Michele Zocca

{{Short description|Italian record producer (born 1994)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Michele Zocca

| image =

| caption =

| alias = Michelangelo

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1994}}

| birth_place = Cremona, Italy

| genre =

| occupation = {{flatlist|

• Record producer
• singer-songwriter
• musician

}}

| years_active = 2009–present

{{Infobox person

| child = yes

| spouse = Cecilia Molardi

| children = 1

| relatives = Italo Mari (grandfather)

}}

}}

Michele Zocca, known professionally as Michelangelo, is an Italian record producer, singer-songwriter 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.

== 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.laprovinciacr.it/video/cronaca/378563/michele-zocca-l-orgoglio-del-sindaco-conti-e-di-vescovato-per-il-trionfatore-di-sanremo.html|title=Michele Zocca, l'orgoglio del sindaco Conti e di Vescovato per il trionfatore di Sanremo|trans-title=Michele Zocca, the pride of mayor Conti and of Vescovato for the winner of Sanremo|work=La Provincia di Cremona|language=it|access-date=11 May 2022|archive-date=10 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220310163517/https://www.laprovinciacr.it/video/cronaca/378563/michele-zocca-l-orgoglio-del-sindaco-conti-e-di-vescovato-per-il-trionfatore-di-sanremo.html|url-status=live}} His mother, Raffaella Mari, is a PE teacher and a sports manager. His maternal grandfather is sports shooter Italo Mari.{{cite news|url=https://www.laprovinciacr.it/news/cultura-e-spettacoli/377942/https---www-laprovinciacr-it-news-cultura-e-spettacoli-377942-michelangelo-sanremo-nel-destino-la-mamma-incinta-al-karaoke-di-fiorello-html.html|title=Michelangelo, Sanremo nel destino: la mamma incinta al 'Karaoke' di Fiorello|trans-title=Michelangelo, Sanremo in his destiny: the pregnant mother at Fiorello's 'Karaoke'|last=Ferrari|first=Matteo|date=6 February 2022|work=La Provincia di Cremona|language=it|access-date=31 August 2023|archive-date=31 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230831194956/https://www.laprovinciacr.it/webservices/infiniteScroll.jsp?sectionId=64&layoutId=&howMany=10&offset=0&digitalEdition=false&articleId=377942&mobile=false&elementId=%23vc_scroll_container|url-status=live}} 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. 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.repubblica.it/spettacoli/musica/2022/03/09/news/michelangelo_brividi_mahmood_blanco-340819022/|title=Michelangelo e il successo di 'Brividi'. 'La canzone buona? La becchi per puro caso'|trans-title=Michelangelo and the success of 'Brividi'. 'The right song? You find it by chance'|work=La Repubblica|language=it|access-date=11 May 2022|archive-date=4 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404193901/https://www.repubblica.it/spettacoli/musica/2022/03/09/news/michelangelo_brividi_mahmood_blanco-340819022/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.corriere.it/spettacoli/22_febbraio_07/michele-zocca-arte-michelangelo-chi-produttore-mahmood-blanco-9ae81d44-882c-11ec-8804-7df4f9fb61d8.shtml?refresh_ce|title=Michele Zocca in arte Michelangelo, chi è il produttore di Mahmood e Blanco|trans-title=Michele Zocca known as Michelangelo, who is the producer of Mahmood and Blanco|work=Corriere della Sera|language=it|access-date=11 May 2022|archive-date=12 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512172808/https://www.corriere.it/spettacoli/22_febbraio_07/michele-zocca-arte-michelangelo-chi-produttore-mahmood-blanco-9ae81d44-882c-11ec-8804-7df4f9fb61d8.shtml|url-status=live}} He started studying music production and audio mixing as an autodidact.{{cite web|url=https://www.rockol.it/news-728840/michelangelo-chi-e-il-produttore-di-brividi-di-mahmood-e-blanco|title=Michelangelo, la mano dietro il successo di 'Brividi'|trans-title=Michelangelo, the hand behind the success of 'Brividi'|website=Rockol|access-date=11 May 2022|archive-date=11 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511175607/https://www.rockol.it/news-728840/michelangelo-chi-e-il-produttore-di-brividi-di-mahmood-e-blanco|url-status=live}} From 2016, Zocca started working with renowned artists such as Loredana Bertè, Paola Turci and {{ill|Niccolò Agliardi|it}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusicitalia.it/news/michelangelo-blanco.html|title=La carriera di Michelangelo, il producer determinante del successo di Blanco|trans-title=The career of Michelangelo, the key producer of Blanco's success|website=All Music Italia|language=it|access-date=11 May 2022|archive-date=10 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210051154/https://www.allmusicitalia.it/news/michelangelo-blanco.html|url-status=live}} 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2022/02/10/blanco-mi-ha-insegnato-la-liberta-ecco-come-nata-brividi-chi-e-michelangelo-il-braccio-destro-del-vincitore-di-sanremo-lintervista-a-fqmagazine/6488817/|title='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|trans-title='Blanco taught me freedom, this is how Brividi was born'- Who is Michelangelo, the right hand of Sanremo's winner: the interview at FQMagazine|work=Il Fatto Quotidiano|language=it|access-date=11 May 2022|archive-date=10 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410201751/https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2022/02/10/blanco-mi-ha-insegnato-la-liberta-ecco-come-nata-brividi-chi-e-michelangelo-il-braccio-destro-del-vincitore-di-sanremo-lintervista-a-fqmagazine/6488817/|url-status=live}}

