Shaya (singer)
Encyclopedia
Marianna Hansen known professionally as Shaya, is a Danish
-Greek
singer. Shaya was a member of the girl band Hi-5
, the result of the Greek version of the talent show Popstars
. She is currently pursuing a solo career and is also currently a contestant on Greece's version of Dancing on Ice
.
father and a multiracial
Guyanese
mother of Greenlandic
and Indian
descent. The family moved to Sweden after her parents' divorce when she was 6. At the age of 12, Shaya and her family immigrated once more, settling in Thessaloniki
, Greece. Her mother was a disc jockey
before Shaya's birth. Although Shaya enjoyed singing and dancing from a young age, she became interested in becoming a singer by luck when she was persuaded to get on stage to sing a song with co-workers after work at a club she worked at in Kavala
around age 18.
and won a spot in the girl band Hi-5
. Shaya, along with the four other girls, Marlen Angelidou
, Irini Psyhrami, Froso Papaharalambous, and Nancy Stergiopoulou, had two chart-topping albums and eight singles in two years. The band decided on an amicable split in 2005.
were chosen to record a Greek-language version of Right Here, Right Now
from the soundtrack
of the Disney film High School Musical 3: Senior Year
. The cover was titled "Mikroi Theoi" (Little Gods) and was released as a single from the Greek edition of the film's soundtrack; a music video followed with Martakis and Shaya molded together with scenes from the film. The music video was included as a bonus feature on the Greek edition of the film's home video release. Walt Disney Records
, via its international distribution partner EMI
, commissioned several local market, foreign language versions of songs from the entire High School Musical
series, although "Mikroi Theoi" was the only Greek version song.
In 2009, Shaya teamed up with Greek hip-hop group Stavento to release the duet "Prin Se Gnoriso" (Before I Meet You), which garnered them a nomination and win for Best Video-Clip Hip-Hop at the 2009 MAD Video Music Awards
. Later that year in 2009, Shaya also teamed up with rapper Stereo Mike
to release the duet "Esi Kai Ego" (You and I), while she was also part of the Amita Motion Tour 2009. That same year
. In May 2010, she released the single "Paizis". In June 2010, she teamed up with Greek DJ and fellow label mate Mark F. Angelo for the song "Far From Everything", which was also chosen as the theme song for the 2010 MAD Video Music Awards
, and became a summer hit. The duo also recorded the song "My Radio", which became the official jingle for MAD Radio 106.2. Both songs were featured on Mark F. Angelo's debut album Play.Pause.Stop.Rewind. Following the collaboration, Shaya released the the first single from her debut solo album in November 2010 titled "In Your Eyes". She released her debut solo album titled Resurrection in January 2011. Shaya penned music and lyrics to a number of the tracks on the album.
In July 2011, Shaya and Mark F. Angelo were chosen as the opening act
for David Guetta
's concert in Montenegro
. In late 2011, Shaya along with Mark F. Angelo earned the win for Best Greek Act at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards
, for their collaboration on the single "Far From Everything" as well as several other track collaborations between the two artists. The duo was also shortlisted for Best European Act. In November 2011, Greece's version of Dancing on Ice
premiered on ANT1
featuring Shaya as a contestant.
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
-Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
singer. Shaya was a member of the girl band Hi-5
Hi-5 (Greek band)
Hi-5 was a Greek - Cypriot pop girl band consisting of female vocalists Marlen Angelidou, Irini Psichrami, Frosso Papacharalambous, Shaya and Nancy Stergiopoulou, who were the winners of the Greek version of the popular talent show Popstars. The band had a large fanbase in Greece and Cyprus. They...
, the result of the Greek version of the talent show Popstars
Popstars
Popstars is an international reality television franchise and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
. She is currently pursuing a solo career and is also currently a contestant on Greece's version of Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice (Greece)
Dancing on Ice is a Greek reality TV show. The show features celebrities paired with professionals from the world of figure skating. The show is based on the British show, Dancing on Ice. The show has a schedule similar to the reality TV show Dancing with the Stars with performance shows on Sundays...
.
Early life
Shaya was born in Denmark to a DanishDanes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
father and a multiracial
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
Guyanese
Demographics of Guyana
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Guyana, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
mother of Greenlandic
Demographics of Greenland
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Greenland, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
and Indian
Indian people
Indian people or Indisians constitute the Asian nation and pan-ethnic group native to India, which forms the south of Asia, containing 17.31% of the world's population. The Indian nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the rich and complex history of India...
descent. The family moved to Sweden after her parents' divorce when she was 6. At the age of 12, Shaya and her family immigrated once more, settling in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, Greece. Her mother was a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
before Shaya's birth. Although Shaya enjoyed singing and dancing from a young age, she became interested in becoming a singer by luck when she was persuaded to get on stage to sing a song with co-workers after work at a club she worked at in Kavala
Kavala
Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...
around age 18.
2001–2005: First professional steps & Hi-5
In 2001, Shaya released her first solo single titled "Release Me" and promoted it around Europe. During 2001–2003, she performed in many clubs in Thessaloniki. In 2003, Shaya entered the Greek version of the talent show PopstarsPopstars
Popstars is an international reality television franchise and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
and won a spot in the girl band Hi-5
Hi-5 (Greek band)
Hi-5 was a Greek - Cypriot pop girl band consisting of female vocalists Marlen Angelidou, Irini Psichrami, Frosso Papacharalambous, Shaya and Nancy Stergiopoulou, who were the winners of the Greek version of the popular talent show Popstars. The band had a large fanbase in Greece and Cyprus. They...
