Ani Lorak
Encyclopedia
Karolina Miroslavivna Kuiek, , popularly known as Ani Lorak , born 27 September 1978, Kitsman
Kitsman
Kitsman is a city located in the Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Kitsman Raion, and is located at around . The town is about northwest from Chernivtsi on the road to Zalishchyky....

, Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...

, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

, is a famous Ukrainian pop singer
Pop Singer
"Pop Singer" is the début single from London-based glam rockers Rachel Stamp. It was released in February, 1996 through WEA. The single was released as a 2 track CD Single and limited edition pink 7" vinyl of 1000 copies...

, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

, actress, entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...

, and former UN Goodwill Ambassador. Having received Ukraine's most prestigious and honorary title, the People's Artist of Ukraine
People's Artist of Ukraine
People's Artist of Ukraine is an honorary and the highest title awarding to outstanding performing artists whose merits are exceptional in the sphere of the development of the performing arts ....

, Lorak has been cited as one of the most powerful and influential women in her country, as well as ranked one of the most beautiful women from Eastern Europe.

Lorak represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Ukraine competed in the second semi-final on the 22 May 2008, in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 and won a place in the final. The country chose their singer by choosing an internal selection. Therefore they selected the young and talented singer Ani Lorak to be their representative for Eurovision...

 with the song "Shady Lady
Shady Lady
"Shady Lady" was the Ukrainian entry for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. It was sung by Ani Lorak, composed by Philipp Kirkorov and written by Karen Kavaleryan. However, in Greece, around the time of the Contest, there were many rumors stating that popular composer Dimitris Kontopoulos had...

" and came in 2nd place behind Dima Bilan
Dima Bilan
' is a Russian actor and pop singer . Bilan represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Never Let You Go", finishing second, and he won the contest in 2008 in Belgrade, with the song "Believe". He has had several Russian no. 1 hits....

 from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. She came second in the Press Award Eurovision Song Contest and won the Artistic Award for her performance.

Early life

Karolina Kuiek developed the desire to become a singer as early as the age of four. She often performed at various school vocal competitions. In 1992, she took part in the popular contest 'Pervotsvit' and was the winner. It was here where she met her ex-producer Yuriy Falyosa. As a result, at the age of 14 she signed her first professional contract. Kuiek became known as Ani Lorak in March 1995 when she took part in a contest at the television program "Morning Star" in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. There was a Russian singer with the same name already enrolled in that competition so Kuiek had to invent a stage name. Ani Lorak is the name Karolina read backwards. Ani Lorak moved to Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....

 in 1995. By that time her name was well known in Ukrainian show business. She became even more popular after winning the "Big Apple Music 1996 Competition" in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. She was named "Discovery of the Year" at the popular Ukrainian festival "Tavria Games" in 1996. The same year she released her first album "I Want to Fly".

1997–2011

Lorak continued recording new songs in 1997. Her two videos "The Model" and "My God" were filmed and the latter became a soundtrack to the movie "The Right to Choose". In the spring of 1998 her new video "I will be back" was shot and in December Lorak's second album "I will be back" was released. Mastering of this album took place in New York. Simultaneously her two music videos "Oh my love" and "A Stranger's City" were filmed to accompany her new album. At the outset of 1999 she started extensive touring, performing in the US, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

, and her concerts took place in every major city of Ukraine. In 1999 she earned the title of the Honored Artist of Ukraine.

In the spring of 2000 Ani Lorak recorded the soundtrack for an advert for the Chocolate "Korona
Korona
-Currencies:* Austro-Hungarian krone, the official currency of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1892, localised as korona in Hungarian* Hungarian korona, the replacement currency of the Austro-Hungarian krone in post-World War I Hungary-Other uses:...

" at the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 studio "Astoria". Here, the singer met British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 composers Burrie Guard and Josh Phillips. Also, in London Lorak recorded new songs. In 2004-2005 Ani Lorak was a UN Good Will Ambassador in Ukraine for HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

.

