Damiano David
David in 2022
Background information
Born (1999-01-08) 8 January 1999
Rome, Italy
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2016–present[1]
Member ofMåneskin

Damiano David (Italian pronunciation: [daˈmjaːno ˈdaːvid]; born 8 January 1999)[2] is an Italian singer and songwriter. He is the frontman of the rock band Måneskin, which won the Sanremo Music Festival 2021 and subsequently the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 representing Italy with the song "Zitti e buoni".

Career

David was born in Rome to Daniele David and Rosa Scognamiglio, both flight attendants.[3] Due to the nature of his parents' work, he and his older brother Jacopo travelled worldwide from an early age, introducing them to various cultures.[4] Until he was 17, he showed some talent playing basketball as a point guard at the local club Eurobasket Roma. He recalls that the basketball experience gave him fundamental discipline to succeed in his life.[5][6][7]

David started singing when he was six years old.[8] He met Victoria De Angelis and Thomas Raggi, whom he would eventually go on to form Måneskin with, during his high school days. He studied at the liceo linguistico Eugenio Montale in Rome, but he did not complete high school and instead devoted himself to his music career,[9] for which he had the support of his parents.[4] When introduced for the position of a vocalist for their local band, he was initially rejected because his style was considered "too pop", but his insistence to be in the band eventually got him accepted.[10][4] David soon changed his demeanor and style, especially his stage persona,[11] because he learned how to freely express himself.[4] The band was formed in 2016 and initially played as buskers in the streets of the city of Rome,[4][1] but in 2017 they soon rose to prominence when they finished second in the eleventh season of the Italian talent show X Factor. The band had a breakthrough debut with the studio album Il ballo della vita and tour in 2018 and 2019.[10] In 2021, their second studio album Teatro d'ira: Vol. I was released.[4][12]

After their victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 he was falsely accused of drug use during the final. After the contest David, by his own initiative, underwent a drug test, which came back negative.[13][14][15] David says that he has never used hard drugs[4][16] and, along with his bandmates, is an anti-drug advocate.[17] David himself stated in his Vogue Italia interview, "we are not falling into the stereotype of the alcoholic and drugged rock star". He states that he only drinks alcohol on special events. He believes that creativity comes from a "healthy, trained and lucid" mind and it is contradicting trying to truly express "our own self by binding ourselves to something that instead makes us dependent, slaves", also referring to the 27 Club.[4]

David sang a cover version of the song "I Wanna Be Your Dog", by the Stooges, as well as voicing the character of Jeffrey, assistant of the main antagonist, for the Italian dub of the 2021 film Cruella.[18]

Music style

A part of the band's success has been attributed to David's vocal performance, stage look and personality.[9][19] In 2017 X-factor judge Fedez commented that David is a real frontman.[20] In 2021 Manuel Agnelli praised him in similar words to have a "natural charisma of the great frontmen".[21] His vocal style in 2017 was described as having a "reggae vocal timbre that allows him to masterfully deal with the rock repertoire, given that the band's musical influences range from indie rock to glam rock to pop rock".[19] His characteristic androgynous look and fashion style on stage is seen as a mixture of hippie, vintage, and glam rock from the 1970s,[9][19][22] because of which, he has been labeled an Italian fashion icon.[10]

Personal life

David was in a relationship with Italian model and influencer Giorgia Soleri for approximately six years.[23][24][25] The pair split up in June 2023.[26]

In addition to Italian, David is fluent in English and can speak some Spanish and French.[9] He is an advocate for racial and LGBT+ rights.[27] David said he is against drugs and that he never consumed them, stating: "Creativity comes from a healthy, trained, lucid mind. The brain is a machine that has to have its gears in place and drugs are just a huge filth … The message we want to spread with our music is the exaltation of man through his freedom, and how could we talk about the expression of his own self by binding ourselves to something that instead makes us dependent, slaves?".[28] He is also a fan of association football club A.S. Roma.[6]

David is fond of the symbolism of the Greek mythological character Icarus, having a tattoo of wings and a quote referring to Icarus on his hip, as well as formerly using "Ykaaar" as his username on the social media platform Instagram.[16][29]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2021 Cruella Jeffrey (voice) Voiced the Italian-dubbed version of the film

