Malika Ayane (; born 31 January 1984) is an Italian singer, songwriter, and actress.
Early life Malika Ayane was born in Milan, Italy, on 31 January 1984, to a Moroccan father, Ahmed, and an Italian mother. She grew up in the Zone 2 of Milan, the most multi-ethnic area of the city. In 1995, she entered the White Voices Choir at the Teatro alla Scala in her hometown, where she sang for seven years. In the meanwhile, she started studying cello at the "Giuseppe Verdi" Conservatory in Milan, where she graduated in 2001.
Career
During the mid-2000s, Ayane recorded songs for some TV spots, including a cover of "Over the Rainbow" for the campaign of Italian food company Yomo in 2005, and the original track "Soul Waver", performed in 2007 for Swedish car manufacturer Saab.
In 2007, Ayane met Italian record producer and former singer Caterina Caselli, which granted her a deal with independent label Sugar Music. As a result, "Soul Waver" was released as her debut single. The song was also re-released in an Italian-language version, "Sospesa", with singer-songwriter Pacifico. "Sospesa" will also feature in the movie Letters to Juliet, released in 2010. Malika Ayane's self-titled first studio album was released on 26 September 2008. The album also spawned the single "Feeling Better", which became a radio hit in 2008, while the track "Il giardino dei salici" was chosen by Barilla for a TV commercial.
In December 2008, Ayane was chosen as one of the contestants of the Newcomers' section of the 59th Sanremo Music Festival. During the show, held in February 2009, she performed her entry "Come foglie", written by Negramaro's frontman Giuliano Sangiorgi. During the third night of the show, the song was also performed as a duet with singer-songwriter Gino Paoli.
For Valerio Scanu, contestant of the eighth season of the talent show "Amici di Maria De Filippi", she wrote the song "Dopo Di Me" that reached the ninth position in the Italian charts.
Malika, in April 2009, took part in the song "Domani 21-04-09" with other Italian singers to fund raise to rebuild schools in Abruzzo, the region where the disastrous earthquake centred in L'Aquila and surrounding villages struck on 6 April. In 2010, she was a contestant in the 60th edition of the Sanremo Music Festival where she won the "Mia Martini" critics award for her song "Ricomincio da qui". In 2010 she collaborated with her then-fiancé Cesare Cremonini on "Hello!".
On 30 November 2025, she was announced among the participants of the Sanremo Music Festival 2026. She competed with the song "Animali notturni".
Discography
Albums + List of albums, with chart positions and certifications Title Album details Chart positions Certifications ITA Malika Ayane Released: 26 September 2008 Label: Sugar Formats: CD, download 9 FIMI: Platinum Grovigli Released: 19 February 2010 Label: Sugar Formats: CD, download 2 FIMI: 2× Platinum Ricreazione Released: 18 September 2012 Label: Sugar Formats: CD, download 2 FIMI: PlatinumNaïf Released: 12 February 2015 Label: Sugar Formats: CD, download9 FIMI: PlatinumDomino Released: 21 September 2018 Label: Sugar Formats: CD, download10Malifesto Released: 26 March 2021 Label: Sugar Formats: CD, download9Cicale Released: 18 September 2026 Label: Carosello Formats: CD, download74
Singles
