Collaborations & Biography
Donato Emma
Collaborations
Arisa, Tommaso Paradiso, Mahmood, Malika Ayane, Mario Venuti, Biagio Antonacci, Chiara Galiazzo, Simona Molinari, Baltimora, Nesli, Antonella Ruggiero, Federica Carta, Roy Paci, Federica Abbate, Leo Einaudi, Dile, Luca Madonia, Ivan Segreto, Andrea Braido, Mamakass, Maria Tomba, Miele, Nava, Cecilia, Irbis.
Biography
Born in Caltanissetta on April 10, 1987, Donato Emma was drawn to music from an early age. At just six years old, he began studying piano, but it was the drums—his father’s instrument—that definitively won him over two years later. From that moment, a passion was born that would lead him to perform on some of Italy’s most prestigious stages.At the age of ten he founded his first band, New Generation, and between 14 and 16 he refined his technique at the “Villa Fiocchi” music school in Caltanissetta. At 19 he took part in the jazz seminars at the Berklee College of Music in Perugia, studying with Ron Savage and Oscar Stagnaro. The following year he was a finalist in the “Drummers of Tomorrow” competition and continued his training at the Accademia del Suono in Milan with Ellade Bandini and Maxx Furian.From 2005 to 2010 he was the drummer for Merce Fresca, a pop/ska band with which he recorded three albums and performed throughout Italy. This was followed by experiences with the Orchestra Filarmonica Nissena and the Orchestra Pop Siciliana, accompanying artists such as Gatto Panceri and Eleonora Crupi.In 2011 he recorded “Del mio tempo” by Giovanna D’Angi, followed by a tour with Andrea Braido. He then collaborated with Sherrita Duran and Matteo Amantia and took part in the recording of the musical Macbeth at the Teatro Sistina in Rome.In 2013 he joined Mario Venuti’s band, with whom he recorded “Il tramonto dell’Occidente” (2014), an album featuring Franco Battiato, Alice, Giusy Ferreri, Francesco Bianconi, Kaballà, and Nicolò Carnesi. With Venuti he performed at major Italian theaters and clubs, also taking part in the May Day Concert in Rome and numerous subsequent tours, including Motore di Vita and Soyuz 10.Over the years he has also played with Antonella Ruggiero, Roy Paci, and Miele (with whom he also collaborated at the Sanremo Festival 2016), and accompanied Biagio Antonacci at the Sanremo Festival 2020.From 2021 to 2023 he further expanded his musical horizons, collaborating live and in the studio with Simona Molinari (studio album), Miele (studio album), Nava (live and studio album), Cecilia (two studio albums), Irbis37 (singles), Luca Madonia (singles), Ivan Segreto (live), Baltimora (2022 tour), Malika Ayane (2022 tour), Chiara Galiazzo (2022 and 2023 tours), Federica Carta (single), Nesli (single and tour), Dile (single), and Federica Abbate (live).In 2024 he was on stage with Roy Paci, Mamakass, Chiara Galiazzo, and on selected dates with Mahmood.In 2025 he began new studio collaborations: with Arisa, recording the new album “Foto mosse”, featuring the Sanremo 2026 song “Magica favola”; with Tommaso Paradiso, recording the single “Citofonare Paradiso”, included in the album “Casa Paradiso”; and with Leo Einaudi, recording his debut album, due for release in September 2026. In the same year, he also recorded the album by Maria Tomba, a participant in X Factor 2023.From May 2026 he takes part in Arisa’s summer and autumn tour, performing on some of the most important Italian theater and festival stages.