Chiara
Encyclopedia
Chiara Siracusa is a Maltese
singer, best known for representing her country in the Eurovision Song Contest
in 1998
, 2005
, and in 2009
.
festival, the national pre-selection for Eurovision, with the gentle ballad "The One That I Love
", which she then took to the contest in Birmingham
. With Eurovision being a national passion in a country that had so far never actually won the contest, much of Malta held its breath in the latter stages of the event as their entry held a joint lead with Israel
, with the votes of only one country left to be heard. But Chiara was to suffer a heartbreak in the end, as Macedonia
gave her no points at all, leaving her behind the victorious Dana International
of Israel, and even pushing her narrowly into third place behind Imaani
of the United Kingdom
. That was still enough to qualify as Malta's best ever placing at the time, from the 1992 contest
. Chiara told in a BBC interview two years later that she cried for several hours in the bathroom of her hotel suite after losing at Eurovision, but she came to see her high scoring as an achievement.
marketing and entertainment management consultant Massimo Ellul
. During this period, Chiara transformed herself from a shy singer to a confident international entertainer, and recorded three albums. She performed extensively outside Malta and then, under the guidance of Maltese recording studio Bridge Productions, started preparing for yet another attempt to crack the Eurovision Song Contest
.
, and so represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005
in Kiev
, Ukraine
.
Chiara had the distinction of joining an unusually extensive list of 2005 competitors who had competed previously in the contest, including Iceland
's 1999 runner-up Selma, and Greece
's Helena Paparizou, who in the 2001 contest
was lead singer of third-placed Antique.
Chiara came second in the Contest with 192 points, behind Greece. Siracusa scored more points than Malta's other Eurovision runner-up, Ira Losco
, making "Angel
" the most successful Maltese entry of all time.
After the result in 2005, Chiara had been working a lot around Malta
and abroad, most notably in Greece and Cyprus. She hosted the Malta Song for Europe in 2008 and as well as being the supporting act of the Nicky Webster concert. Chiara also gained recognition for owning the largest Anthony Callea back catalogue in the whole of Malta, winning her "The Golden Malteser"
. She represented Malta in the first semi final in Moscow with her song What If We
on 12 May. She qualified to the grand final, held on May 16, and finished 22nd in the final vote.
With her three entries accumulating a total of 388 points, Chiara became also the third most successful Eurovision artist in terms of total points earned in her performances, behind Russia's Dima Bilan
and Sweden's Carola
at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
, giving the points awarded from the Maltese voting in the final. In June 2010, she released the Official Malta Gay Pride Anthem, "Believe (We Are One)" featuring R&B singer Muxu and House DJ Chunky, which entered the Maltese Top 40.
"
"Angel
"
"What If We"
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...
singer, best known for representing her country in 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...
in 1998
Eurovision Song Contest 1998
The Eurovision Song Contest 1998 was the 43rd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 9 May 1998 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The presenters were Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson...
, 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,...
, and in 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
.
Eurovision 1998
In 1998, she won Malta's Song for EuropeMalta Song for Europe
Malta Song for Europe was the song festival which decides who will be Malta's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, organised by Maltese broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services ....
festival, the national pre-selection for Eurovision, with the gentle ballad "The One That I Love
The One That I Love
"The One That I Love" was the Maltese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998, performed in English by Chiara.The song is a ballad, with Chiara telling her lover how she feels about him, comparing the love she has for him to that of eating doughnuts...
", which she then took to the contest in Birmingham
Eurovision Song Contest 1998
The Eurovision Song Contest 1998 was the 43rd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 9 May 1998 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The presenters were Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson...
. With Eurovision being a national passion in a country that had so far never actually won the contest, much of Malta held its breath in the latter stages of the event as their entry held a joint lead with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, with the votes of only one country left to be heard. But Chiara was to suffer a heartbreak in the end, as Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
gave her no points at all, leaving her behind the victorious Dana International
Dana International
Sharon Cohen , professionally known as Dana International is an Israeli pop singer of Yemenite Jewish ancestry. She has released eight albums and three additional compilation albums, positioning herself as one of Israel's most successful musical acts ever...
of Israel, and even pushing her narrowly into third place behind Imaani
Imaani
Imaani Saleem is an English singer.-Career:In 1998 she entered the A Song For Europe competition to find the UK's song for the Eurovision Song Contest. Her track "Where Are You" was a runaway winner with the British public and was selected to represent the UK...
of the United Kingdom
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...
. That was still enough to qualify as Malta's best ever placing at the time, from the 1992 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1992
The Eurovision Song Contest 1992 was the 37th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 9 May 1992 in Malmö, Sweden. The presenters were Lydia Cappolicchio and Harald Treutiger. Linda Martin, representing Ireland, was the winner of this Eurovision with the song Why Me?. The song was written by Johnny...
. Chiara told in a BBC interview two years later that she cried for several hours in the bathroom of her hotel suite after losing at Eurovision, but she came to see her high scoring as an achievement.
