Çiljeta Xhilaga (born 5 February 1985), also known mononymously as Çiljeta, is an Albanian singer, model and actress.
Çiljeta | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Çiljeta Xhilaga |
| Born | 5 February 1985 Tirana, Albania |
| Genres | Pop, dance |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, mode, actress |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1999-present |
Biography
editÇiljeta was born into an Albanian family in Tirana, Albania, to Ferdinand Xhilaga, an accountant whose family hails from Dibër but who was born in Delvinë, and Majlinda Xhilaga, a hairdresser, from Korçë. She attended the Sami Frashëri High School in Tirana.[1]
Career as model
editXhilaga featured in the Miss Shqipëria competition in 2001 and won the title "Miss Cinema".[1][2]
Career as singer
editÇiljeta distinguished herself in the successful song Dridhe (English: Shake it), a collaboration with Getoar Selimi of Tingulli 3nt, a rap group from Kosovo.[3] The song was followed by many successful ones, especially Puçi Puçi (English: Kiss kiss), featuring Ingrid Gjoni, and Të dy qajmë të ndarë (English: Away we both cry), a hit composed by Flori Mumajesi and with words of Ardit Roshi in the Kënga Magjike of 2010, where she cried while interpreting the song.[4] Çiljeta had already interpreted in the Kënga Magjike 08 with S'ke ku vete (English: Can't go nowhere).
Çiljeta participated in the Dancing with the Stars (Albania) show, in its 2011 (second) edition, along with partner Dion Gjinika.
Private life
editÇiljeta had a son on February 4, 2013, whom she named after her father.[5] Father of the baby, is reportedly a French architect with a Latin American background.[6] She is a well known supporter of Partizani Tirana. She is dating Alban Hoxha, an Albanian football player.
Politics
editEarly in her career, Çiljeta was a vocal supporter of the Democratic Party of Albania, and its leader Lulzim Basha.[7] She once sang in New York, in a party organised by Red and Black Alliance, now an extinguished party, but declared that she was unaware of who the organiser of the party was.[8] Çiljeta declared herself a supporter of the Socialist Party of Albania, having changed her political opinion, and participated in Erion Veliaj’s campaign for mayor of Tirana in the 2023 Albanian local elections.[9]
She notably had two public reactions against Serbia and Greece politicians: to Serbia after the Serbian government removed a memorial to the Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac in Preševo, an Albanian-inhabited region of Serbia. The second reaction was to Greece, after she saw in television an anti-Albanian interview of Christos Pappas, a politician of the Golden Dawn, a Greek far-right political party.[10] After these declarations, the Greek media attacked her, saying that she claims to be a singer, but must be something else, and published provoking photos of Çiljeta.[11]
Humanitarian activities
editOn March 20, 2012 Çiljeta was reported by the media to visit a correctional facility for minors, where she met 38 children, a meeting organised by the Institute of Minors, Kavaje, the Centre for the Human Rights of Children of Albania, and UNICEF.[12]
Hits
edit- Çokollata (English: Chocolate)
- Çuna, Çuna (English: Boys, boys)
- Do do ti do (English: Yes, yes, you want to)
- Dorëheqja (English: Surrender)
- Dridhe (English: Shake it)
- Duty free
- Falma (English: Forgive me)
- Kur këndoj serenate (English: When I sing a serenade)
- Maria
- Mike dhë rivale (feat. Ingrid Gjoni) (English: Friends and rivals)
- Puçi Puçi (feat. Ingrid Gjoni) (English: Kiss kiss)
- S'ke ku vete (English: Can't go anywhere)
- Të dy qajmë të ndarë (English: We both cry separated)
- Tekila (English: Tequila)
- Vetëm ti (English: Only you)
- Nuk e di pse me do (English: I don't know what to do)
References
edit- ^ a b Biography at Lyrics portal
- ^ Ciljeta Xhilaga, Miss-i mes Miss-eve 12/09/2010
- ^ Vip, Shqiperia. "Ja si si janë lidhjet e mia me Elvana Gjatën dhe Ciljetën!".
- ^ Vip, Shqiperia. "Ciljeta këndon për ndarjen, por është e dashuruar si kurrë më parë".
- ^ Panorama (23 February 2013). "Çiljeta: "Partneri im është i lumtur që bebja i ngjan atij"".
- ^ Koha (2 September 2012). "Çiljeta bashkëjeton me arkitektin amerikan".
- ^ Gazeta, Shqiptare (30 June 2013). "Artistet shqiptare: Rama s'eshte thjesht nje lider, por nje fenomen".
- ^ Tema. "Ciljeta: Nuk e dija se festen e organizonte Aleanca Kuqezi, une nuk kendoj per tradhtaret e partise sime".
- ^ "Çiljeta Xhilaga dhe demokratët e zonës te Liqeni i Thatë i bashkohen Veliajt: Kur jam bërë unë dhe gjyshja ime 80 vjeç me PS, mos ngeltë më demokrat pa u kthyer - Shqiptarja.com". shqiptarja.com (in Albanian). Retrieved 2023-08-21.
- ^ Zhurnal. "Çiljeta 'përshëndet' edhe Greqinë si Serbinë me "F*ck Greece"".
- ^ NOA (1 February 2013). "këngëtare thotë se është, tjetër duket..." Agjencia Kombetare e Lajmeve.
- ^ CRCA Albania (20 March 2012). "Çiljeta Xhilaga, viziton Intitutitn e të Mtiurve, Kavajë". Retrieved 11 January 2014.