Michele Zocca
Michele Zocca, professionally known as Michelangelo, is an Italian record producer, composer and musician, best known for his frequent collaborations with Blanco. He became interested in music at an early age and later joined a conservatory, but soon left to study music production as an autodidact. He rose in popularity after producing Blanco's debut studio album, Blu celeste, and his entry for the Sanremo Music Festival 2022, "Brividi", a collaboration with Mahmood. In 2022, he was the third songwriter with the most certified copies in Italy, having sold 1.8 million copies across all his collaborations.
Michele Zocca | |
---|---|
Also known as | Michelangelo |
Born | 1994 (age 28–29) Cremona, Italy |
Occupation(s) |
|
Years active | 2009–present |
Spouse | Cecilia Molardi |
Children | 1 |
Relatives | Italo Mari |
Life and career
Michele Zocca was born in Cremona, Italy, in 1994 and lives in the comune of Vescovato, where his recording studio is currently situated.[1] His mother, Raffaella Mari, is a PE teacher and a sports manager. His maternal grandfather is sports shooter Italo Mari.[2] A self-taught musician, he became fascinated with the drums when he was in elementary school and went on to learn multiple instruments, including the electric guitar and the bass. Among his influences, he cited the duo Battisti—Mogol.[3] During high school, he joined several bands. He pursued his education at the Conservatorio Arrigo Boito in Parma, but he quit a year later to dedicate more time to his growing career.[4][5] He started studying music production and audio mixing as an autodidact.[3] From 2016, Zocca started working with renowned artists such as Loredana Bertè, Paola Turci and Niccolò Agliardi.[6] He first met Blanco at a studio in Milan in November 2019. After working together for a year, Blanco released his debut studio album, Blu celeste, featuring Zocca as the main producer.[7]
In 2022, Zocca produced Mahmood and Blanco's entry for the Sanremo Music Festival 2022, "Brividi". The song ended up winning the contest and Zocca was subsequently awarded by the administration of Vescovato.[1] That same year, he was the third songwriter with the most certified copies in Italy, having sold 1.8 million copies thanks to his partnership with Blanco and his collaborations with other Italian rising artists such as Ariete and Rkomi.[8]
Personal life
Zocca married stylist Cecilia Molardi, with whom he had a daughter, born in 2021.[5]
Selected production discography
Song | Artist(s) | Album | Year | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Afrodite" | Blanco | Blu celeste | 2021 | [7] |
"Amatoriale" | Non-album single | 2020 | [9] | |
"Aranciata" | Madame | L'amore | 2023 | [10] |
"Belladonna (Adieu)" | Blanco | Non-album single | 2020 | [11] |
"Blu celeste" | Blu celeste | 2021 | [7] | |
"Brividi" | Mahmood and Blanco | Non-album single | 2022 | [1] |
"Campo minato" | Michelangelo Vood | 2020 | [12] | |
"Castelli di lenzuola" | Ariete | Specchio | 2022 | [13] |
"David" | Blanco | Blu celeste | 2021 | [14] |
"Figli di puttana" | [14] | |||
"Finché non mi seppelliscono" | [15] | |||
"Freccia" | Rancore | Xenoverso | 2022 | [16] |
"Ladro di fiori" | Blanco | Blu celeste | 2021 | [17] |
"Lucciole" | [14] | |||
"L'ultimo ostacolo" | Paola Turci | Viva da morire | 2019 | [6] |
"Mezz'ora di sole" | Blanco | Blu celeste | 2021 | [14] |
"Mi fai impazzire" | Blanco and Sfera Ebbasta | Non-album single | [18] | |
"Nemesi" | Marracash featuring Blanco | Noi, loro, gli altri | [19] | |
"Nostalgia" | Blanco | Non-album single | 2022 | [20] |
"Notti in bianco" | Blanco | Blu celeste | 2021 | [14] |
"Paraocchi" | [21] | |||
"Pornografia (Bianco paradiso)" | [14] | |||
"Sai cosa c'è" | [14] | |||
"Tutti muoiono" | Madame featuring Blanco | Madame | [22] | |
"Un'altra ora" | Ariete | Non-album single | 2023 | [23] |
References
