Elvana Gjata

Elvana Gjata (Albanian pronunciation: [ɛlvana ɟata]; born 3 February 1987), also known mononymously as Elvana, is an Albanian singer, songwriter, composer, actress and entrepreneur, who has been recognised for embracing a variety of musical styles throughout her career.[2] Before her professional career, she performed in diverse singing and dancing competitions as a child.

Elvana Gjata
Elvana Gjata, 2015
Born (1987-02-03) 3 February 1987
Tirana, Albania
Occupation
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actress
Years active2000–present
Notable work
Parent(s)
  • Fatmir Gjata
  • Donika Gjata
RelativesMigena Gjata (sister)
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentsVocals
LabelsEast Music Matters
Associated acts

Born and raised in Tirana, Elvana gained significant recognition in the Albanian-speaking World with the release of her two studio albums Mamës (2007) and Afër dhe larg (2011) both of which were influenced by R&B and Dance-pop music. Her follow-up extended play 3 (2018) incorporated more elements of contemporary Pop-rock and Balkan-folk music.

She has more than 664 million views, as of December 2019, on YouTube being among the most viewed artists in the Albanian music industry.[3][4] She is also among the most followed artists on Instagram in Albania, Kosovo and other Albanian-speaking territories.[5] She is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including the Balkan Music Award, Festivali i Këngës Award, Kënga Magjike Award and Top Fest Award.[6][7][8][9] She also won season three of the dancing competition television series Dancing with the Stars.[10]

Life and career

1987–2004: Early life

Elvana Gjata was born on 3 February 1987 into an Albanian family of the Roman Catholic faith in the city of Tirana, then part of the People's Republic of Albania, present Albania.[11][12][13] Her father Fatmir has served in the Albanian Armed Forces for more than two decades.[14] Her older sister Migena is also a singer and soprano with a musical career based in Germany.[15] She studied to become a film director at the University of Arts in Tirana.[16][17][18] Describing her early life, she has said that she was raised in a poor but happy home.[19][11]

2005–2012: Career and albums

Elvana began to dedicate herself to music when she was fourteen as she auditioned for the Albanian talent show Ethet e së premtes mbrëma.[11][20][21] After one year, she participated in Festivali i Këngës with the song "Pranë Teje" whom she dedicated to God.[22] In 2004, she released her first single "Të Kam Xhan" composed for her participation in Kënga Magjike by her future collaborator and manager Flori Mumajesi. She began working on her debut album "Mamës" shortly after.[11] Since then, she has participated two times in the aforementioned competition, including in 2007 and in 2009 placing third with the song "Ku Jeton Dashuria" in 2007, and second in 2009 with the song "Dhe Zemra Ndal".[23]

In 2011, Elvana released her second studio album Afër dhe Larg with fifteen tracks, including the eponymous single "Afër dhe Larg".[24] The single earned Elvana her first Balkan Music Awards for Best Albanian Song of the Year, Best Music Video in the Balkans and the Best Song in the Balkans.[6][25] The same year, she won the Top Festival with the song "Me Ty", which she dedicated to her friend Elsina Hidersha who died in a car accident that year.[26][7][27]

In 2012, Gjata only released one single that year. The single, called "Gjaku im" (My blood), which was accompanied with a music video, was made in order to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Independence of Albania. The music video premiered on April 28, 2012[28] and contained a strong message to the Albanian people.[29] During this year, Gjata appeared in many Albanian adverts, and she became the image of Tring Digital an Albanian TV platform[30] and of TEB Bank. Gjata had mentioned in an interview that dancing was her second passion.[31] She was asked to enter the third season of Dancing With the Stars. Her partner was Gerdi. She was the fan-favourite to win the show from the beginning. In the grand final, Gjata was declared the winner of the series.[32][33]

2013–2016

In early 2013, Gjata recorded five acoustic live sessions. During the year, Gjata released four new singles: "Fake", "Fake (Remix)", "Beso" (Believe) (featuring 2po2) and "1990" (featuring MC Kresha). The single "Fake" was penned by Gjata herself and she criticized the current issues in Albania.[34] The song reached a lot of success on social media and was called "Top Dance Track" on Deezer beating famous artists such as David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia and many others.[35] It also reached No. 12 on Deezer's top tracks beating Jennifer Lopez, Emeli Sande and Rihanna. She released a remix of the song later, in a collaboration with Flori Mumajesi, KAOS and P.I.N.T.[36]

Gjata was nominated for four awards at the Videofest Awards for her single "Beso" with 2Po2, in which she took home two awards. During summer, Gjata toured around the Albanian-speaking territories, as well as Switzerland, Germany and the Scandinavian countries.[37]

In early 2014, Gjata released her single "Disco Disco" which reached number one on MyMusic TV's charts and was one of the most successful Albanian songs of 2014. Later, it was announced that Gjata was the face of Albtelecom. In the summer of 2014, Gjata released another single called "Puthe" (Kiss). The single was a commercial success in Albania and many social media users paid tribute to the single.

