BIOGRAPHY
GREAT VOICE….
Bologna, the city that has given the greatest names to the world of Italian pop music, is also the city where Paolo Mengoli was born.
Singer, songwriter and performer, he was born artistically with his victory at the age of 18 in 1968 at the “Voci Nuove” festival in Castrocaro Terme.
After a long apprenticeship with orchestras (including the one directed by his singing teacher Alda Scaglioni: "I cadetti di Scaglioni") in the dance halls and squares of Emilia-Romagna, thanks to this victory he recorded his first 45 rpm single containing two covers: “Arrivederci” and “Per un bacio d’Amor”.
His first real success came in 1969 with the song “Perché l’hai fatto”, written especially for him by Mino Reitano, with which he took part in “Un disco per l’estate” and “Il Cantagiro”, achieving excellent and flattering results, selling more than 500,000 copies in Italy and abroad.
He participated in several editions of the Sanremo Festival (the first in 1970, when he performed the song “Ahi che male che mi fai”, written for him by two then-promising authors, Toto Cutugno and Cristiano Minellono). Still in 1970 he returned to “Cantagiro” and to the "Festival di Pesaro XII Torneo Internazionale di musica leggera" with the song "Mi piaci da morire", finishing first in both events. In 1971 he was back at the Sanremo Festival with “I ragazzi come noi” and later at Un Disco per l’Estate, the flagship event of Rai Uno, with another song written for him by Mino Reitano, “Ora ridi con me”, where he placed among the 12 finalists out of more than 60 participants who represented the cream of Italian pop music of that period.
In 1975 he undertook several tours, including Japan, where he was invited back after his 1970 participation representing Italy at the “Yamaha Music Festival in Tokyo”, also known as the "World Popular Song Festival", where he was awarded the critics’ prize.
In 1976 he was invited to Australia for a series of concerts in the most beautiful theatres on the Australian continent.
In 1977 he represented Italy at the “Interfestival” in Bulgaria, an internationally important song contest, where he once again received the critics’ prize with the song “Amore scusami” as best performer.
In 1989 he was the revelation of Canale 5’s “Una rotonda sul mare”, a singing competition featuring the most significant songs and performers of the 1960s. On that occasion, with his “Perché l’hai fatto”, he managed to beat artists of the calibre of Peppino di Capri, Jimmy Fontana, Rocky Roberts, reaching the grand final as a true outsider and, in a memorable head-to-head, defeating Gino Paoli and his “Sapore di sale”.
In November 1990, at the Teatro Goldoni in Venice, he received the “Leone d’oro” as part of the 6th edition of Italian pop music awards.
During the 1989-1990 period, the author and director Michele Guardì chose him for his Rai Radiouno programme “Una Domenica mondiale”, linked to the football World Cup that was soon to be held in Italy.
After taking part in the 1992 Sanremo Festival with the song “Io ti darò”, he was once again busy with concerts throughout Italy and was again invited for various tours in Japan and Australia, receiving unanimous acclaim from both the public and critics.
From 1997 to 2006 he was a regular guest on various Rai programmes such as: “Telethon” (9 times), “Mattina in famiglia”, “La vita in diretta” and “I Fatti Vostri”, where the author and director Michele Guardì once again wanted him as the solo voice in the musical segments of the show, successfully reviving and launching the song “Quanto t’ho amato” composed by Roberto Benigni, Nicola Piovani and Vincenzo Cerami.
In 1999 he was invited to Cuba as a guest of honour on one of the most important variety shows on Cuban state television, again receiving enthusiastic acclaim thanks to his overwhelming and passionate personality that sweeps people along with all his energy.
In the 2006-2007 edition of “Domenica In” he was a protagonist alongside other performers in an exciting and thrilling singing competition.
Still in 2007 he toured Canada and the U.S.A., and in the latter country Paolo represented Italy in New York with a concert as part of the Columbus Day commemoration.
The years 2004-2006-2009 and 2010 saw him as a regular guest on Rai Uno’s New Year’s Eve show “L’anno che verrà”, hosted alternately by Fabrizio Frizzi, Carlo Conti, Mara Venier, Pino Insegno, etc. His versatility, which goes beyond just being a singer, led him to become a recurring guest and commentator on Rai Due’s “L’Italia sul Due” and “Pomeriggio sul Due”.
