Gaitana (singer)

Gaitana
Гайтана
Gaitana in 2006
Background information
Birth nameGaita-Lurdes Klaverivna Essami
Born (1979-03-24) 24 March 1979
Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instrument
  • Vocals
Years active2003–present
Websitegaitana.com/en

Gaita-Lurdes Klaverivna Essami (Ukrainian: Гайта-Лурдес Клаверівна Ессамі; born 24 March 1979), known professionally as Gaitana (Ukrainian: Гайтана, romanized: Gaitana), is a Ukrainian singer and songwriter. Essami's style of pop music has been described as containing elements of jazz, funk, soul, and folk. She represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, performing the song "Be My Guest" and placing 15th in the final.

Gaitana is the third Eurovision contestant of African origin ever to be born in the former USSR, after Lithuanian singer and guitarist Viktoras "Victor" Diawara of LT United and Estonian singer Daana Ots of Suntribe.