2017–present: United States

Following several months spent in the United States, Elvana came into close liaison with prominent figures such as American producer Poo Bear and French disc jockey David Guetta.[38][39][40][38][41] In February 2017, she attended the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles upon the invitation of Poo Bear.[42] In June 2017, she released her first English-language single "Forever Is Over", which reached number one in Albania.[43] Several months later, in February 2018, she premiered her second extended play 3.[44] In April 2018, Poo Bear released his debut studio album Poo Bear Presents Bearthday Music and featured Elvana on his single "Shade".[45] The same month, she collaborated with American rapper Ty Dolla Sign on her follow-up single "Off Guard" and peaked at number twenty seven in her native country.[46]

In June 2019, Elvana collaborated a second time with Albanian rapper Capital T on "Fustani" and went on to number one in Albania.[47] The aforementioned single was preceded by "Meine Liebe" featuring German-Albanian singer Ardian Bujupi and reached number seventy three in Switzerland.[48] In August 2019, she released her follow-up single "A m'don" and went on to perform at the Sunny Hill Festival in Pristina, sharing stage with other acclaimed artists, such as Miley Cyrus, Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa.[49][50][51] In October 2019, Albanian broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar announced Elvana as one of the twenty contestants selected to compete in the 58th edition of Festivali i Këngës with the song "Me Tana".[52] She subsequently became the bookmakers and fans favourite to win the competition however, in the grand final she finished in the second place, gaining the maximum number of points from the international jury.[53]

Artistry

Elvana's musical work and fashion sense are widely covered by media throughout Albania and the Albanian-speaking World. Her music is often defined as R&B and pop, however, she also has incorporated a variety of other music genres into her music, including EDM, ethnic-pop, dance-pop, funk, pop rock and soul.[1][54][55] She has named Albanian female musicians such as Vaçe Zela, Parashqevi Simaku, Aurela Gaçe and Nexhmije Pagarusha as her musical influences.[56]

In regard to her fashion sense, several observers have commended her style for its captiousness and versatility.[57][58][59] Around the time of the release of her second extended play 3, many critics praised the singers's style, sound and musical material describing her as an "icon of fashion".[60]

Discography
Main articles: Elvana Gjata discography and songs
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See also

