Alanas Chošnau
Encyclopedia
Alanas Ibrahimas Chošnau (born July 11, 1974 in Vilnius
, Lithuanian SSR
, Soviet Union
) is a Lithuanian singer and songwriter of Kurdish
origin. He was a member of the former music group Naktinės personos. In 2003 and 2005 he won the Radiocentras Award as Male Performer of the Year. In 2008, Chošnau was the second most played solo artists of Lithuania.
, Lithuania
. The family lived in Baghdad
, Iraq
until Chošnau's mother died in 1983. He then returned to Lithuania and was raised by his grandparents. Thus he grew up speaking the Arabic language
and learned the Lithuanian language
only later. The family was separated by the wars. In 1992, he created the pop music group Naktinės personos along with Aras Vėberis. In 1997, while on a tour across Lithuania, Chošnau crashed his car and severely injured his neck paralyzing his legs. He spent several months in a hospital, but fully recovered and returned to music. Naktinės personos disbanded in 2001 and Chošnau continued his career as a solo artist.
In 2003, he released his debut solo album Pusiau atmerktos akys, which sold more than 10,000 copies in three months and was certified gold, followed by Mintimis su tavimi, which was also certified gold. The same year Chošnau was nominated for the Bravo Award as male Singer of the Year. With song Light Up The World, he came second in the national selection
for the Eurovision Song Contest 2005
. Along with Delfinai and SKAMP
, Chošnau warmed up a free concert by The Black Eyed Peas
in Vingis Park
sponsored by mobile operator Tele2
on May 30, 2005. In the Eurovision selection for 2007
and 2008
, he was a member of the jury.
Chošnau often participates in various reality shows. In 2002 he participated in reality show Akvariumas-2, where celebrity contestants lived in a glass house built near the popular shopping mall Akropolis in Vilnius. Other reality shows included Džiunglės on TV3
(survival competition in Malaysian jungles) in 2004, Šok su žvaigžde! (Lithuanian installment of Dancing with the Stars
) in 2007, and Žvaigždžių duetai on LNK
(singing competition of celebrity duos) in 2008. His song Kur gimsta lašai, released in the third solo album, became the theme song of Džiunglės. In 2008, Chošnau played himself in Lithuanian comedy film 5 dienų avantiūra.
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, Lithuanian SSR
Lithuanian SSR
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Lithuanian SSR, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union...
, 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 Lithuanian singer and songwriter of Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
origin. He was a member of the former music group Naktinės personos. In 2003 and 2005 he won the Radiocentras Award as Male Performer of the Year. In 2008, Chošnau was the second most played solo artists of Lithuania.
Biography
Chošnau was born to a Lithuanian mother and Kurdish father in VilniusVilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. The family lived in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
until Chošnau's mother died in 1983. He then returned to Lithuania and was raised by his grandparents. Thus he grew up speaking the Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and learned the Lithuanian language
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
only later. The family was separated by the wars. In 1992, he created the pop music group Naktinės personos along with Aras Vėberis. In 1997, while on a tour across Lithuania, Chošnau crashed his car and severely injured his neck paralyzing his legs. He spent several months in a hospital, but fully recovered and returned to music. Naktinės personos disbanded in 2001 and Chošnau continued his career as a solo artist.
In 2003, he released his debut solo album Pusiau atmerktos akys, which sold more than 10,000 copies in three months and was certified gold, followed by Mintimis su tavimi, which was also certified gold. The same year Chošnau was nominated for the Bravo Award as male Singer of the Year. With song Light Up The World, he came second in the national selection
Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005
Lithuania was represented in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 by "Little by Little" performed by Laura & the Lovers. It was chosen at the Lithuanian National Final on February 26....
for the Eurovision Song Contest 2005
Eurovision Song Contest 2005
The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at the Palace of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine. The winner was Greece's My Number One, written by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou and performed by Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou, who scored 230 points,...
. Along with Delfinai and SKAMP
SKAMP
-About SKAMP:SKAMP blends pop, rock, Hip Hop, and reggae genres into a unique alternative sound. Skamp rose to fame in Lithuania in May 1998, with a cover of George Gershwin's Summertime. The song was an instant success in Lithuania and they have gone on to release 6 studio albums. The members have...
