Mara Sattei in Sanremo 2026: who she is, her real name, her brother Thasup and the meaning of “The things you don’t know about me”

Mara Sattei returns to the Ariston stage with the song “Le cose che non sai di me”, chosen for the 76th edition of the Sanremo Festival, scheduled from 24 to 28 February 2026 with Carlo Conti and Laura Pausini conducting. This is the artist’s second participation in the Festival, after the 2023 edition in which he presented the song “Duemilaminuti”.

The real name and the origins of the stage name

Mara Sattei’s real name is Sara Mattei. She was born in Fiumicino, in the province of Rome, on 28 April 1995. The stage name was born from a simple play on words: after her experience at Amici di Maria De Filippi, Sara Mattei decided to reinvent herself by reversing the initials of her name and surname, thus obtaining Mara Sattei, a symbolic and clear break with the past for the beginning of a completely new artistic journey.

The parents: a family immersed in music

The passion for music is not accidental, given that Mara Sattei’s mother is a gospel singer, and since she was a child she grew up in an environment where vocal harmonies and live music were at home, given that her uncle was also in the field, playing electronic music. Thanks to family stimuli, Sara soon began studying singing and piano.

The brother: Thasup

Mara Sattei’s brother is Davide Mattei, known to the general public as Thasup, one of the most influential rappers and producers on the Italian music scene in recent years. The artistic partnership between the two is very close: Thasup produced many of Mara’s songs, including the new album “Che me ne fai del tempo”, released on 13 February 2026 in digital format and available from 27 February in physical format. Even in the song brought to Sanremo, the brother is among the co-authors of the musical part.

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The things you don’t know about me

The song is a contemporary, intimate and visual ballad, which was born in a certain sense in the family: Mara wrote the lyrics, while the music was written together with her brother Thasup, her partner Alessandro Donadei and Edwyn Brun. The song is an authentic dedication of love to the person with whom she shares her life, Donadei himself who on his thirtieth birthday, in April 2025, asked her to marry him.

Here are the full lyrics of the song:

When you’re with me
You know the sky is there
It reminds me of summer
And Trastevere
Start painting
Above all the houses
That light pink
Cotton candy
You don’t know how many times
I tried to fly far away
It seems easy
This life that
Shuffle all the cards
We children who
They think about laughing
With giant dreams inside
And we fall asleep
Here in front of a film
You don’t know how many times
I think we’ll leave tomorrow
But how beautiful is madness?
Every night to say
The things you don’t know about me
Your voice on sad days
It heals my disorder
I would like
Just talk to you about love
In the silence of what I don’t say
While I get lost in your smile
Forever
When they are with me
Those tears
I am the summer rain
Above the roof I look at those people who
He hugs and laughs and seems simple
And the stars those thoughts in the sky
They remain so that we will never forget them
It’s everything I’ve never done
It’s living life the way you want
Every night to say
The things you don’t know about me
Your voice on sad days
It heals my disorder
I would like
Just talk to you about love
In the silence of what I don’t say
While I get lost in your smile
But ultimately
Every time I’m scared
And I feel lost
But then with you
I know how to feel
Even when it starts raining
Above those questions, perhaps
You stay here
Every night to say
The things you don’t know about me
Your voice on sad days
It heals my disorder
Every night to say
The things you don’t know about me
Your voice on sad days
It heals my disorder
I would like
Just talk to you about love
In the silence of what I don’t say
While I get lost in your smile
Forever