- "Michele Zocca, l'orgoglio del sindaco Conti e di Vescovato per il trionfatore di Sanremo" [Michele Zocca, the pride of mayor Conti and of Vescovato for the winner of Sanremo]. La Provincia di Cremona (in Italian). Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- Ferrari, Matteo (6 February 2022). "Michelangelo, Sanremo nel destino: la mamma incinta al 'Karaoke' di Fiorello" [Michelangelo, Sanremo in his destiny: the pregnant mother at Fiorello's 'Karaoke']. La Provincia di Cremona (in Italian). Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- "Michelangelo, la mano dietro il successo di 'Brividi'" [Michelangelo, the hand behind the success of 'Brividi']. Rockol. Archived from the original on 11 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- "Michelangelo e il successo di 'Brividi'. 'La canzone buona? La becchi per puro caso'" [Michelangelo and the success of 'Brividi'. 'The right song? You find it by chance']. La Repubblica (in Italian). Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- "Michele Zocca in arte Michelangelo, chi è il produttore di Mahmood e Blanco" [Michele Zocca known as Michelangelo, who is the producer of Mahmood and Blanco]. Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- "La carriera di Michelangelo, il producer determinante del successo di Blanco" [The career of Michelangelo, the key producer of Blanco's success]. All Music Italia (in Italian). Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- "'Blanco mi ha insegnato la libertà, ecco com'è nata Brividi'- Chi è Michelangelo, il braccio destro del vincitore di Sanremo: l'intervista a FQMagazine" ['Blanco taught me freedom, this is how Brividi was born'- Who is Michelangelo, the right hand of Sanremo's winner: the interview at FQMagazine]. Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- "La classifica degli autori più certificati nel 2022. I producer, da Zef a Michelangelo, sempre più protagonista. Davide Petrella resiste sul podio" [The ranking of the most certified author of 2022. The producers, from Zef to Michelangelo, ever more important. Davide Petrella holds out on the podium]. All Music Italia (in Italian). 9 January 2023. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
- "Amatoriale (prod. Michelangelo)". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on 11 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- Vincenzo Nasto (9 June 2023). "Testo e significato di Aranciata: Madame ricorda l'adolescenza e una frattura che non si risana". Fanpage.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- "Blanco: un flusso di coscienza nel singolo d'esordio "Belladonna (Adieu)"". All Music Italia. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- "Michelangelo Vood, fuori il nuovo singolo "Campo minato"". Exitwell. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- "Ariete su RTL 102.5: "Il mio nuovo album 'Specchio'? Lo consiglio a persone di un'età più avanzata per capire che a volte non siamo noi il problema". RTL 102.5. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- Claudio Cabona (10 September 2021). "Blanco può piacere (quasi) a tutti". Rockol (in Italian). Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- "Blanco, Finché non mi seppelliscono: il testo del nuovo singolo". Sky TG24 (in Italian). 12 November 2021. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- "Rancore: Da Michelangelo a Dade, tutti i produttori e i dettagli su nuovo disco, "Xenoverso"". All Music Italia. Archived from the original on 11 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- "Credits / Ladro di fiori / Blanco – TIDAL". Tidal. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- "Blanco & Sfera Ebbasta - Mi Fai Impazzire (Radio Date: 18-06-2021)". EarOne.it. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- "'Nemesi' di Marracash: cosa fa di noi stessi il nemico più temibile". 7 January 2022. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- "BLANCO - Nostalgia (Radio Date: 03-06-2022)". EarOne. 3 June 2022. Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- Nicolò Pagliari (27 February 2021). "Blanco pubblica l'atteso singolo Paraocchi". La Casa del Rap (in Italian). Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- "Madame, tracklist e duetti del primo album: da Ernia a Fabri Fibra". Sky TG24. 15 March 2021. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- Verderio, Daniele (18 May 2023). "Ariete continua un bel viaggio con "Un'altra ora"". Radio Italia. Retrieved 11 June 2023.