Mauro Gurlino (born 16 April 1971), known as Mao, is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, radio and television host and actor.
An artist mainly known for his work as a singer-songwriter and radio and television presenter, active since the late 1980s, he achieved national fame in the 1990s as the leader of the music group Mao e la Rivoluzione and for his co-hosting with Andrea Pezzi of the TV programme Kitchen broadcast on MTV Italy.
Biography He has earned a degree in History and Criticism of Cinema at the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy of the University of Turin. A creative and in-depth critique discussing the musical film Yuppi du by Adriano Celentano was among his final thesis topics. «He is and has been anything», as once he was defined by a journalist describing his eclectic thirty-year career.
He has been leader in the Nineties of the band Mao e la Rivoluzione, publishing two albums for Virgin Records (Sale and Casa, attending Sanremo Festival with the song Romantico and performing the opening act for Oasis), presenter with Andrea Pezzi for TV shows broadcast on MTV Italy (Kitchen, Hot, Romalive, Tiziana, Tokusho), speaker for radio stations since the high school (Rai Radio 1, Radio Deejay, Radio Città Futura, Radio Flash), actor both in long films (20 Venti by Marco Pozzi, 500! by Giovanni Robbiano, Lorenzo Vignolo and Matteo Zingirian, Lost Love (Perdutoamor) by Franco Battiato, Roundtrip (A/R Andata + Ritorno) and A Liberal Passion (Passione sinistra) by Marco Ponti, I soliti idioti: Il film by Enrico Lando) and in short films (directed by Enrico Iacovoni, Nicola Rondolino, Igor Mendolia and Guido Norzi).
Over the years, he has collaborated with several musicians, among which, Delta V, Max Gazzè and Morgan, producer of his first solo record Black mokette, released by Sony Music, followed by the soundtrack for the film 500!, released by Mescal. Together with Santabarba, he played as resident band for the music TV show Scalo 76 broadcast on Rai 2. Rai, the Italian national television, had him as well as resident musician for the radio show Ventura Football Club broadcast on Rai Radio 1.
For over twenty years, together with his artistic collective CortoCorto, he has been organising showcases for the Turin nightclubbing scene through the soundtrack contests Duel, the song contests LaBase and the talk shows Il Salotto di Mao, formats which have hosted more than 1,000 artists. He was member for ten years of the trio Le Voci del Tempo, a band telling the Italian history in clubs and theatres with shows mixing images, readings and songs.
In 2010 he published his third solo record, Piume pazze, distributed for free on internet, followed by two novels Meglio tardi che Mao (Express Edizioni) in 2011 and Olràit! Mao sogna Celentano e gliele canta (Arcana Edizioni) in 2013. He is owner and manager of CortoCorto STUDIO, an audio-video recording and production studio located in the heart of San Salvario neighborhood in Turin.
Between 2019 and 2020 he returned on the record market with the singles Nudi alla meta, Le cose and the music video of Scusa caro vicino, born from the artistic collaboration with the writer Enrica Tesio and produced by DJ Aladyn and Max Bellarosa from Radio Deejay. Also in 2020, in a duet with Il Tusco, he released the music video for Velenosa. In 2022, exactly twenty-five years after the release of the seminal album Casa, he surprisingly published the music video for Stringimi #25, recorded as a duet with Bianco and filmed at the Murazzi del Po in front of the historic Giancarlo club.
In 2025 he joins Delta V as the opening act for their tour presenting the new album In fatti ostili, performing in some of the most renowned music clubs across Italy. During the tour, he presents audiences with an exclusive preview of several unreleased songs from his forthcoming and highly awaited new album, scheduled for release in 2026.