In 2005 he was cast and took part in Rai Uno’s reality show “Ritorno al presente” hosted by Carlo Conti, as well as programmes such as “I Raccomandati” (2009), “I Migliori Anni” (2008, 2009, 2017 and 2023), “Ciak si canta” (2012), “I Soliti Ignoti” (2010), “La prova del cuoco” (2010).
During the same period (2010-2011-2012), Michele Guardì once again chose him as a special correspondent at the Sanremo Festival for Rai Due’s “Mezzogiorno in Famiglia”, hosted in the studio by Amadeus, where he interviewed the festival participants.
Even in the years from 2013 to 2018, Paolo’s television presence remained constant, appearing as a guest on Rai Uno’s “Uno Mattina”, “La Vita in diretta”, Rai Due’s “I fatti Vostri” and “Bel tempo si spera” on TV 2000.
From 2014 to 2018 Paolo Mengoli served as a jury member and jury president in the various selections of singers and songwriters for "Una voce per l'Europa", the "Gran Galà dei Festival" and the “Festival di voci e volti nuovi” in Castrocaro Terme. It was almost a return to his origins, having won the latter himself in 1968.
From 2019 to 2025 he has been a regular guest, both as a singer and as a commentator, on the Rai Uno programme "Storie Italiane" hosted by Eleonora Daniele and "La Volta Buona" hosted by Caterina Balivo.
On 24 October 2020 he received the "Giovanni Paolo II Recognition" with the motivation: "for his work as a singer-songwriter who spreads feelings and values of solidarity through his social commitment" and for his devotion to the Holy Pontiff, expressed through the song "Ora parlami d’amore" chosen as the official anthem of the centenary project "In cammino con Giovanni Paolo II". The song was presented in its world premiere on the day of the announcement of John Paul II’s beatification on the programme "Cristianità" hosted by Sister Miriam Castelli and broadcast by Rai International worldwide, watched by more than 60 million viewers (Source: Adnkronos).
In 2020 he released for Music Universe a.c.m. the single "Io voglio stare con te", co-written with Luigi Mosello, in which he addresses with great sensitivity and a very sweet lyric the delicate and longstanding issue of violence against women.
On 23 October 2021 he was awarded by the Giovanni Paolo II Association the "Sigillo Testimone Ambasciatore dei Diritti Umani per un Mondo di Pace" (Seal of Witness Ambassador of Human Rights for a World of Peace).
In 2023 he released a CD/DVD with a song dedicated to his city entitled: "Bologna è Casa Mia", in which through music, words and images he tells of the beauty, history and many facets of the city of Bologna.
In the summer of 2025 he released the song "L’estate dentro me", a summer hit that stayed for several weeks in the top 20 of independent radio charts... THANKS TO HIS GREAT VOICE...
GREAT HEART …
An artist as dynamic as this cannot help but also have great sensitivity and attention towards those less fortunate than himself. Starting from his great passion for sport, Paolo Mengoli, as goalkeeper and one of the founding members of the Nazionale Italiana Cantanti (Italian Singers’ National Football Team), has dedicated a large part of his life and time to carrying out important work of social solidarity.
An intense activity, with 455 appearances on the pitch, carried out consistently for over 38 years, sometimes at the expense of his career, but which has deeply rewarded him in terms of moral satisfaction.
A prize that has no price…
For over 30 years he has also been a testimonial for FA.NE.P. (Famiglia Neurologia Pediatrica), which operates at the Gozzadini paediatric hospital in Bologna within the Sant’Orsola Hospital, dealing with neurovegetative problems in children as well as eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
In recent years he has also been an active supporter of the Ramazzini Institute (Bologna social cooperative Onlus) engaged in the fight against cancer and environmental diseases, as well as the "Fondazione dopo di noi Onlus" of Bologna, which operates throughout Italy with the aim of finding, creating and setting up housing centres or facilities for adults and young people with severe certified disabilities who are about to lose family support.
It may be because of his great sensitivity… it may be because of the value he places on friendship… it may be because of his readiness to help others in need… it may be… it may be… it may be… an emotion that comes from a… GREAT HEART…
