Manizha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Manizha
Manizha in 2023
Background information
Native name	Мани́жа
Birth name	Manizha Dalerovna Khamrayeva
Also known as	Manizha Sangin
Born	(1991-07-08) 8 July 1991 (age 34) Dushanbe, Tajik SSR, Soviet Union
Origin	Moscow, Russia
Genres	Art pop folktronica
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	2003–present

Manizha Dalerovna Sangin (Russian: Мани́жа Дале́ровна Санги́н; née Khamrayeva Russian: Хамра́ева; Tajik: Ҳамроева; born 8 July 1991), known simply as Manizha, is a singer and songwriter from Russia and Tajikistan. She is also a special helper for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, working to help people who have had to leave their homes.

Manizha started her music journey in 2003 as a child singer. She later performed with groups like Ru.Kola, Assai, and Krip De Shin. After that, she began her own solo career. In 2021, she represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with her song "Russian Woman".

Manizha's Early Life and Education

Manizha was born on 8 July 1991, in Dushanbe. Her mother, Najiba Usmanova, is a psychologist and clothing designer. Her father was a doctor. Manizha's parents are divorced. Her father had different ideas for her career path.

Manizha's grandfather, Toji Usmon, was a famous Tajik writer and journalist. There is even a monument dedicated to him in Khujand. Her great-grandmother was one of the first women in Tajikistan to choose her own career. Manizha changed her last name from Khamrayeva to Sangin to honor her grandmother. Her grandmother was one of the first people to encourage her to sing.

In 1994, Manizha and her family moved from Tajikistan to Moscow. They left because of a difficult time in their home country. In Moscow, Manizha started studying piano at a music school. She later left the school to train with private vocal teachers. Manizha also studied psychology at the Russian State University for the Humanities.

Manizha's Music Career

Starting Her Music Journey (2003–2015)

Manizha began singing in 2003 when she was a child. She entered many children's singing contests. She won top awards at the Rainbow Stars competition in Jūrmala. She also won at the Ray of Hope festival and the Kaunas Talent competition in Kaunas.

She recorded songs in both Russian and Tajik. In 2007, she joined the music group Ru.Kola. That same year, she was a finalist at the Five Stars music competition in Sochi.

Manizha later left Ru.Kola and joined the Russian group Assai in 2011. She then joined Krip De Shin with other former members of Assai. With Krip De Shin, she recorded a shorter music album and performed at festivals in Russia. She later left the group because they had different ideas about their music. After leaving, Manizha moved to London. She then studied gospel music in both London and New York City.

Becoming an Independent Artist (2016–2020)

In 2016, Manizha returned to her music career. She released several songs on her own. Her first full album, Manuscript, came out in February 2017.

After Manuscript, Manizha started working on her second album, ЯIAM. It was released in March 2018. Manizha said the album was about "how a person's feelings and thoughts are put together." Her first solo shorter music album, Womanizha, was released in April 2019.

Eurovision and Recent Music (2021–Present)

In March 2021, Manizha was chosen to take part in the Russian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. She performed her song "Russian Woman". On 8 March 2021, Manizha won the final after getting 39.7% of the public vote. She then represented Russia in the contest in Rotterdam. She finished ninth out of 26 countries, earning 204 points.

In February 2022, Manizha spoke out against the conflict in Ukraine. She mentioned that her husband and sister-in-law have Ukrainian backgrounds. On 13 March, she released the song "Soldier" in response.

Because of the conflict, Russia was not allowed to enter the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. They were also banned from future contests. This means Manizha is the last Russian representative in the main Eurovision contest.

Manizha's Social Work

Manizha uses her platform to support important causes.

In 2017, she started sharing unedited photos of herself with the hashtag #TheTraumaOfBeauty. She wrote about her own struggles with body image. At a concert in Moscow, she took off her stage makeup and invited her audience to do the same.

Manizha supports many charity groups. She performed at a festival for children with autism in 2017. She also helped at an event for children with cancer in 2018. She took part in the "Star of Kindness" event to help children with rare skin conditions.

In February 2019, Manizha started a campaign against violence at home. She launched a free mobile app called Silsila, which means "thread" in Persian. This app helps people in difficult situations at home. It has a panic button for emergencies. It also lists nearby safe places and help centers. Manizha's mother even sold her apartment to help pay for the app. Manizha and director Lado Quatania also made a music video for her song "Mama." The video talks about the problem of violence against women and teens.

Manizha also supports different communities and groups of people, promoting acceptance and understanding. In 2019, she appeared in a video for a Russian online magazine during Pride Month. She said that about 10,000 people stopped following her on Instagram after that. In 2020, she sang her version of Cher's song "Believe" for a digital Pride event. She also performed at the Queerfest in St. Petersburg.

In October 2020, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced Manizha as a Goodwill Ambassador. This means she helps the UN spread awareness and support for refugees.

On 9 December 2021, Manizha visited Almaty, Kazakhstan. She was there to support a campaign against gender-based violence.

After the conflict in Ukraine began in February 2022, Manizha faced challenges. Some of her concerts were cancelled after government supporters shared personal information about concert organizers.

Manizha's Personal Life

On 6 September 2022, Manizha announced that she married film director Lado Kvataniya. They welcomed a daughter in July 2023.

Manizha's Awards and Nominations

Manizha's Music Albums

Studio Albums

Shorter Music Albums (Extended Plays)

Singles (Individual Songs)

See also

In Spanish: Manizha para niños