. Shaya, along with the four other girls, Marlen Angelidou
Marlen Angelidou
Marlain Angelidou sometimes spelt Marlen Angelidou , is a Greek singer and actress. She is best known for being former member of Greece's first ever manufactered girl band, Hi-5, as well as representing Cyprus in 1999's Eurovision Song Contest with Tha 'Ne Erotas...
, Irini Psyhrami, Froso Papaharalambous, and Nancy Stergiopoulou, had two chart-topping albums and eight singles in two years. The band decided on an amicable split in 2005.
2006–2009: Start of solo career
After Hi-5 split up, Shaya began perusing a solo career, appearing live in various venues. In 2008, Shaya and Greek singer Kostas MartakisKostas Martakis
Konstantinos "Kostas" Martakis is a Greek singer, who rose to fame after appearing on Greek talent show Dream Show aired by Alpha TV in 2006. Following his participation, he went on to release three studio albums and also participated in the Greek national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008...
were chosen to record a Greek-language version of Right Here, Right Now
Right Here, Right Now (High School Musical song)
"Right Here, Right Now" is the fourth official single from High School Musical 3: Senior Year soundtrack, performed by Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens as Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez. It is the second track on soundtrack's tracklisting. However, when the song is sung in the movie, the second...
from the soundtrack
High School Musical 3: Senior Year (soundtrack)
-2-Disc Premiere edition:On the same day the soundtrack was released, Walt Disney Records released High School Musical 3: Senior Year 2-Disc Premiere edition Soundtrack, a special two-disc set of the High School Musical 3: Senior Year soundtrack. It is only available for a limited time at...
of the Disney film High School Musical 3: Senior Year
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
High School Musical 3: Senior Year is a 2008 American romantic musical film and the third and final installment in the High School Musical trilogy. Its theatrical release in the United States began on October 24, 2008...
. The cover was titled "Mikroi Theoi" (Little Gods) and was released as a single from the Greek edition of the film's soundtrack; a music video followed with Martakis and Shaya molded together with scenes from the film. The music video was included as a bonus feature on the Greek edition of the film's home video release. Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
, via its international distribution partner EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, commissioned several local market, foreign language versions of songs from the entire High School Musical
High School Musical
High School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...
series, although "Mikroi Theoi" was the only Greek version song.
In 2009, Shaya teamed up with Greek hip-hop group Stavento to release the duet "Prin Se Gnoriso" (Before I Meet You), which garnered them a nomination and win for Best Video-Clip Hip-Hop at the 2009 MAD Video Music Awards
MAD Video Music Awards
The MAD Video Music Awards were established in 2003, to honor the best Greek artist, song and music video of each year....
. Later that year in 2009, Shaya also teamed up with rapper Stereo Mike
Stereo Mike
Mihalis Exarhos , known professionally by his stage name Stereo Mike, is a Greek hip hop artist. He is the first MTV EMA Award winner in the "Best Greek Act" category...
to release the duet "Esi Kai Ego" (You and I), while she was also part of the Amita Motion Tour 2009. That same year
2010–present: Resurrection & Dancing on Ice
In 2010, Shaya signed with the newly created management, production, and artist development company My Group, active in the dance-pop and club music markets, as well under contract with Sony Music GreeceSony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
. In May 2010, she released the single "Paizis". In June 2010, she teamed up with Greek DJ and fellow label mate Mark F. Angelo for the song "Far From Everything", which was also chosen as the theme song for the 2010 MAD Video Music Awards
MAD Video Music Awards
The MAD Video Music Awards were established in 2003, to honor the best Greek artist, song and music video of each year....
, and became a summer hit. The duo also recorded the song "My Radio", which became the official jingle for MAD Radio 106.2. Both songs were featured on Mark F. Angelo's debut album Play.Pause.Stop.Rewind. Following the collaboration, Shaya released the the first single from her debut solo album in November 2010 titled "In Your Eyes". She released her debut solo album titled Resurrection in January 2011. Shaya penned music and lyrics to a number of the tracks on the album.
In July 2011, Shaya and Mark F. Angelo were chosen as the opening act
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
for David Guetta
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta , known professionally as David Guetta , is a French house music producer and DJ. Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980s and 1990s, he co-founded Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002. Later, he released Guetta Blaster and Pop Life...
's concert in Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. In late 2011, Shaya along with Mark F. Angelo earned the win for Best Greek Act at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards
2011 MTV Europe Music Awards
The 2011 MTV EMAs were held in Northern Ireland's capital Belfast, on Sunday, November 6, 2011, at the Odyssey Arena in the Titanic Quarter area of the city and were hosted by Selena Gomez...
, for their collaboration on the single "Far From Everything" as well as several other track collaborations between the two artists. The duo was also shortlisted for Best European Act. In November 2011, Greece's version of Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice (Greece)
Dancing on Ice is a Greek reality TV show. The show features celebrities paired with professionals from the world of figure skating. The show is based on the British show, Dancing on Ice. The show has a schedule similar to the reality TV show Dancing with the Stars with performance shows on Sundays...
premiered on ANT1
ANT1
Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece and Cyprus. The alternate spelling is play on words in Greek; ena is the Greek number 1, thus ANT1 is pronounced the same as Antenna . It launched on 31 December 1989, the same year as rival Mega Channel, and is owned by...
featuring Shaya as a contestant.