In October 2009, Lorak was ranked 41st in a top 100 of "most influential women in Ukraine" compiled by experts for the Ukrainian magazine Focus
Focus (Ukrainian magazine)
Focus is a national Ukrainian weekly news magazine in Russian language published in Kiev and distributed throughout the country. The base auditory of the magazine are the people of high and above high level of income between 25 to 45 years of age that live in the 40 biggest metropolises of Ukraine...

.

Business ventures

In 2005, Ani Lorak and her fiance Murat opened the Angel Lounge, a restaurant that specializes in Mediterranean cuisine in the center of Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....

. In 2009, they opened a Ukrainian travel agency called "Holiday Travel", which is a sub-division of "Turtess Travel", a company Murat works for. In 2010, Lorak became an Oriflame advert. She participated in several catalofues and developed a new fragrance called Chiffon by Ani Lorak.

In 2011, Lorak was announced the fifth richest singer in Ukraine, with her team's revenues amounting to $2.35 million that year. Her typical fee is $25,000-$40,000 per concert.

Personal life

On 21 August 2009, Lorak married her longtime Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...

 fiance and manager Murat Nalçacıoğlu, whom she met in 2003 when vacationing in Turkey. Her husband, Murat, is a Turkish hotel manager and travel agent. She confirmed her pregnancy at the end of November 2010. Their daughter, Sophia Nalçacıoğlu, was born on June 9, 2011. She and her family live in a house on the outskirts of Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....

, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

 but frequently travel to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

.

2005

In 2005, Ani Lorak made her first attempt to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...

 and was virtually certain to sing the home country's entry in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....

, but ultimately failed to be selected. Her narrow defeat in the 2005 national pre-selection competition was particularly controversial, given that the winners, GreenJolly
GreenJolly
GreenJolly is a Ukrainian rap band most widely known for their song, Razom nas bahato, nas ne podolaty, which became the unofficial anthem of the Ukrainian Orange Revolution in 2004.-History:...

, did not have to qualify for the final by winning one of the fifteen preliminary heats (unlike her). Ani finished in second place in the Ukrainian national final with the song A Little Shot Of Love.

2008

Having come close to singing the home country's entry in 2005, when Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

 staged the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...

, Ukrainian television NTU
National Television Company of Ukraine
National Television Company of Ukraine is the national television broadcaster in Ukraine. It is state-run, and operates the television channel Pershyi Nazional'niy, the only Ukrainian TV channel that has a coverage over 97% of Ukraine's territory. It is the only state-owned national channel. Its...

 announced in late December that Ani Lorak, one of the country's most successful singers would represent the country at Eurovision in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...

 and that the public and a jury would choose the song. On 23 February, Ani performed five potential entries, in a special show and the winner, chosen by both the public and by the jury was "Shady Lady
Shady Lady
"Shady Lady" was the Ukrainian entry for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. It was sung by Ani Lorak, composed by Philipp Kirkorov and written by Karen Kavaleryan. However, in Greece, around the time of the Contest, there were many rumors stating that popular composer Dimitris Kontopoulos had...

", written by Greek composer and producer Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos is one of the most famous Greek music composers known for his dance-pop music.-Personal life:Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971...

, also known in the Eurovision bubble.

She also recorded a Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...

 version of her Eurovision song "Shady Lady" with the title "S neba v nebo". Ani had visited other countries to present her song, like Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. At the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...

 in Belgrade, she sang the song "Shady Lady" in the second semi final on the 22nd of May 2008 winning a place in the final. She took the second place in the final after Dima Bilan. She was awarded a prize for being the Best Artist at the contest from the media. Italian designer Roberto Cavalli
Roberto Cavalli
Roberto Cavalli is an Italian fashion designer from Florence.-Biography:Roberto Cavalli was born in Florence, Tuscany. His grandfather, Giuseppe Rossi, was a member of the Macchiaioli Movement, whose work is exhibited in the Uffizi Gallery. Cavalli decided to enroll at the local Art Institute,...

 designed a dress for Ani Lorak performance at the festival. The ornate dress was made with Swarovski
Swarovski
Swarovski is the brand name for a range of precisely-cut crystal and related luxury products produced by Swarovski AG of Wattens, Austria...

