Marco Mengoni facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marco Mengoni
Mengoni in 2023
Born	(1988-12-25) December 25, 1988 (age 36) Ronciglione, province of Viterbo, Italy
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Years active	2009–present
Musical career
Genres	Pop soul Rock R&B
Instruments	Vocals piano guitar
Labels	Sony Music

Marco Mengoni (born on December 25, 1988) is a famous Italian singer and songwriter. He became well-known in 2009 after winning the third season of the Italian TV show X Factor.

Since then, Marco has sold over 2.8 million records in Italy. His albums have reached the top of the Italian charts seven times in a row. He has also had fifteen songs in the Top 10 of the Italian Singles Chart. He won the Sanremo Music Festival in 2013 and again in 2023. Because of these wins, he got to represent Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest both times.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Marco Mengoni was born on December 25, 1988, in Ronciglione, a town in central Italy. He grew up there as the only child of Nadia Ferrari and Maurizio Mengoni.

When he was 14, Marco started taking singing lessons. He also began performing as part of a five-person singing group. After finishing school, he moved to Rome. There, he studied languages and sometimes worked as a barman. He also sang in piano bars and at weddings. During these years, he gained experience in the music business by working as a sound mixer and music programmer.

Music Career Highlights

Becoming Famous with X Factor

In 2009, Marco Mengoni tried out for the third season of the Italian talent show X Factor. He sang "Uomini semplici" by Eduardo De Crescenzo. His mentor, Morgan, chose him for the live shows. During the show, Marco sang many different types of songs. Famous Italian singers like Mina and Elisa praised his performances.

On December 2, 2009, Marco Mengoni won the competition. He received a recording contract and was chosen to compete in the Sanremo Music Festival 2010. His winning song, "Dove si vola", immediately became number one on the Italian digital downloads chart. This song was part of his first collection of songs, an extended play (EP) also called Dove si vola. The EP reached number nine on the Italian albums chart and was certified platinum.

Sanremo Success and Re Matto

Mengoni performing in 2010

In February 2010, Marco competed in the 60th Sanremo Music Festival. He sang "Credimi ancora" and finished third. The song became a hit, reaching number three in Italy and earning a platinum certification.

"Credimi ancora" was included in Marco's second EP, Re matto, released in February 2010. This EP was number one on the Italian Albums Chart for four weeks. He promoted the EP with his first concert tour, "Re matto live." A live album and video from this tour, also called Re matto live, was released in October 2010 and also topped the Italian charts.

In 2010, Marco won the TRL award for Man of the Year. He also won the MTV Europe Music Award for Best European Act, becoming the first Italian artist to achieve this.

First Studio Album: Solo 2.0

On September 2, 2011, Marco released the song "Solo (Vuelta al ruedo)". This song came before his first full studio album, Solo 2.0. Marco helped write most of the songs on the album. The album was influenced by electronic and rock music.

Solo 2.0 was released on September 27, 2011. It debuted at number one on the Italian Albums Chart and was certified gold. Marco went on an Italian tour called "Solo tour 2.0" to promote the album.

Winning Sanremo and Eurovision Again

Mengoni performing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013

In February 2013, Marco competed in the 63rd Sanremo Music Festival with two songs: "L'essenziale" and "Bellissimo." "L'essenziale" was chosen as the song he would continue with. On February 16, 2013, Marco Mengoni won the competition. He was also chosen to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden.

Marco sang a shorter version of "L'essenziale" at Eurovision. As part of the "Big Five" countries, Italy automatically qualified for the final. Marco finished seventh out of 26 countries, earning 126 points.

"L'essenziale" became number one on the Italian Digital Downloads chart for eight weeks. Both "L'essenziale" and "Bellissimo" were on Marco's second studio album, #prontoacorrere, released in March 2013. This album also reached number one in Italy and was certified platinum.

Parole in circolo and Le cose che non ho

In January 2015, Marco released his third studio album, Parole in circolo. This was the first part of a two-album project. The second part, Le cose che non ho, came out in December 2015.

Marco won the MTV Europe Music Award for Best European Act for the second time in 2015. The final part of this project was a live album, Marco Mengoni Live, released in October 2016. It included new studio songs and a duet with English singer Paloma Faith.

Atlantico and the Materia Trilogy

Mengoni on stage in 2022

In October 2018, Marco released two new songs, "Voglio" and "Buona Vita." These songs were from his fifth studio album, Atlantico, which came out in November. The album also featured a song called "Hola (I Say)" with Tom Walker.

In 2021, Marco released "Venere e Marte" with Takagi & Ketra and Frah Quintale. Later that year, he released "Ma stasera." This song was part of his sixth studio album, Materia (Terra), released in December 2021. This album is the first of a three-part series. The second part, Materia (Pelle), was released in October 2022. The third part, Materia (Prisma), was released in 2023.

In 2023, ten years after his first win, Marco won the Sanremo Music Festival 2023 again with his song "Due vite". This meant he would represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool. In the Eurovision final, Marco finished fourth.

In 2024, as the latest Sanremo winner, he was invited to co-host the first night of the 2024 festival.

Musical Style

Marco Mengoni is mostly known as a pop artist. He has a voice that sounds like soul music, with some pop rock elements.

Marco has said that The Beatles are a big inspiration for him. Other artists who have influenced his music include David Bowie, George Michael, Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson, and Renato Zero.

Discography

Studio albums

• Solo 2.0 (2011)
• #prontoacorrere (2013)
• Parole in circolo (2015)
• Le cose che non ho (2015)
• Atlantico (2018)
• Materia (Terra) (2021)
• Materia (Pelle) (2022)
• Materia (Prisma) (2023)

Tours

• 2010: Re matto tour
• 2011: Solo tour 2.0
• 2012: Tour teatrale
• 2013: L'Essenziale Tour
• 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022: #MengoniLive
• 2022–2023: Marco negli stadi

Awards and Recognitions

Marco Mengoni has received many awards throughout his career. These include a Nastro d'Argento, two TRL Awards, nine Wind Music Awards, nine MTV Italian Music Awards, and a Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards.

In both 2010 and 2015, he won the MTV Europe Music Award for Best European Act. This made him the first Italian artist to win this important award. In 2013, he also won the MTV European Music Award for Best Southern European Act.

Filmography

Film

See also

In Spanish: Marco Mengoni para niños