References
  1. "Elvana Gjata–Credits". allmusic.com. All Media Network.
  2. "Elvana Gjata–Biografia". teksteshqip.com (in Albanian). Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  3. "Elvana Gjata Vevo–Channel Info". youtube.com. Note: 471 million views on her YouTube channel.
  4. "Elvana Gjata–Channel Info". youtube.com. Note: 193 million views on her Vevo YouTube channel
  5. "10 shqiptarët më të ndjekur në Instagram". kohajone.com (in Albanian). 1 March 2019.
  6. "Elvana Gjata". balkanika.tv. Balkanika TV. In 2012, Elvana Gjata’s song “Afer dhe Larg” won at the Balkan Music Awards for Best Albanian Song of the Year and Best Music Video of the Year.
  7. ""Top Fest 8", fiton Elvana Gjata me këngën kushtuar "Emmy"-t". panorama.com.al (in Albanian). 7 June 2011.
  8. "Festivali i 58-të i Këngës në RTSH, juria përzgjedh 20 këngëtarët pjesëmarrës". rtsh.al (in Albanian). Tirana: Radio Televizioni Shqiptar. 24 October 2019.
  9. "Elvana Gjata–Biografia". festivali-rtsh.al (in Albanian). Festivali i Këngës. Retrieved 25 November 2019. Nëse bie tërmet, mos u shqetësoni… është Elvana që rikthehet në Festivalin e Këngës pas 17 vitesh!
  10. "Elvana fiton "Dancing With The Stars Albania 3"". telegrafi.com (in Albanian). 15 June 2012.
  11. "Elvana Gjata, portreti i vajzës fqinjë". anabelmagazine.com (in Albanian). 1 December 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  12. "Kështu e shënon sot Elvana Gjata ditëlindjen (FOTO)". prive.al (in Albanian). 3 February 2018. E lindur me 3 Shkurt të vitit 1987
  13. "Elvana Gjata feston sot ditëlindjen, nuk do ta besoni sa vjeç mbush ajo". revistawho.com (in Albanian). 3 February 2018. .. por e lindur më 3 shkurt të vitit 1987 ..
  14. "Elvana Gjata i harron të gjitha në këtë ditë: 'Je pika ime e dobët!'". anabelmagazine.com (in Albanian). Anabel Magazine. 5 August 2016.
  15. "Migena Gjata–Über die Künstlerin". migenagjata.de (in German).
  16. "Sepse vetëm muzika s'i mjafton, Elvana Gjata debuton edhe si regjisore". prive.al (in Albanian). 18 August 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  17. "Këta janë artistët shqiptarë që kanë kryer fakultete". gazetablic.com (in Albanian). Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  18. "Sot në maja, po ç'kanë studiuar vip-at dhe politikanët/ Nga Edi Rama te Armina Mevlani". faxweb.al (in Albanian). 3 March 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2019. Elvana Gjata e ftuar në emisionin “Xing me Ermalin” pak ditë më parë zbuloi se ka studiuar për regji megjithëse nuk e ka praktikuar asnjëherë këtë profesion.
  19. "Elvana Gjata rrëfen fëmijërinë e vështirë dhe të varfër, reagimi i nënës së saj do ju shkrijë së qeshuri". oranews.tv (in Albanian). 18 February 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  20. "Kjo vajzë është sozia e Elvana Gjatës". gazetablic.com (in Albanian). Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  21. "Kur Elvana Gjata ishte pjesë e Ethet e së premtes". klankosova.tv (in Albanian). 30 August 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  22. "Elvana GJATA - Me tana". festivali.rtsh.al (in Albanian). Festivali i Këngës. Retrieved 28 December 2019. Një vit më pas, Elvana merr pjesë për herë të parë në Festivalin e Këngës me këngën e shkruar nga vetë ajo, “Pranë teje”.
  23. "KENGA MAGJIKE 2009". tvklan.al (in Albanian). TV Klan. Archived from the original on 1 March 2010.
  24. "Elvana publikon albumin "Afër dhe larg"". telegrafi.com (in Albanian). 10 August 2011.
  25. "Elvana Gjata". web.archive.org. Balkanika TV. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013.
  26. "Elvana Gjata triumfon në "Top Fest 8"". top-channel.tv (in Albanian). Top Channel. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011.
  27. "Elvana triumfon në "Top Fest 8"". telegrafi.com (in Albanian). 5 June 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  28. Me 28 Prill Klipi I Ri “gjaku Im” Archived 2014-01-11 at the Wayback Machine. Teksteshqip.com. Retrieved on 2015-12-13.
  29. Super Videoklipi “Gjaku im” Archived 2014-01-11 at the Wayback Machine. Teksteshqip.com. Retrieved on 2015-12-13.
  30. Imazh I Tring Digital Archived 2014-03-22 at the Wayback Machine. Teksteshqip.com. Retrieved on 2015-12-13.
  31. Pasion Dhe Sukses Edhe Ne Kercim Archived 2014-03-22 at the Wayback Machine. Teksteshqip.com. Retrieved on 2015-12-13.
  32. Njësh Për Elvanën Archived 2013-09-06 at the Wayback Machine. Teksteshqip.com. Retrieved on 2015-12-13.
  33. Fiton Dancing With The Stars Albania 3 Archived 2013-09-06 at the Wayback Machine. Teksteshqip.com. Retrieved on 2015-12-13.
  34. Përgadit ‘fake 2’ Archived 2013-08-27 at the Wayback Machine. Teksteshqip.com. Retrieved on 2015-12-13.
  35. Bëhuni Gati Për “Fake” Archived 2013-09-06 at the Wayback Machine. Teksteshqip.com. Retrieved on 2015-12-13.
  36. Së Shpejti Versioni Remix Për Këngën “Fake” Archived 2013-09-06 at the Wayback Machine. Teksteshqip.com. Retrieved on 2015-12-13.
  37. Koncerte Në Vendet Skandinave Archived 2013-09-06 at the Wayback Machine. Teksteshqip.com. Retrieved on 2015-12-13.
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  39. "Elvana Gjata zbulon jetën përrallore në SHBA, grimierja i zbardh misterin". panorama.com.al. 22 April 2017.
  40. Eugene S. Robinson (7 June 2019). "WHEN ALBANIAN SINGERS CRUSHED THE WORLD". ozy.com.
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  44. "Kështu e shënon sot Elvana Gjata ditëlindjen". prive.al (in Albanian). 3 February 2018.
  45. "Stream Poo Bear's Debut Album "Bearthday Music"". hotnewhiphop.com. 26 April 2018.
  46. "Off Guard (feat. Ty Dolla $ign) - Single by Elvana". iTunes Store (CA). Retrieved April 21, 2018.
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  49. "Elvana Gjata shfaqet si kurrë më parë në klipin e ri". alsat-m.tv (in Albanian). 9 August 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  50. "LINE UP 2019". sunnyhillfestival.com. Sunny Hill Festival.
  51. "Elvana Gjata e gatshme për Sunny Hill Festival (FOTO)". klankosova.tv (in Albanian). 1 August 2019.
  52. "Festivali i 58-të i Këngës në RTSH, juria përzgjedh 20 këngëtarët pjesëmarrës". rtsh.al (in Albanian). 24 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
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  55. "Elvana publikon "Forever Is Over" produced by David Guetta featured ne Vevo!". radionrg.al (in Albanian). 14 June 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  56. "Elvana Gjata uron Nexhmije Pagarushën për ditëlindjen e saj". lajmi.net (in Albanian). 7 May 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  57. "Elvana vishet e tëra me të bardha, shkëlqen me pamjen e saj". kosova.news (in Albanian). 14 October 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  58. "10 veshjet më të bukura nga vajza e ditëlindjes, Elvana Gjata!". intv.al (in Albanian). 3 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
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  60. "Elvana Gjata e tregon edhe një herë se është ikona e stilit". gazetablic.com (in Albanian). Retrieved 27 February 2020.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Aurela Gaçe
with Origjinale		 Performer of The Best Song in Balkans
2012		 Succeeded by
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