 Diamonds, and her choreography produced by Fokas Evangelinos who designed the stage show for her entry. He also arranged the stage shows of Greece 2005, Russia 2006 and Belarus 2007.

Charity

Ani spends a lot of time on charitable activities. In 2004-2005 Ani Lorak has been a UN Goodwill Ambassador on HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

 in Ukraine. UNICEF and UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

 in Ukraine have awarded a commendation to Ani Lorak for assistance and help to HIV positive citizens of Ukraine. In 2005, Ani Lorak was conferred with the St. Stanislav Order
Order of Saint Stanislaus
The Order of Saint Stanislaus , also spelled Stanislas, was an Order in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Kingdom of Poland between 1765 and 1831 and of Russian Empire from 1831 to 1917.-History of the Order of Saint Stanislaus:Stanisław August Poniatowski, King of Poland, established the...

 of the 4th degree and the Officer's Cross "for strengthening the international authority of Ukraine, for the high professionalism, great creative achievements, charity and adherence to the ideals of chivalry".

Albums

Album Title English translation Year
The Best - 2010
Солнце
Solntse (Ani Lorak album)
Solntse is Ukrainian singer Ani Lorak eleventh studio album. The album features Lorak's Eurovision Song Contest 2008 entry Shady Lady as well as its Russian counterpart "С неба в небо"...

Sun 2009
Shady lady - 2008
15
15 (Ani Lorak album)
15 is the tenth album by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ani Lorak, released by Lavina Music.-Track listing:# S Pervogo Vzglada # Sem Vetrov # Ukpadi ...

2007
Розкажи... Tell me... 2006
Smile 2005
Ані Лорак Ani Lorak 2004
REMIX Мрій про мене REMIX Dream about me 2003
Там, де ти є... There where you are... 2001
www.anilorak.com 2000
Ангел Мрій Моїх Dream Angel 1999
Я вернусь I will return 1998
Хочу летать I want to fly 1996

Singles

Year Single Chart Positions
Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

1998 "Ya Vernus'"
2000 "Zerkala" 1
2001 "Tam, De Ty Ye"
"Poludneva Speka"
"Potsiluy" 5
2004 "Moi Bazhannya"
"Try Zvychnyh Slova"
"Mriy Pro Mene"
2005 "A Little Shot Of Love " 18
"Car Song"
"100 kisses"
feat. Oleksandr Ponomaryov
Oleksandr Ponomaryov
Oleksandr Ponomaryov born, August 9, 1973, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine) is one of the most famous singers of Ukraine. He has been awarded the country’s "Singer of the Year" seven times.One of Oleksandr's early passions was boxing...

3
"Smile"
2006 "Розкажи"
"Tell me"
4
2007 "Верни мою любовь"
"Return my love"
feat. V. Meladze
Valery Meladze
Valeriy Shotayevich Meladze is a Russian singer of Georgian descent. He is the brother of composer and producer Konstantin Meladze, who writes songs for him.-Early life:...

2 37
"С первого взгляда"
"From first view"
4
"Я с тобой"
"I'm with you"
2008 "Shady Lady" 1 21 57
"Я стану морем"
"I will become the sea"
2
"Солнце"
"Sun"
1 1
2009 "А дальше…"
"And More..."
1 10
2010 "Небеса - ладони"
"Heaven - palm"
19 15
2010 "Нежность рассвета"
"Tenderness of a dawn
15 32
2010 "Для тебя"
"For you
1 1

External links

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