Elhaida Dani facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elhaida Dani
Dani at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015
Born	(1993-02-17) 17 February 1993 (age 32) Shkodër, Albania
Education	University of Arts, Tirana, Albania
Occupation	Singer
Years active	2008–present
Musical career
Genres	Pop-rock
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Labels	Folé Publishing
Associated acts	Riccardo Cocciante

Elhaida Dani (pronounced el-HY-da DAH-nee) is a talented singer and songwriter from Albania. She was born on February 17, 1993, in the city of Shkodër. From a young age, Elhaida loved music. She started singing when she was just four years old and later learned to play the piano.

Elhaida became very well-known in Albania and nearby countries after winning several music competitions. These included Star Academy Albania, Top Fest, and Festivali i Këngës. She also gained fame in Italy by winning the first season of The Voice of Italy.

In 2015, Elhaida represented Albania in the famous Eurovision Song Contest. She performed the song "I'm Alive" after winning Festivali i Këngës. Later, in 2017, she took part in another big Albanian music competition called Kënga Magjike, where she finished in second place with her song "E Ngrirë". Elhaida also became popular in Italy and France for her role in the musical Notre-Dame de Paris.

Elhaida Dani's Music Journey

Early Life and First Steps in Music

Elhaida Dani was born in Shkodër, Albania, on February 17, 1993. She began singing at age four and later took piano lessons. She also studied music at the University of Arts in Tirana. This helped her learn more about how music works.

Elhaida started her professional music career in 2009. She won many music festivals, like Star Academy, Sunčane Skale, Festivalul George Grigoriu, and Nova Musica. In December 2011, she tried to represent Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. She competed in the 50th Festivali i Këngës with her song "Mijëra vjet". In June 2012, she won the ninth Top Fest competition with her song "S'je më".

Winning The Voice of Italy and Eurovision

Elhaida Dani performing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna, Austria.

In March 2013, Elhaida auditioned for the first season of The Voice of Italy. She sang "Mamma Knows Best" and impressed all four judges. She chose to join Team Cocciante. Elhaida did very well throughout the show. She won the competition in May 2013 with over 70% of the votes. After her big win, she signed a music contract with Universal Music.

In October 2014, the Albanian TV station RTSH announced Elhaida would compete in the 53rd Festivali i Këngës. Her song was "Diell". She won the festival, which meant she would represent Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. However, the composer of "Diell" later withdrew the song. So, Elhaida changed her song to "I'm Alive" for Eurovision.

At the Eurovision contest, Albania made it to the grand final. Elhaida finished in 17th place with 34 points.

Notre-Dame de Paris and Recent Success

Elhaida Dani as Esmeralda in the musical Notre Dame de Paris.

In 2016, Elhaida was chosen to play the role of Esmeralda in the famous musical Notre Dame de Paris. She has been touring the world with this show since then. In December 2017, she competed in Kënga Magjike again and finished second.

After a three-year break from releasing new music, Elhaida released her second extended play (EP) called Zanin on September 20, 2021. She worked with Albanian songwriters and producers like Alban Kondi and Elgit Doda on this EP. In October 2022, she joined the 8th season of Dancing with the Stars Albania. She often received top scores from the judges during the live shows. In December 2022, Elhaida Dani released a new song called "Vetja". Kledi Bahiti wrote the song.

Music Releases

Extended Plays

Singles

As the Main Artist

Other Songs That Charted

See also

In Spanish: Elhaida Dani para niños