovere e sostenere la cosiddetta “canzone d’autore“, ossia la canzone di qualità. E’ intitolato a un grande cantautore italiano, morto suicida nel 1967. Nello Statuto del Club è detto tra l’altro: “Lo scopo del Club è quello di riunire tutti coloro che, raccogliendo il messaggio di Luigi Tenco, si propongono di valorizzare la canzone d’autore, ricercando anche nella musica leggera dignità artistica e poetico realismo”. Il Club opera senza scopo di lucro, in assoluta e riconosciuta autonomia dall’industria musicale.

Fra le molte iniziative del Club (libri, dischi, rassegne in tutta Italia, incontri), la prima a nascere è la “Rassegna della canzone d’autore“, festival di alta qualità artistica, culturale e tecnica, che dal 1974 si tiene annualmente a Sanremo, una manifestazione unica in Europa e forse al mondo. Ad essa vengono invitati i più interessanti cantanti-autori italiani e stranieri.

Luigi Tenco Club was founded in 1972 in Sanremo, Italy, by a group of fans, to promote and support the so-called “Canzone d’autore”, i.e. quality songwriting. The Club is named after a great italian songwriter, who committed suicide in 1967.
In fact, one of the articles of the association cites that “the objective of the Club is to gather all the persons who, according to Luigi Tenco heritage, intend to sustain quality songwriting (i.e. “Canzone d’autore”), also seeking artistic values and poetic realism in the popular music field”.
The Club is a no-profit association known for its complete freedom from the music industry. Any income, apart from what is strictly necessary for the Club’s survival, is devoted to various civil solidarity activities. All the people operating in the Club work without any economic reward.
The most important achievement of the Club is what we call in Italian “Rassegna della Canzone d’autore”, a festival marked by high standards in terms of its artistical, cultural and technical values. This festival is hosted every year, since 1974, at the Teatro Ariston in Sanremo; it’s a festival unique in Europe and, perhaps, in the world. The attention of the Festival is directed towards the most interesting Italian and foreign songwriters. It is also a chance, for artists and people from the music business, to meet and create friendly relationships, and, at the same time, an opportunity to discuss and compare different realities during three days and nights of full-time activities. Thanks to these participations and to his activity, Club Tenco is internationally known for its very important and culturally influential authority in the realm of “Canzone d’autore”.