Elena Gheorghe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elena Gheorghe
Gheorghe attending a meeting in Moscow after the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 semi-final
Background information
Born	(1985-07-30) 30 July 1985 (age 40)
Origin	Bucharest, Romania
Genres	Pop, dance, house
Occupation(s)	Singer
Labels	Cat Music, Major, Roton

Elena Gheorghe is a popular singer from Romania, born on July 30, 1985. In the early 2000s, she was part of a pop group called Mandinga. With Mandinga, she released two albums. In 2006, Elena decided to start her own solo music career. Since then, she has released several albums and had many hit songs. Her first solo song, "Vocea Ta," was a big success in Romania.

Elena's Early Life and Music Start

Elena Gheorghe was born in Bucharest, Romania. Her father was a priest, and many of her family members were also priests. Elena has a sister named Ana, who is a journalist. She also has a brother, Costin, who used to play football. Elena's mother, Mărioara Gheorghe, is a folk artist.

Elena started singing folk music when she was just three years old. At age 11, she joined the Children's National Palace. There, she took singing lessons to improve her voice. In 2000, she won a gold trophy called Little Bear in Baia Mare. She won it by singing "One Moment In Time" by Whitney Houston. In 2001, she also took part in the Mamaia Festival, a well-known music event. Elena has both Romanian and Aromanian family roots.

Elena's Music Journey

Singing with Mandinga (2002–2005)

Elena Gheorghe began singing with the band Mandinga in early 2003. Mandinga was a very popular band known for its Latin music style. In June 2003, Mandinga released their first album, ...De Corazón.

In March 2005, Mandinga competed in the Romanian National Eurovision Selection. Their song, "My Sun," came in fourth place. A year later, "My Sun" earned a golden disc award. In January 2006, Elena opened her own dance school called Passitos. Just one month later, she left Mandinga to start her solo career. She worked with music producer Laurenţiu Duţă to begin her new journey.

Starting a Solo Career (2006–2008)

In June 2006, Elena Gheorghe released her first solo album, titled Your Voice. This was a big step for her as a solo artist. In March 2007, she won an award from Radio România Actualitaţi. This award was for being the best performing artist of 2006. Her song "Your Voice" was also nominated for Best Song of 2006.

In August 2007, Elena won another award at the Romanian Top Hit Music Awards. She received the award for Best Song of 2007 for her song "Your Brown Eyes." Elena also sings some of her songs in the Aromanian language. Examples include "Ma ţi s-adar" and "Lilicea Vreariei". In 2007, she released her second solo album, Te Ador. The main song from this album also became a hit.

Eurovision Song Contest (2009)

Elena Gheorghe at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009

Towards the end of 2008, songwriter Laurenţiu Duţă gave Elena a song for the Romanian Eurovision pre-selection. Around December 31, 2008, it was announced that Elena was one of the 24 semi-finalists. She competed in the semi-final and moved on to the National Final on January 31, 2009.

In the final, she came in second place based on public votes. However, the jury's votes helped her win the selection. This meant she would represent Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. Her song for the contest was "The Balkan Girls." From February to May, she went on a tour across Europe to promote her song.

Elena performed "The Balkan Girls" in the first semi-final on May 12 in Moscow. She finished ninth with 67 points, which allowed her to move to the Grand Final on May 16. In the Grand Final, she performed as the 22nd act of the evening. Elena presented a special show about wooden fairies called Iele, which are part of Romanian folklore. She finished 19th that night, earning 40 points. She received 12 points from Moldova, seven from Spain, and five from Turkey and Macedonia.

Gaining European Fame (2010–2012)

After her appearance at Eurovision, Elena Gheorghe became more famous across Europe. She released her single "Disco Romancing," which was a huge hit in Romania. It also reached the top ten in Hungary and had good success in the Czech Republic, Netherlands, Poland, and Slovakia. Her next single, "Midnight Sun," was a top-ten hit in the Dutch Top 40 and the Romanian Top 100. ..... This song also charted well in many parts of Europe. In the same year, she went on her first European tour. She performed in countries like Germany, Spain, and Greece. Elena's album, "Disco Romancing," was released in a special limited edition in 2012 in Spain and Japan. This album also featured three more singles: "Your Captain Tonight," "Amar Tu Vida," and "Hypnotic."

Recent Projects (2013–Present)

In 2016, Disney Enterprises and Walt Disney Romania chose Elena to be part of an animated TV series. She sang the main theme song for the show, which is called Elena of Avalor.

In 2019, Elena organized an Aromanian music event. This event celebrated the Aromanian National Day, which is on May 23. In March 2022, she released a new song titled "Brațele."

Elena's Music Albums and Songs

Elena Gheorghe performing in 2013

Studio Albums

• 2006: Vocea Ta
• 2008: Te Ador
• 2012: Disco Romancing
• 2019: Lunâ Albâ
• 2022: Brațele

Albums with Mandinga

• 2003: ...de corazôn
• 2005: Soarele Meu

Compilation Album

• 2008: Lilicea Vreariei
  (Elena Gheorghe & Gică Coadă)

Singles

See Also

• List of music released by Romanian artists that has charted in major music markets