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. 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusicitalia.it/top10/classifiche-years/classifica-autori-italiani-2022.html|title=La classifica degli autori più certificati nel 2022. I producer, da Zef a Michelangelo, sempre più protagonista. Davide Petrella resiste sul podio|trans-title=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|date=9 January 2023|website=All Music Italia|language=it|access-date=13 June 2023|archive-date=31 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230831194948/https://www.allmusicitalia.it/top10/classifiche-years/classifica-autori-italiani-2022.html|url-status=live}} In April 2023, Blanco released his second studio album, Innamorato, written in collaboration with Michelangelo.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.it/article/blanco-nuovo-album-innamorato-data-mina-canzone|title=Blanco è Innamorato: in arrivo il secondo album (dopo le polemiche di Sanremo)|trans-title=Blanco is Innamorato: the second album is coming (after the controversy of Sanremo)|last=Colosimo|first=Valentina|date=23 March 2023|work=Vanity Fair|access-date=November 16, 2023}} In June 2023, he wrote and featured on Drillionaire's song "Bon ton" along with Blanco, Sfera Ebbasta and Lazza,{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusicitalia.it/news/drillonaire-bon-ton-testo-significato-sfera-ebbasta-lazza-blanco-michelangelo.html|title=Drillionaire fa il botto: per il singolo chiama Sfera Ebbasta, Lazza e Blanco (con Michelangelo)|last=Meo|first=Oriana|date=22 June 2023|website=All Music Italia|access-date=11 February 2024}} which reached number one on Italy's FIMI Singles Chart.{{cite web|url=https://www.fimi.it/top-of-the-music/classifiche.kl#/charts/3/2023/26|title=Classifica settimanale WK 26 (dal 23.06.2023 al 29.06.2023)|publisher=Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana|access-date=11 February 2024}} In September 2023, Michelangelo appeared on the third season of the Italian edition of MTV Cribs.{{cite news|url=https://tg24.sky.it/spettacolo/2023/09/19/mtv-cribs-italia|title=MTV Cribs Italia, tutti i protagonisti della terza stagione|trans-title=MTV Cribs Italy, all the protagonists of the third season|date=19 September 2023|work=Sky TG24|access-date=16 November 2023}}

The following year, Michelangelo wrote two entries for the Sanremo Music Festival 2024, "Casa mia" by Ghali and "I p' me, tu p' te" by Geolier.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.sorrisi.com/musica/sanremo/sanremo-2024-chi-ha-scritto-le-canzoni-lelenco-degli-autori-e-produttori/|title=Sanremo 2024, chi ha scritto le canzoni? L’elenco degli autori e produttori|last=Alicandri|first=Alessandro|date=30 January 2024|magazine=TV Sorrisi e Canzoni|access-date=11 February 2024}} At Sanremo, "I p' me, tu p' me" finished in second place, while "Casa mia" placed at number four;{{cite news|url=https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/sanremo-2024-finale-festival-troppi-artisti-e-poco-coraggio-AFoxo3fC|title=Sanremo, vince Angelina Mango. Troppi artisti e poco coraggio|last=Prisco|first=Francesco|date=10 February 2024|work=Il Sole 24 Ore|access-date=11 February 2024}} "I p' me, tu p' te" also reached number one on the FIMI Singles Chart.{{cite web|url=https://www.fimi.it/top-of-the-music/classifiche.kl#/charts/3/2024/6|title=Classifica settimanale WK 6 (dal 02.02.2024 al 08.02.2024)|publisher=Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana|access-date=11 February 2024}}