TitleYearChart positionsCertificationsAlbum ITAPeak positions on the Italian FIMI Top Digital Download: For "Tre cose": For "Niente": FIMI – Classifiche". Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (in Italian). Retrieved 19 April 2015. Enter the section Archivio, then choose Top Digital in the field Sezione and 2013 in the field Anno. Finally, click on the chart for week 7. For all the other songs: For "Animali notturni": "Soul Waver" / "Sospesa" (feat. Pacifico)2008 —Malika Ayane"Feeling Better"6"Come foglie"20092 FIMI: Platinum"Contro vento" —"La prima cosa bella"20105 FIMI: PlatinumGrovigli"Ricomincio da qui"2 FIMI: Platinum"Satisfy My Soul" —"Thoughts and Clouds" —"Il giorno in più"2011 —"Tre cose"2012 13 FIMI: Platinum Select Online, Week 26, Year 2013, then press Avvia la ricerca.Ricreazione"Il tempo non inganna" —"E se poi"20138 FIMI: Platinum"Niente" 39"Cosa hai messo nel caffè?" —"Neve casomai (Un amore straordinario)" —"Adesso e qui (nostalgico presente)"2015 9 FIMI: GoldNaïf"Senza fare sul serio"10 FIMI: 3× Platinum"Tempesta"74 FIMI: Gold"Animali notturni"202625 "—" denotes singles that did not chart
Featured singles TitleYearChart positionsCertificationsAlbum ITAFeatured singles on the Italian Singles Charts: "Domani 21/04.09": "Hello!": "Domani 21/04.09"(Artisti Uniti per l'Abruzzo)2009 1 FIMI: 2× PlatinumCharity single"Verrà l'estate"(Pacifico feat. Malika Ayane) —Dentro ogni casa"Hello!"(Cesare Cremonini feat. Malika Ayane)2010 7 FIMI: Gold1999-2010 The Greatest Hits"L'unica cosa che resta"(Pacifico feat. Malika Ayane)2012 —Una voce non basta "—" denotes singles that did not chart
Other appearances + List of non-single guest appearances, showing year released and album name Song Year Album"Blue Christmas"(Andrea Bocelli feat. Malika Ayane)2009My Christmas"Ragazza del '95"(Francesco De Gregori feat. Malika Ayane)2012Sulla strada"Omero al Cantagiro"(Francesco De Gregori feat. Malika Ayane)"Quella giusta per te"(Stylophonic feat. Malika Ayane & Dargen D'Amico)2013Boom!"La ladra"(Marta sui Tubi feat. Malik Ayane)2014Salva gente"Sirene"(Fedez feat. Malika Ayane)Pop-Hoolista"La prima cosa bella"(Luca Barbarossa feat. Malika Ayane)2015Radio DUEts – Musica libera"Anima"(Ron feat. Malika Ayane)2016La forza di dire sì"Buena fortuna"(Raphael Gualazzi feat. Malika Ayane)Love Life Peace"Noi"(Boosta feat. Malika Ayane)La stanza intelligente"Pollyanna"2018Duets Forever
Music videos + List of music videos, showing year released and director Title Year Director(s)"Sospesa" (with Pacifico)2008Paolo Rambaldi, Roberto Battaglia"Feeling Better"Marco Gentile"Come foglie"2009Federico Brugia"Contro vento""Domani 21/04.09" (Artisti Uniti per l'Abruzzo)Ambrogio Lo Giudice"Verrà l'estate" (with Pacifico)"La prima cosa bella"2010Simone Manetti"Ricomincio da qui"Federico Brugia"Satisfy My Soul""Thoughts and Clouds"Federico Brugia"Il giorno in più"2011"Tre cose"2012"Il tempo non inganna""E se poi"2013"Niente""Cosa hai messo nel caffè?"
Acting credits Film YearTitleRole(s) Notes2012Tutti i rumori del mareWoman With Gun2014Caserta Palace DreamSinger at PartyShort film2015LavaLeleItalian dub; voice role2023Rido perché ti amoFrench SaleswomanUncredited2025SiblingsHerselfCameo appearance
Television YearTitleRole(s) Notes2019X FactorHerself (judge)Season 132022La Compagnia del CignoEtnomusicology TeacherSpecial guest appearance (season 2)
Stage YearTitleRole(s) Venue2016EvitaEva PerónItalian tour2022–2024CatsGrizabella2025–2026Brokeback MountainBalladeer
Awards and nominations Year Award Nomination Work Result2010TRL AwardsFirst LadyHerself2010Premio Videoclip ItalianoBest Video by a Female Artist"Ricomincio da qui"2010Premio TencoBest InterpreterGrovigli2010MTV Europe Music AwardsBest Italian ActHerself2010Premio Videoclip RomaSpecial Award "Cinema Meets Music""La prima cosa bella"2011TRL AwardsBest LookHerselfItalians Do It BetterHerself2012Nastro d'ArgentoBest Original Song"Something Is Changing"2013 "Grovigli" Lunezia AwardLunezia for Sanremo Award"E se poi"
References
External links
Official website Malika Ayane at AllMusic