Ermal Meta

Ermal Meta
Ermal Meta in 2018
Ermal Meta in 2018
Background information
Born (1981-04-20) 20 April 1981 (age 43)
Fier, PSR Albania
OriginBari, Italy
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • composer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboard
  • synthesizer
  • bass
  • piano
  • drum machine
  • sampler
  • cajón
Years active2006–present
LabelsMescal[1]

Ermal Meta (Italian: [ˈɛrmal ˈmɛːta], Albanian: [ɛɾˈmal ˈmɛta]; born 20 April 1981) is an Albanian-born Italian singer and songwriter.

Meta rose to prominence as one of the lead singers of Ameba 4 and La Fame di Camilla [it].[2] After becoming a songwriter for several Italian artists, he launched his solo career, releasing two studio albums: Umano (2016) and Vietato morire (2017). The latter peaked at number one in Italy, and was preceded by the single with the same title, which placed third in the main competition of the Sanremo Music Festival 2017, also receiving the "Mia Martini" Critics' Prize.

In 2018, Meta won the Sanremo Music Festival and went on to represent Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal.[3][4]

Life

[edit]

Born in Fier, Albania, Meta and his family moved to Bari in southern Italy at the age of 13.[5][6] He debuted as a guitarist of Italian band Ameba4, which competed in the Newcomers' section of the Sanremo Music Festival 2006 with the song "Rido... forse mi sbaglio", included in their self-titled album, which was released in February 2006.[7]

Career

[edit]
Ermal Meta performing in 2010, as a member of the band La Fame di Camilla

In 2007, Meta became the frontman, lead singer and main songwriter of the band La Fame di Camilla.[8] Their debut album, simply titled La Fame di Camilla, was released by Universal Music in 2009.[9] The band later released the albums Buio e luce, including the title-track which competed in the Newcomers' section of the Sanremo Music Festival 2010, and L'attesa (2012).[10] The band split in 2013.[11]

After writing songs for several Italian artists, including Marco Mengoni, Emma, Chiara, Annalisa, Patty Pravo and Lorenzo Fragola, Meta started his solo career.[11][12] In July 2013, he appeared as a featured artist on Patty Pravo's single "Non mi interessa".[13] In 2014, he contributed the soundtrack of Italian television series Braccialetti rossi, performing the song "Tutto si muove".[12][14] In 2016, he competed in the 66th Sanremo Music Festival, performing the song "Odio le favole", which placed third in the Newcomers' section.[15] "Odio le favole" was included in his debut solo album, Umano.[12] He returned to the contest in 2017, competing in the Big Artists section for the first time, with the song "Vietato morire".[16] During the third night of the contest, he performed a cover of Domenico Modugno's "Amara terra mia", receiving the award for the Best Cover Performance.[17] Meta placed third overall in the competition, and received the "Mia Martini" Critics' Prize.[18][19] His second studio album, Vietato morire, was released on 10 February 2017.[20] The album also includes a duet with Italian singer-songwriter Elisa.[20]

In March 2017, Meta was chosen as a judge on the 16th series of Italian talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi.[21]

On 11 February 2018, Meta, along with Fabrizio Moro, won the Big Artists section of the Sanremo Music Festival 2018 with the song Non mi avete fatto niente, and as such, represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal.[22]

In 2020, he released the single Finirà bene.[23]

In 2021, he competed in the Big Artists section of the Sanremo Music Festival 2021 with the song Un milione di cose da dirti. He placed third in the competition.

Discography

[edit]
Main article: Ermal Meta discography
  • Umano (2016)
  • Vietato morire (2017)
  • Non abbiamo armi (2018)
  • Tribù urbana (2021)
  • Buona fortuna (2024)

Awards

[edit]
Year Award Nomination Work Result Ref.
2017 MTV Europe Music Awards Best Italian Act Himself Won [24]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "ERMAL META on Mescal". mescalmusic.com (in Italian). Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  2. ^ Ilaria Venturini (6 February 2017). "Tutte le curiosità su Ermal Meta" (in Italian). PopLife.it. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  3. ^ "Il riassunto della serata finale". rai.it (in Italian). Rai 1. 10 February 2018. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Lisbon 2018–Participants: Ermal Meta and Fabrizio Moro". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 27 August 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  5. ^ Cladia Fascia (22 January 2017). "Ermal Meta, vita va guardata in faccia" (in Italian). Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  6. ^ "Chi è Ermal Meta". Il Post (in Italian). 7 February 2017. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  7. ^ "Gli Ameba 4 debuttano all'Ariston: Sanremo sarà il nostro punto di partenza" (in Italian). Rockol.it. 27 February 2006. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  8. ^ Matilde Conte (11 September 2009). "Il ritorno della Fame di Camilla debutto discografico alla Feltrinelli". la Repubblica (in Italian). Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  9. ^ Paolo Panzeri (24 September 2009). "La Fame di Camilla – La Fame di Camilla" (in Italian). Rockol.it. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  10. ^ "La Fame di Camilla – L'attesa" (in Italian). Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana. 24 January 2012. Archived from the original on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  11. ^ a b "Ermal Meta annuncia: sciolta la band La Fame di Camilla" (in Italian). Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana. 29 March 2013. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  12. ^ a b c Mario Manca (7 February 2017). "Sanremo 2017: chi è Ermal Meta?". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  13. ^ "Patty Pravo feat. Ermal Meta" (in Italian). Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata. 10 July 2013. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  14. ^ "Gabbani, Calcutta, Cosmo: la rivincita dell'indie-pop italiano" (in Italian). BergamoNews.it. 7 May 2016. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  15. ^ Rosa D'Ettore (12 February 2016). "Sanremo Giovani 2016: Francesco Gabbani vincitore Nuove Proposte, classifica". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 20 February 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  16. ^ Domenico Naso (13 December 2016). "Festival di Sanremo 2017: i cantanti in gara. Dai talent ai veterani: ecco chi salirà sul palco dell'Ariston". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). Archived from the original on 8 January 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  17. ^ "Sanremo: Ermal Meta vince con cover Amara terra mia". Il Mattino. 10 February 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  18. ^ Luisa De Montis (12 February 2017). "Dalla critica al miglior testo. Ecco tutti i cantanti premiati". Il Giornale (in Italian). Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  19. ^ "Sanremo 2017: i vincitori in sala stampa, Ermal Meta" (in Italian). Rockol.it. 12 February 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  20. ^ a b "Ermal Meta: il featuring con Elisa in Vietato morire". Radio Italia Solo Musica Italiana. 24 January 2017. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  21. ^ Domenico Naso (9 March 2017). "Amici 2017, il cast: dalla giuria con Ermal Meta e Ambra Angiolini, a Morgan che torna nel ruolo di mentore dei giovani". Il Fatto Quotidiano. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  22. ^ "Ermal Meta e Fabrizio Moro rappresenteranno l'Italia all'Eurovision Song Contest" (in Italian). Rockol.it. 11 February 2018. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  23. ^ "Ermal Meta: questo video di "Finirà bene" cantata dai balconi ti emozionerà". MTV Italia. 5 May 2020. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  24. ^ "MTV European Music Awards: le nomination per il Best Italian Act". Rolling Stone (in Italian). 4 October 2017. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ermal Meta.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Sanremo Music Festival winner (with Fabrizio Moro)
2018 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Francesco Gabbani
with "Occidentali's Karma"
 Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest (with Fabrizio Moro)
2018 		Succeeded by
Mahmood
with "Soldi"
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