Xenia Ghali facts for kids

Xenia Ghali (born August 14, 1989) is a talented Greek artist. She writes songs, produces music, and works as a DJ. Xenia also started her own music company, Funky Sheep Records. She is well-known for her exciting dance music songs and stylish music videos.

About Xenia Ghali

Early Life and Music Training

Xenia Ghali was born in Paris, France, in 1989. She grew up in Athens, Greece, with her Greek mother and Egyptian father. Xenia is the older of two sisters.

She started learning music at a young age. From age 5, she had classical training on the piano and flute. When she was 15, she taught herself to play the guitar and drums. She even formed a high school band where she played lead guitar. This is also when she began writing her own songs.

In 2008, Xenia moved to the UK to study music. She earned a bachelor's degree in Creative Music Technology from the University of Surrey. Later, in 2012, she moved to New York. There, she earned a master's degree from New York University. Her studies focused on film scoring, music composition, and production.

Starting Her Music Career

Xenia began her career as a DJ, playing music with turntables. She performed at clubs in the UK, including the famous Ministry of Sound. In 2009, she placed fourth in a big European competition organized by Apple.

After finishing her bachelor's degree, Xenia continued her studies in New York. While there, she won an award at the 2013 iStandard Producer Showcase. In the summer of 2013, she performed at several live events in her home country, Greece. These included the MAD Video Music Awards Kick Off Party and the main awards show.

Xenia Ghali founded her first record label, Funky Sheep Records, in 2013. She later started Onyx 8 Records in 2023.

Big Collaborations and Hit Songs

In 2014, Xenia co-wrote and produced a song called "Change" for Ben Moon. Later that year, she signed with Pitbull's record label, Mr 305. She released her first song, "Broken," with singer Katt Rockell. This song became very popular on US Dance radio. The music video for "Broken" was also known for its fashion.

Xenia released a Greek version of "Broken" called "Gennithika Gia Sena" with Greek singer Tamta. This song reached number 2 on Greek radio. She performed it at a fashion and music event called MADwalk in 2014.

Also in 2014, Xenia worked with Greek pop star Sakis Rouvas. She co-wrote and produced his song "Open Eyes." He performed this song at the World Music Awards. Xenia also created remixes for other artists on Mr 305. She remixed Pitbull's song "Fun" and Mr Vegas' "My Jam."

In 2014, Xenia performed with famous DJ Erick Morillo in the US. Wyclef Jean joined her on stage to perform their song "Get Dirty." They also performed this song at the 2015 SXSW festival in Texas. Xenia played the turntables and piano during their performance. "Get Dirty" was released in 2015 on her label, Funky Sheep Records.

In 2016, Xenia released "Under These Lights" with Ethan Thompson. This song reached number 1 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. This success led to interviews with Billboard and The Huffington Post. Xenia also performed "Under These Lights" on Greece's X Factor. She is also a brand ambassador for companies like G-Star Raw and Adidas in Greece.

Xenia's song "Places" was released in late 2016. It featured vocals from actress Raquel Castro. The music video for "Places" starred Teen Wolf actor Ryan Kelley. "Places" also reached number 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Song Chart.

On January 26, 2018, Xenia released "Stick Around" with EDX's label Sirup Music. She said that EDX heard her song and liked it, then offered to release it on his label.

In 2019, Xenia Ghali's beat from "Black Betty's Worldwide" was used in Pitbull's song "Get Ready." This song featured Blake Shelton and was released in 2020. Xenia received credit as a producer for her part in creating the song's instrumental.

Xenia has DJed at many famous clubs around the world. These include Ministry of Sound, Cavo Paradiso, and Cielo. She has performed alongside top DJs like Steve Aoki and Martin Solveig. She has also headlined major festivals such as the Colour Day Festival.

Fashion and Music

Xenia Ghali has also explored the connection between fashion and music. In 2015, she spoke on a panel about "Fashion & Music" at the Winter Music Conference. She also created the soundtrack for fashion designer Michael Costello's 2015 fashion show video.

Xenia has worked with many well-known fashion brands. These include Armani Exchange, Yves Saint Laurent, and Calvin Klein. She has also been featured in popular magazines like Cosmopolitan Greece and Hello! Greece.

Discography

Solo Singles

• 2013: Xenia Ghali featuring Jessica Sutta - "Out with a Bang"
• 2014: Xenia Ghali featuring Katt Rockell – "Broken"
• 2014: Tamta featuring Xenia Ghali – "Gennithika Gia Sena"
• 2015: Xenia Ghali featuring Wyclef Jean – "Get Dirty"
• 2015: Xenia Ghali featuring Heymous Molly – "Black Betty's Worldwide"
• 2016: Xenia Ghali – "Under These Lights"
• 2016: Xenia Ghali featuring Raquel Castro – "Places"
• 2018: Xenia Ghali – "Stick Around"
• 2018: Xenia Ghali – "Lay In Your Arms"
• 2018: Xenia Ghali & Luca Debonaire – "The Good Feelin'"
• 2018: Xenia Ghali & Block & Crown – "Spectacular"
• 2018: Xenia Ghali & Luca Debonaire – "Coming Back"
• 2018: Xenia Ghali & Popcorn Poppers – "About Your Love"
• 2019: Xenia Ghali – "Turn Off The Rain"
• 2020: Xenia Ghali – "Rebel Soul"
• 2020: Xenia Ghali – "Purgatory"
• 2022: Xenia Ghali & Joanne – "Rapture"
• 2023: Xenia Ghali – "I Miss You"
• 2023: Xenia Ghali & Kid Moxie – "New God"
• 2024: Xenia Ghali – "Closer"
• 2024: Mert Harmankaya & Xenia Ghali – "Agathon"
• 2024: Xenia Ghali – "Shudder"

Songwriting and Production Credits

• 2013: Xenia Ghali featuring Jessica Sutta – "Out with a Bang"
• 2014: Tamta featuring Xenia Ghali – "Gennithika Gia Sena"
• 2014: Xenia Ghali featuring Katt Rockell – "Broken"
• 2014: Sakis Rouvas – "Open Eyes"
• 2014: Sakis Rouvas – "Pio Psila"
• 2014: Ben Moon – "Change"
• 2015: Xenia Ghali featuring Wyclef Jean – "Get Dirty"
• 2015: Pitbull featuring Chris Brown (Xenia Ghali Remix) -"Fun"
• 2016: Xenia Ghali – "Under These Lights"
• 2016: Xenia Ghali featuring Raquel Castro – "Places"
• 2018: Xenia Ghali – "Stick Around"
• 2018: Xenia Ghali – "Lay In Your Arms"
• 2018: Xenia Ghali & Luca Debonaire – "The Good Feelin'"
• 2018: Xenia Ghali & Block & Crown – "Spectacular"
• 2018: Xenia Ghali & Luca Debonaire – "Coming Back"
• 2018: Xenia Ghali & Popcorn Poppers – "About Your Love"
• 2019: Xenia Ghali – "Turn Off The Rain"
• 2020: Xenia Ghali – "Rebel Soul"
• 2020: Pitbull featuring Blake Shelton – "Get Ready"
• 2020: Xenia Ghali – "Purgatory"
• 2022: Xenia Ghali & Joanne – "Rapture"
• 2023: Xenia Ghali – "I Miss You"
• 2023: Xenia Ghali & Kid Moxie – "New God"
• 2024: Xenia Ghali – "Closer"
• 2024: Mert Harmankaya & Xenia Ghali – "Agathon"
• 2024: Xenia Ghali – "Shudder"