, Chošnau warmed up a free concert by The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
in Vingis Park
Vingis Park
Vingis Park is the largest park in Vilnius, Lithuania. Located at a curve in the Neris River, it covers . It is used as a venue for various events, especially concerts and sports competitions....
sponsored by mobile operator Tele2
Tele2
Tele2 AB is a major European telecommunications operator, with about 34 million customers in 11 countries. It serves as a fixed-line telephone operator, cable television provider, mobile phone operator and Internet service provider.- Overview :...
on May 30, 2005. In the Eurovision selection for 2007
Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007
Lithuania selected their entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 on 3 March 2007 at LRT TV studio in Vilnius. Prior to the final, quarter finals took place to select newcomers, well-known artists, and experienced singers. The quarter finals and semi-finals were held weekly from January to...
and 2008
Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Lithuania has chosen its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 through a more downsized selection procedure rather than the long, drawn out processes from previous years. 34 songs were divided into three semifinals that took place on the three Saturdays before the final on 2 February 2008...
, he was a member of the jury.
Chošnau often participates in various reality shows. In 2002 he participated in reality show Akvariumas-2, where celebrity contestants lived in a glass house built near the popular shopping mall Akropolis in Vilnius. Other reality shows included Džiunglės on TV3
TV3 Lithuania
TV3 is a television channel owned by Modern Times Group and targeted at a Lithuanian-speaking audience. It was founded on May 7, 1992 and launched on April 11, 1993 as "Tele-3" before being renamed "TV3" in 1996....
(survival competition in Malaysian jungles) in 2004, Šok su žvaigžde! (Lithuanian installment of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
) in 2007, and Žvaigždžių duetai on LNK
LNK (television station)
LNK TV, also known as Laisvas ir Nepriklausomas Kanalas , is one of the major commercial TV channels in Lithuania. It was founded in 1995. It has a sister channels TV1, Info TV and Liuks!.- External links :**...
(singing competition of celebrity duos) in 2008. His song Kur gimsta lašai, released in the third solo album, became the theme song of Džiunglės. In 2008, Chošnau played himself in Lithuanian comedy film 5 dienų avantiūra.
Discography
- DISCOGRAPHY OF ‘NAKTINĖS PERSONOS’
- Albums
- 1993 / Muzika ir daugiau (Music and More)
- 1994 / Ramiai (Peacefully)
- 1995 / Tiems, kurie mūsų negirdi (For Those Who Don't Hear Us)
- 1996 / Pažvelk kitaip (Take a Different Look)
- 1996 / Tikras garsas (Live)
- 1997 / Sexta (Sexta)
- 1998 / Atvirai (Honestly)
- 1999 / 9 dainos (Nine Songs)
- 2000 / Diena. Naktis (The Day. The Night)
- 2001 / Šilko kelias (Silky Way)
- Singles
- 1997 / Kelyje (On the Road)
- 1998 / Ša la la (Sha-la-la)
- Main Achievements
- 1997 / The Best Band of the Year (Radiocentras Music Awards)
- 1998 / The Best Band of the Year (Bravo Music Awards)
- 1998 / The Concert of Naktinės Personos attracts 30 000 fans
- 1999 / The Best Band of the Year (Radiocentras Music Awards)
- 1999 / The Best Band of the Year (Bravo Music Awards)
- DISCOGRAPHY OF ALANAS CHOŠNAU
- Albums
- 2003 / Pusiau atmerktos akys (Half-Open Eyes)
- 2003 / Mintimis su tavimi (With You In My Mind)
- 2005 / Iš dangaus (Out of the Sky)
- 2005 / Akustinis koncertas tamsoje (Acoustic Concert in the Dark)
- 2007 / Aš kaip ir tu (Me Like You)
- 2008 / Geriausios dainos (The Greatest Hits)
- 2008 / Geri laikai (Good times)
- Main Achievements
- 2003 / The Golden Disc Award for the album Pusiau atmerktos akys (Half-Open Eyes)
- 2003 / The Best Song of the Year for the song ‘Laiškas ant sniego’ (Letter on the Snow) (Lithuanian National Radio Awards)
- 2004 / The Best Performer of the Year (Radiocentras Music Awards)
- 2004 / The Golden Disc Award for the album ‘Mintimis su tavimi’ (With You in My Mind)
- 2004 / The Best Male Video ‘Meilė tau’ (My Love for You) (Tango TV Music Awards)
- 2005 / Second place in the National Eurovision contest with the song ‘Light up the World’
- 2005 / President of the children and youth music festival ‘We are the World’
- 2006 / Performing ‘A Wolf’ in the Lithuanian musical ‘Pasakų medis’ (A Tree of Tales)
- 2006/ The Best Performer of the Year (Radiocentras Music Awards)
- 2006/ Third place in the National Eurovision contest with the song ‘Heat’
- 2006 / The Best Performer of the Year (Lithuanian JP Music Awards)