Music videos

Year Title Artist(s)
2023 "Mil Veces" Anitta

References

  1. 1 2 "Maneskin" (in Italian). Sky Italia. 19 October 2017. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018. Anno in cui si è costituito il Gruppo: 2016
  2. ↑ Lupini, Anna (23 January 2011). "Damiano, 22 anni da rockstar per il cantante dei Maneskin". La Repubblica (in Italian). Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021. ...è nato a Roma l'8 gennaio del 1999
  3. ↑ "La foto vintage dei genitori di Damiano dei Maneskin svela a chi assomiglia di più (e perché è così bello)" [Vintage photo of parents of Damiano from Maneskin reveals who he looks most like (and why he's so handsome)]. Elle Italia (in Italian). Milan: Hearst Magazine Italia. 18 June 2021. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Caprotti, Elisabetta (24 May 2021). "Damiano David: "La droga è una grandissima zozzeria"". Vogue Italia. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  5. ↑ Antonio Lepone (2 June 2021). "Il Basket Prima Dei Maneskin". Il Messaggero (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Damiano dei Maneskin, passato da play nell'Eurobasket e presente da grande tifoso della Roma". Il Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 7 March 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  7. ↑ Maria Elena Barnabi (22 February 2019). "Damiano dei Måneskin: "Sesso, droga? Preferiamo la disciplina"". Cosmopolitan (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "Eurovision 2021, vincono i Maneskin: il rock d'Italia conquista l'arena di Rotterdam | Video". Le Iene (in Italian). Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Sonia Montrella (24 November 2017). "Tutto quello che c'è da sapere sui Maneskin". Agenzia Giornalistica Italia (in Italian). Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 Laffranchi, Andrea (24 May 2021). "Damiano dei Maneskin, la sua storia: dalla strada all'Eurovision, "Con le monetine raccolte il primo singolo"". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  11. ↑ Mario Manca (15 December 2017). "X Factor 11, Maneskin: "Siamo rock, ma con un'anima da secchioni"". Vanity Fair (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  12. ↑ Mastrantonio, Luca (11 February 2021). "Måneskin, trionfo a Eurovision: "La rabbia dei ventenni è di nuovo forza creativa"". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  13. ↑ "Damiano David: Eurovision winner cleared of drug use by broadcaster". BBC. 25 May 2021. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  14. ↑ Campbell, Lucy (24 May 2021). "Eurovision: Måneskin lead singer cleared of taking drugs at final". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  15. ↑ Nick Vivarelli (25 May 2021). "Eurovision Winners Måneskin Talk 'Offensive' Drug Accusations, and Bringing Italian Rock to the World". Variety. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  16. 1 2 Mastrantonio, Luca (29 March 2018). "Perché i Måneskin fanno ballare anche le mamme delle fan". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "Maneskin, ritorno a casa dopo il trionfo tra gioia e polemiche sull'uso di droga". La Repubblica (in Italian). 24 May 2021. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  18. ↑ "Maneskin doppiatori per Crudelia: "Siamo come Lei"". Sky TG24 (in Italian). 25 May 2021. Archived from the original on 31 May 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  19. 1 2 3 Berti, Barbara (2 December 2017). "Damiano dei Maneskin conquista tutti. La fan Alba Parietti: "Vorrei essere lui"". Quotidiano.net (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  20. ↑ "Maneskin X Factor audition with judges' comments". YouTube. 26 October 2017. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  21. ↑ Cruccu, Matteo (8 March 2021). "Manuel Agnelli: 'I Maneskin hanno vinto perché hanno risvegliato il pubblico. Ma non possono salvare il rock italiano da soli'". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  22. ↑ Povoledo, Elisabetta (16 June 2021). "They Won Eurovision. Can They Conquer the World?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  23. ↑ Pini, Valeria (11 May 2021). "Vulvodinia, cosa è: Giorgia Soleri, la fidanzata di Damiano dei Maneskin racconta la sua malattia". La Repubblica (in Italian). Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  24. ↑ "'Eurovision 2021' : cette maladie dont souffre la compagne du chanteur de Måneskin". Femme Actuelle (in French). Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  25. ↑ Q., F. (2 June 2021). "Giorgia Soleri sul fidanzato Damiano dei Maneskin: "Sarei stupida a pensare che la mia visibilità non venga anche da qui ma resto una persona con una identità, irrispettoso togliermela"". il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  26. ↑ "Damiano dei Maneskin e Giorgia Soleri si sono lasciati: in un video lui bacia un'altra". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 8 June 2023. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  27. ↑ Scarlett Conlon (3 June 2021). ""We Are Just Four Friends Doing What We Love": Eurovision Breakout Star Måneskin's Damiano David Plans On Staying Humble". Vogue. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  28. ↑ Elisabetta Caprotti (24 May 2021). "Damiano David: "La droga è una grandissima zozzeria"". Vogue (in Italian). Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  29. ↑ Muraro, Alberto (22 March 2018). "Maneskin: ecco cosa significa Ykaaar, il nickname di Damiano su Instagram". GingerGeneration.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
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