Discography Mao e gli indiani
Singles (7") 1989 - Dolore fisico / Piccolo fratello
Magnifica Scarlatti
Demos (MC) 1991 - Demo
Compilations (LP) 1991 - VV.AA. - Arezzo Wave 1991 (Magnifica Scarlatti - Apro il tempo) 1992 - VV.AA. - Bloom live vol. 1 (Magnifica Scarlatti - It ain't the end)
Compilations (MC) 1991 - VV.AA. - Arezzo Wave 1991 (Magnifica Scarlatti - Apro il tempo)
Voodoo
Albums (LP) 1992 - Il voltafaccia Compilations (LP) 1990 - VV.AA. - Nightpieces (Voodoo - Rock the beat) 1990 - VV.AA. - Anteprima Rock - Rock Italia (Voodoo - Lysergic brain) Compilations (LP Promo) 1990 - VV.AA. - Anteprima Rock - Rock Italia (Voodoo - Lysergic brain) Compilations (MC) 1991 - VV.AA. - Torino Bagdad (Voodoo - Chiudi gli occhi, Everyday)
Mao e la Rivoluzione
Albums (CD - MC) 1996 - Sale 1997 - Casa
Singles (12") 1996 - Febbre
Singles (CD) 1997 - Stringimi 1998 - Chinese take away
Singles (Promo 7") 1997 - Spice Girls / Mao - Spice Up Your Life / Romantico
Singles (Promo CD) 1996 - Febbre 1996 - Il ritmo 1997 - Stringimi 1997 - Romantico 1998 - Satelliti
Compilations (CD) 1993 - VV.AA. - Hokahey! Songs for Freedom Coalition (Mao e la Rivoluzione - Visi pallidi) 1994 - VV.AA. - Bienal Lisboa 1994 (Mao e la Rivoluzione - Umida) 1996 - VV.AA. - Territorio Match Music (Mao e la Rivoluzione - Febbre) 1996 - VV.AA. - Musica che cambia - Max Generation 96 (Mao e la Rivoluzione - Al limite) 1997 - VV.AA. - MTV 24 Hours Party (Mao - Stringimi) 1997 - VV.AA. - Hit's Virgin Pop (Mao - Romantico) 1997 - VV.AA. - Radio Capital Compilation (Mao - Romantico) 1998 - VV.AA. - Hit's Rock Now (Mao - Satelliti) 1998 - VV.AA. - MescalAction (Mao - Chinese take away) 1999 - VV.AA. - Adidas Streetball Challenge (Mao - Stringimi) 2003 - VV.AA. - Mescal.it 2003 (Mao - Satelliti)
Compilations (MC) 1996 - VV.AA. - Territorio Match Music (Mao e la Rivoluzione - Febbre) 1997 - VV.AA. - MTV 24 Hours Party (Mao - Stringimi) 1997 - VV.AA. - Hit's Virgin Pop (Mao - Romantico) 1997 - VV.AA. - Radio Capital Compilation (Mao - Romantico) 1998 - VV.AA. - Hit's Rock Now (Mao - Satelliti)
Mao
Albums (CD) 2001 - Black mokette 2002 - 500! (Original Soundtrack) 2010 - Piume pazze 2011 - Meglio tardi che Mao
Singles (CD) 2001 - Prima di addormentarmi 2001 - Un mondo diverso
Singles (Promo CD) 2004 - Electro samba
Singles (Digital) 2019 - Nudi alla meta 2019 - Le cose 2020 - Scusa caro vicino 2020 - Velenosa
Compilations (CD) 2001 - VV.AA. - Tora! Tora! Compilation (Mao - Prima di addormentarmi) 2001 - VV.AA. - Tora! Tora! 2001 (Mao - L'effetto che fa (una sconfitta in due)) 2002 - VV.AA. - Tora! Tora! 2002 (Mao - Io viaggio) 2025 - VV.AA. - Vittorio Cane - Venti anni dopo (Mao - Dipendente)
Compilations (Promo CD) 2002 - VV.AA. - Cool Sound Italiano (Mao - Prima di addormentarmi)
Compilations (Digital) 2005 - VV.AA. - to_potlach (Mao - Gridalo forte!) 2012 - VV.AA. - Turin Songwriters Festival (Mao - Dikono ke) 2023 - VV.AA. - Tunes That Stick Vol 9 (Mao - E-motion)
Bootlegs 2009 - Il Salotto di Mao - Vol. 1 2012 - Il Salotto di Mao - Vol. 2 2013 - Il Salotto di Mao - Vol. 3
Collaborations
Albums (CD-MC) 1991 - Fratelli di Soledad - Salviamo il salvabile (backing vocals in Gioia e rivoluzione, Fiume sand creek, (Per quello che ho da fare) Faccio il militare, Nel ghetto, Gianna) 1991 - Gianni Cirigliano - No stop! (demo) (author, vocals) 1992 - Francesca Olivieri & Deep River Choir - Francesca Olivieri & Deep River Choir (bass chorister) 1994 - Fratelli di Soledad - Gridalo forte (backing vocals) 1995 - Africa Unite - Un sole che brucia (backing vocals in Rubaduba, Uniformi, Terra tua, Immobile) 1998 - Max Gazzè - La favola di Adamo ed Eva (co-composer, vocals, acoustic guitar in Colloquium vitæ) 1999 - Delta V - Psychobeat (author, vocals in La mia cosa)
