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 (born 8 July 1991), known simply as Manizha, is a talented singer and songwriter from Russia and Tajikistan. She is also a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, which means she helps the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Manizha started her music journey in 2003 when she was a child. She sang with groups like Ru.Kola, Assai, and Krip De Shin. Later, she became a solo artist. In 2021, she proudly represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with her song "Russian Woman".

Early Life and Education

Manizha was born on 8 July 1991 in Dushanbe, which is the capital of Tajikistan. Her mother, Najiba Usmanova, is a psychologist and clothing designer. Her father was a doctor. Manizha's parents are divorced. Her father did not want her to become a singer because he thought it was not a good career for a Muslim woman.

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 stop wearing a veil and start her own career. Manizha changed her last name from Khamrayeva to Sangin to honor her grandmother. Her grandmother was one of the first people who encouraged her to pursue music.

In 1994, Manizha and her family had to leave Tajikistan because of the Tajikistani Civil War. They moved to Moscow, Russia. In Moscow, Manizha began studying at a music school where she learned to play the piano. She later left the school to take private singing lessons. Manizha also studied psychology at the Russian State University for the Humanities.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out (2003–2015)

Manizha began singing in 2003 as a child. She won many children's singing contests, including the Grand Prix of the Rainbow Stars competition. She also won awards at the Ray of Hope festival and the Kaunas Talent competition. She recorded songs in both Russian and Tajik.

In 2007, she joined a music project called 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. After that, she joined Krip De Shin with other former members of Assai. With Krip De Shin, she released an extended play (a shorter album) and performed at music festivals in Russia.

Manizha later left Krip De Shin because of creative differences. She then moved to London and 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 album, Manuscript, came out in February 2017. After that, she worked on her second album, ЯIAM, which was released in March 2018. Manizha said this album was about a person's "architecture of the personality." Her first solo extended play, Womanizha, was released in April 2019.

Eurovision and Recent Music (2021–Present)

In March 2021, Manizha was chosen to compete in the Russian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. She sang her song "Russian Woman". On 8 March 2021, she won the final with 39.7% of the public votes. She then represented Russia in the contest in Rotterdam. She finished in ninth place out of 26 countries, earning 204 points.

After the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Manizha spoke out against it. She mentioned that her husband and sister-in-law have Ukrainian backgrounds. On 13 March, she released a song called "Soldier" in response to the invasion. Because of the invasion, Russia was not allowed to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 or future contests. This means Manizha is the last Russian representative in the main Eurovision contest.

Social Work and Activism

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 struggles with body image. At a concert in Moscow, she even removed her stage makeup and invited her audience to do the same.

Manizha supports many charity groups. She has performed at festivals for children with autism and for children with cancer. She also took part in an event to help children with rare skin conditions.

In February 2019, Manizha started a campaign against domestic violence. She launched a free mobile app called Silsila, which means "thread" in Persian. This app helps victims of domestic violence. It has a panic button for emergencies and lists nearby crisis centers and shelters. Manizha's mother even sold her apartment to help pay for the app. Manizha also released a music video for her song "Mama" to raise awareness about violence against women and teenagers.

Manizha also actively supports the LGBT community. In 2019, she appeared in a video for a Russian online queer magazine during Pride Month. She said that about 10,000 people stopped following her on Instagram after this. 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) named Manizha a Goodwill Ambassador. This role allows her to help refugees around the world. On 9 December 2021, Manizha visited Almaty, Kazakhstan, to support a campaign against gender-based violence.

Her opposition to the war in Ukraine led to her facing challenges, with some of her performances being canceled.

Personal Life

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

Awards and Nominations

Discography

Studio Albums

Extended Plays

See also

In Spanish: Manizha para niños