Continued success
From 1998 to 2003, Chiara was managed by M & E Management Group, led by leading MalteseMalta
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...
marketing and entertainment management consultant Massimo Ellul
Massimo Ellul
Massimo Ellul is a Maltese businessman,He sat for and obtained a Diploma in marketing from Cambridge in 1991, and furthered his studies in the marketing field, with an MBA and a DBA, both majoring in marketing....
. During this period, Chiara transformed herself from a shy singer to a confident international entertainer, and recorded three albums. She performed extensively outside Malta and then, under the guidance of Maltese recording studio Bridge Productions, started preparing for yet another attempt to crack 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...
.
Eurovision 2005
In 2005, aiming for another chance at Eurovision, Chiara re-entered the Song for Europe festival, and along with 21 other entries reached the final on 19 February with the song Angel, another ballad which this time she wrote and composed herself. For the first time, Malta's Eurovision entry was selected solely by a public vote. Chiara won with 11,935 phone calls, 566 ahead of her nearest rival Olivia LewisOlivia Lewis
For the comic book character, see Menagerie.Olivia Lewis, born 18 October 1978, is a singer from Qormi, Malta. She has competed 11 consecutive times in the Malta Song For Europe festival, which selects the country's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest...
, and so represented Malta at 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,...
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....
, 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...
.
Chiara had the distinction of joining an unusually extensive list of 2005 competitors who had competed previously in the contest, including Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
's 1999 runner-up Selma, and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
's Helena Paparizou, who in the 2001 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2001
The Eurovision Song Contest 2001 was the 46th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 12 May 2001 in the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was the first time in 36 years that Denmark hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, thanks to the Olsen Brothers' win the previous year in Stockholm...
was lead singer of third-placed Antique.
Chiara came second in the Contest with 192 points, behind Greece. Siracusa scored more points than Malta's other Eurovision runner-up, Ira Losco
Ira Losco
Ira Losco is a singer and was on born 31 July 1981 in Sliema, Malta.With a string of number 1 singles and albums, Ira Losco is one of the best selling artists in Malta.-Tiara:...
, making "Angel
Angel (Chiara song)
"Angel" was the Maltese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, performed in English by Chiara.In contrast to the up-tempo styles dominating the Contest, the song is a solo love ballad. Chiara sings to her lover that, no matter what, she will be "your angel"...
" the most successful Maltese entry of all time.
After the result in 2005, Chiara had been working a lot around 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...
and abroad, most notably in Greece and Cyprus. She hosted the Malta Song for Europe in 2008 and as well as being the supporting act of the Nicky Webster concert. Chiara also gained recognition for owning the largest Anthony Callea back catalogue in the whole of Malta, winning her "The Golden Malteser"
Eurovision 2009
The loss of her father in 2008 became tough time for Chiara, but as a tribute to him she was even more determined to achieve further success. Chiara returned to the Malta Eurosong finals with a song composed by Belgian songwriters Gregory Bilsen and Marc Paelinck. On 7 February 2009, Chiara won the Maltese preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
. She represented Malta in the first semi final in Moscow with her song What If We
What If We (song)
"What If We" is a song by Maltese singer Chiara, and was the Maltese entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, Russia. The song was composed by Belgian songwriters Marc Paelinck and Gregory Bilsen....
on 12 May. She qualified to the grand final, held on May 16, and finished 22nd in the final vote.
With her three entries accumulating a total of 388 points, Chiara became also the third most successful Eurovision artist in terms of total points earned in her performances, behind Russia's 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....
and Sweden's Carola
Carola Häggkvist
Carola Maria Häggkvist , better known as simply Carola, is a Swedish singer and occasional songwriter. She has been among Sweden's most popular performers since the early 1980s, and has released albums ranging from pop and disco to hymns and folk music...
2010: After Eurovision, new album
Siracusa is planning her next album. She also was the spokesperson for MaltaMalta
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...
at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
Eurovision Song Contest 2010
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest, broadcast from the Telenor Arena in Bærum, Greater Oslo, Norway. It was the third time Norway had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1986 and 1996. The 2010 winner was Germany with Lena singing "Satellite",...
, giving the points awarded from the Maltese voting in the final. In June 2010, she released the Official Malta Gay Pride Anthem, "Believe (We Are One)" featuring R&B singer Muxu and House DJ Chunky, which entered the Maltese Top 40.
Charted Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| German Singles Chart | |||
| 2005 2005 in music -Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:... |
"Angel" | 95 |
|
Eurovision Entries
"The One That I LoveThe One That I Love
"The One That I Love" was the Maltese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998, performed in English by Chiara.The song is a ballad, with Chiara telling her lover how she feels about him, comparing the love she has for him to that of eating doughnuts...
"
"Angel
Angel (Chiara song)
"Angel" was the Maltese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, performed in English by Chiara.In contrast to the up-tempo styles dominating the Contest, the song is a solo love ballad. Chiara sings to her lover that, no matter what, she will be "your angel"...
"
"What If We"
Discography
- 1998: Shades Of One
- 2000: What You Want
- 2003: Covering Diversions
- 2005: Here I Am