(Milan, 1992 – )

(By Rachel Grasso, University of Toronto)

Alessandro Mahmoud, stage name Mahmood (a play-on-words of his last name and the English words “my mood”), was born on September 12, 1992, in Milan to a Sardinian mother and an Egyptian immigrant father, and was raised in the Gratosoglio neighborhood of Milan. His parents divorced when he was five years old and he was then raised by his mother. Mahmood speaks Italian and Sardinian, but does not speak Arabic although the language is present in some of his songs. Mahmood has emphasized that he does not want be reduced to his nationality or sexuality, but felt pressured to speak on the former after the then Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who is known for his xenophobic views, criticized him for winning the 2019 Sanremo Music Festival [1] with his song “Soldi” over Ultimo, a white singer with both Italian parents, who received the highest number of public votes. In response, Mahmood stated “In the song I simply put a phrase in Arabic that was a memory from my youth, no? Because anyway I was born to a Sardinian mother and an Egyptian father, but I am one hundred percent Italian.” He also feels very connected to Sardinian culture and folklore, and is inspired to write every time he returns to Sardinia due to the evocative nature of the island and the exposure to the Sardinian language. However, he understands the value of his identity as a second-generation Italian and even defines his music as “Morocco-pop,” [2] crediting the Middle-Eastern sounds present in his music as what sets it apart from that of other artists. Regarding his sexuality, Mahmood has stated that “declaring ‘I’m gay’ leads nowhere” and “If we continue with these distinctions, homosexuality will never be perceived as a normal thing, which it is.” Mahmood’s support for the LGBTQ+ community, and in particular for the DDL Zan Law [3], is very important in Italy’s journey to becoming a more diverse and inclusive society.

Mahmood began to study music when he was twelve years old, learning how to play the guitar and the piano as well as how to sing. He then began to write songs at the age of nineteen. He became famous after participating in X-Factor in 2012. Later in 2015, he won the Area Sanremo competition with his song “Dimentica,” allowing him to participate in the Newcomers Section of the 2016 Sanremo Music Festival in which he placed fourth. In 2017, he released the single “Pesos” and was featured in Fabri Fibra’s song “Luna.” In 2018, he was featured in Gué Pequeno’s song “Doppio Whisky,” released the singles “Uramaki” and “Milano Good Vibes,” and released his first EP, Gioventù Bruciata. In 2019, he released the single “Barrio” and was featured in Charlie Charles’ song “Calipso” along with Sfera Ebbasta and Fabri Fibra as well as in M¥SS KETA’s song “Fa paura perché è vero.” Also in 2019, Mahmood won the Sanremo Music Festival with his song “Soldi” and then represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, Israel, finishing in second place. In 2020, he released various singles, such as “Rapide,” “Redemption Song,” “Moonlight popolare,” and “Dorado.” In 2021, he was featured in Sottotono’s song “Amor de mi vida” and released the singles “Inuyasha,” “Zero,” and “Klan,” as well as his second album Ghettolimpo. With a long career ahead of him, fans eagerly await his upcoming work and appreciate the authentic and inclusive messages in his music.

Footnotes:

1. The Sanremo Music Festival (Il Festival di Sanremo) is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria. It is a competition among previously unreleased songs.
2. Moroccan pop music (abbreviated as Morocco-pop) is a genre of the new music generation of hip hop and rap music in Morocco.
3. The DDL Zan Law is a proposed law written by MP and activist Alessandro Zan, a member of the Democratic Party in Italy, that brings together five draft laws sketched over the years that would punish discrimination and hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals as well as crimes of misogyny against women. Currently, Italy punishes hate crimes for racial, ethnic, and religious reasons, as well as neo-nazi and neo-fascist actions and slogans, through the Mancino Law (named after the minister who first proposed it, Nicola Mancino, in 1993).

Sources:

D’Errico, Angelica. “Mahmood: ‘Quel padre scomparso e la Sardegna, fonte della mia

ispirazione’ Il Video.” L’Unione Sarda, 7 Feb. 2019,

D’Errico, Angelica. “Sanremo, Mahmood canta ‘Nanneddu Meu.’” L’Unione Sarda, 7 Feb. 2019,

Dominioni, Irene. “Italy Towards Its First Law On Hate Crimes Against LGBT People.” Forbes, 30 June 2020.

Fascia, Claudia. “Sanremo 2019, Mahmood e le polemiche: ‘Sono italiano al 100% faccio

marocco-pop’—Sanremo 2019.” ANSA.it, 12 Feb. 2019.

Grasso, Rachel Ann. “Cara Italia: l’espressione dell’identità multiculturale nella musica rap e trap italiana.” ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 1 Jan. 2020.

“Mahmood: Biografia.” Mahmood: discografia, biografia, album e vinili—UMG, 2020.

“Mahmood: ‘Vi piace cantautore Moroccan pop?’” Vanity Fair. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.

“Moroccan pop.” Wikipedia, 2021.

Rocca, Federico. “Mahmood: ‘vi piace cantautore moroccan pop?’” Vanity Fair Italia, 31 Jan.

2019.

“Sanremo 2019, Mahmood: ‘La frase araba è un ricordo della mia infanzia.’” YouTube, uploaded by Vista Agenzia Televisiva Nazionale, 9 Feb. 2019.