Costi Ionita
Encyclopedia
Costi Ioniţă is a Romania
n singer, songwriter and record producer
, regarded as one of the most celebrated ethnic Romanian
vocalist of muzică orientală (manele
). Born in Constanţa
, he began his musical career by singing Romanian traditional music. He however achieved fame as a member of the pop
boy band
Valahia, launching several hits. In 1999 he started to experiment with manele, a composite Balkanic
musical style, and in 2000 he collaborated with acclaimed manele singer Adrian Minune on Of, viaţa mea ("Oh, my life"), one of the first mainstream successes of the genre in Romania. Following Valahia's dissolution in 2002, he started a solo career, concentrating on manele. In this period he collaborated with several well known manele singers. His success is considered unusual, as he is one of the few ethnic Romanian in a genre perceived as Romani. Also, unlike his Romani counterparts, Costi Ioniţă does not use a nickname. Despite his success in manele, he also experimented with other musical styles, such as rock, dance or opera, avoiding to be identified with manele or to be too closely associated with the Romani culture.
In the late 2000s Costi Ioniţă extended his act in the Balkans
and Middle East
, achieving success in Turkey
and Saudi Arabia
with the song Ca la Amsterdam ("Like in Amsterdam
"), a tune included in the 2010 compilation issued by Café del Mar. He also launched several hits in Bulgaria
, in collaboration with local singers.
Since 2008 Ioniţă acts as producer and songwriter for the pop/rock girl band
Blaxy Girls
. In 2009 he reached the finals of the Romanian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest
with three songs he composed, one sung by himself, one by Blaxy Girls, and the third by another group, IMBA.
In July 2007 he launched a music channel, Party TV, and in October that year his company received licence for another two music TV channels, one of them, Mynele TV, dedicated to promoting manele.
He is also involved together with Bulgarian singer Andrea
in the Sahara music band, a group that has released several hits and singles featuring Bob Sinclar
and Shaggy and another one featuring Mario Winans
. In 2011 he featured with Serbian singer Ana Kokic in her single " Idemo na sve".
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n singer, songwriter and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, regarded as one of the most celebrated ethnic Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
vocalist of muzică orientală (manele
Manele
Manele is a music style from Romania, generally associated with the Romani minority, though not exclusively....
). Born in Constanţa
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
, he began his musical career by singing Romanian traditional music. He however achieved fame as a member of the pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
Valahia, launching several hits. In 1999 he started to experiment with manele, a composite Balkanic
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
musical style, and in 2000 he collaborated with acclaimed manele singer Adrian Minune on Of, viaţa mea ("Oh, my life"), one of the first mainstream successes of the genre in Romania. Following Valahia's dissolution in 2002, he started a solo career, concentrating on manele. In this period he collaborated with several well known manele singers. His success is considered unusual, as he is one of the few ethnic Romanian in a genre perceived as Romani. Also, unlike his Romani counterparts, Costi Ioniţă does not use a nickname. Despite his success in manele, he also experimented with other musical styles, such as rock, dance or opera, avoiding to be identified with manele or to be too closely associated with the Romani culture.
In the late 2000s Costi Ioniţă extended his act in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, achieving success in 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...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
with the song Ca la Amsterdam ("Like in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
"), a tune included in the 2010 compilation issued by Café del Mar. He also launched several hits in 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...
, in collaboration with local singers.
Since 2008 Ioniţă acts as producer and songwriter for the pop/rock girl band
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
Blaxy Girls
Blaxy Girls
Blaxy Girls are a Romanian teenagers pop rock girl-band.The group's first single, "If You Feel My Love" became quickly very popular in Romania.The second great hit is called "Dear Mama". The clip was internationally released in the beginning of March, as a present for the women and mothers all...
. In 2009 he reached the finals of the Romanian selection for 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...
with three songs he composed, one sung by himself, one by Blaxy Girls, and the third by another group, IMBA.
In July 2007 he launched a music channel, Party TV, and in October that year his company received licence for another two music TV channels, one of them, Mynele TV, dedicated to promoting manele.
He is also involved together with Bulgarian singer Andrea
Andrea Teodora
Andrea was born on January 23, 1987. She is a Bulgarian pop-folk singer best known by her stage name, Andrea . She and the Romanian singer Costi Ionita have also performed and released music as Sahara....
in the Sahara music band, a group that has released several hits and singles featuring Bob Sinclar
Bob Sinclar
Bob Sinclar, originally spelled "Sinclair" - , is a French record producer, House music DJ, remixer and owner of the label Yellow Productions.- Career history :...
and Shaggy and another one featuring Mario Winans
Mario Winans
Mario Winans is an American R&B singer, songwriter, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Born Mario Brown, he is the son of gospel recording artist Vickie Winans and her first husband, Bishop Ronald Brown. He is also the stepson of his mother's second husband, gospel singer, Pastor Marvin...
. In 2011 he featured with Serbian singer Ana Kokic in her single " Idemo na sve".