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ANI LORAK (Karolina Kuiek, born 27 September 1978 in Ukraine, then USSR) is a Ukrainian pop singer.
She appeared to be a strong front-runner to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest on two occasions, but ultimately failed to be selected. Her narrow defeat in the 2005 national pre-selection competition was particularly controversial, given that the winners GreenJolly had, unlike her, not had to qualify for the final by winning one of the fifteen preliminary heats.
ANI LORAK represented Ukraine at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Shady Lady and came in 2nd place being defeated by Dima Bilan from Russia. She won the «Press Award Eurovision Song Contest» and the «Artistic Award» for her performance.
She is married to Murat Nalçaçıoğlu from Turkey who is also her manager. She developed the desire to become a singer as early as the age of four. In 1992, she took part in the popular contest 'Pervotsvit' and was the winner. As a result, at the age of 14 she signed her first professional contract. She became known as ANI LORAK in March 1995 when she took part in a contest at the television program "Morning Star" in Moscow, Russia. |
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She became even more popular after winning the "Big Apple Music 1996 Competition" in New York, U.S.. She became "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 was a year full of hard work for ANI LORAK , as she continued recording new songs. Her two videos "The Model" and "My God" were filmed and the latter became a soundtrack to the movie "The Right to Choose".
At the outset of 1999 she started extensive touring, performing in the US, France, Germany, Hungary, and her concerts took place in every major city of Ukraine. In 1999 she earned the title of the Honored Artist of Ukraine (Zasluzhena Artystka Ukrayiny).
In the spring of 2000 ANI LORAK recorded the soundtrack for an advert for the Chocolate "Korona" at the London studio "Astoria". Here, the singer met world-reknowned British composers Burrie Guard and Josh Phillips. Also, in London Lorak recorded new songs exclusively for the European music scene.
In 2004-2005 Ani Lorak was a UN Good Will Ambassador in Ukraine for HIV/AIDS.
In 2008, she was chosen to be the Ukranian singer in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, singing the song Shady Lady in the second semi final on May 22, 2008.
Lorak is a face of Schwarzkopf & Henkel in Ukraine. |
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