Albums (CD) 2004 - Zerouno - Zerouno (vocals in Non ti conosco) 2007 - Vittorio Cane - Secondo (vocals in Ci proverò) 2008 - Stiv - Blu senape (vocals in Proiettile lento) 2009 - Hellzapop - Finché la luce è accesa (vocals in La notte delle stelle di plastica) 2011 - Max Gazzè - La favola di Adamo ed Eva - Max Gazzè (co-composer, vocals, acoustic guitar in Colloquium vitæ) 2011 - Soluzione - L'esperienza segna (vocals in Anni 70) 2011 - Persiana Jones - Essenze (vocals in Odio il lunedì) 2011 - Tilt - L'evoluzione delle ombre (co-author in Come se, Paura mai) 2012 - Davide Tosches - Il lento disgelo (vocals in Scintille) 2013 - Dj Fede - Tutti dentro… di nuovo (vocals in A chance for peace) 2014 - Fratelli di Soledad - Salviamo il salvabile (atto II) (backing vocals in Je vous salue Ninì) 2015 - Dj Fede - Funk & Dub (vocals in A chance for peace (Jolly Mare & B.Kun Dub Remix), Holdin' on (Dj Fede Fresh Dub), Lucky fellow (Pisti Remix), Lady Day & John Coltrane (Lady Dub by Alambic Conspiracy Dub Version), Con il nastro rosa (Pink Stripe Dub Remix by Alambic Conspiracy) 2017 - Dj Fede - Rude Boy Rocker (vocals in Holdin' On, Lucky fellow, A chance for peace, Lady Day & John Coltrane) 2018 - Powerillusi - Powerillusi & Friends (vocals, acoustic guitar, backing vocals in Quella del papà) 2018 - Max Gazzè - La favola di Adamo ed Eva - 1998-2018 Anniversary Edition (co-composer, vocals, acoustic guitar in Colloquium vitæ) 2019 - LATLETA - Miraggi (acoustic guitar in Io ti conosco) 2021 - Simona Palumbo - Latin land (co-author, composer, vocals in Un’onda) 2025 - Simona Palumbo - Latin vibes (co-author, composer, vocals in Un’onda (Remix)) 2025 - Tosello - Nel disordine delle cose (electric guitar in Volti stanchi)
Albums (Digital) 2007 - T.O.E.! - Vivisezione di un alluce (vocals in Carlo sei nei guai (Mao mix)). 2014 - Davi Campa - Metamorfosi (vocals, acoustic guitar in A volte cadiamo) 2015 - Il Tusco - Il Tusco canta e Mao gliele suona! (vocals in Demagogia fiscale) 2021 - Simona Palumbo - Latin land (co-author, composer, vocals in Un’onda) 2023 - Stiv Tirella - Tale e quale (co-author, vocals in Una notte e un giorno in più, Fuori) 2025 - Simona Palumbo - Latin vibes (co-author, composer, vocals in Un’onda (Remix)) 2026 - Delta V - In fatti ostili RMX (acoustic guitars, electric bass, remixer in Wendy (Mao Remix))
Albums (LP) 2014 - Dj Fede - Rude Boy Funker (vocals in Holdin' on, Lucky fellow, A chance for peace, Lady Day & John Coltrane, Lady Day & John Coltrane (Lady Dub - Alambic Conspiracy Dub Version)) 2018 - Max Gazzè - La favola di Adamo ed Eva - 1998-2018 Anniversary Edition (co-composer, vocals, acoustic guitar in Colloquium vitæ) 2019 - LATLETA - Miraggi (acoustic guitar in Io ti conosco)
Singles (10") 1994 - Fratelli di Soledad - Gridalo forte (backing vocals)
Singles (7") 2013 - Dj Fede - A change for peace / Torino violenta 2 (vocals in A change for peace) 2014 - Dj Fede - Lucky fellow / Ain't no Sunshine (vocals in Lucky fellow)
Singles (CD) 1999 - Max Gazzè - Colloquium vitæ (co-composer, vocals, acoustic guitar in Colloquium vitæ, Colloquium vitæ (album version))
Singles (Promo CD) 1999 - Max Gazzè - Colloquium vitæ (co-composer, vocals, acoustic guitar in Colloquium vitæ, Colloquium vitæ (album version)) 2007 - Vittorio Cane - Ci proverò (vocals)
Singles (Digital) 2011 - Soluzione - Anni 70 (vocals in Anni 70) 2018 - Trio Marciano feat. Bandakadabra - Stoppi 2022 - Trio Marciano - Incipit 2022 - Trio Marciano - Terme di Stura 2023 - Trio Marciano - Vieni a vivere di noi 2023 - Simona Palumbo - Un'onda (Remix) (co-author, composer, vocals)
EPs (Digital) 2023 - Trio Marciano - Trilogy
Compilations (CD) 1999 - VV.AA. - Hit Summer Now (Max Gazzè feat. Mao - Colloquium vitæ) 2002 - VV.AA. - Deejay for Christmas (Deejay All Stars - Tutti pazzi per Mary Xmas (Trying to Make a Fool of Me)) 2006 - VV.AA. - Piemontegroove Vol. 2 (Mao & The Nice Guys - Could be right) 2007 - Max Gazzè - The Best of Platinum (Max Gazzè feat. Mao - Colloquium vitæ)