Batumi ბათუმი
View on Batumi
Flag Coat of arms
Batumi ბათუმი Location of Batumi in Georgia
Coordinates: 41°39′0″N 41°39′0″E / 41.65°N 41.65°E / 41.65; 41.65
Country	Georgia
Autonomous republic	Adjara
Government
• Mayor	Robert Chkhaidze
Elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (2008)
• Total	180,000
Time zone	Georgian Time (UTC+4)
Website	www.batumi.ge

Batumi (Georgian: ბათუმი) is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. Sometimes considered Georgia's second capital, with a population of 180,000 (2008 census), Batumi serves as an important port and a commercial center. It is situated in a subtropical zone, rich in agricultural produce such as citrus fruit and tea. While industries of the city include shipbuilding, food processing, and light manufacturing, most of its economy revolves around tourism.

History[link]

Early history[link]

Medea statue in the center of Batumi, Georgia, one of the main Colchis cities

Theater Square

Batumi is located on the site of the ancient Greek colony in Colchis called Bathus or Bathys – derived from the Greek phrase bathus limen or bathys limin meaning "deep harbour". Under Hadrian (r. 117–138 AD), it was converted into a fortified Roman port later deserted for the fortress of Petra founded in the times of Justinian I (r. 527–565). Garrisoned by the Roman-Byzantine forces, it was formally a possession of the kingdom of Lazica until being occupied briefly by the Arabs who did not hold it; in the 9th century it formed part of the Bagratid monarchy of Tao-Klarjeti and at the close of the 10th century of the unified kingdom of Georgia which succeeded it.

From 1010, it was governed by the eristavi (viceroy) of the king of Georgia. In the late 15th century, after the disintegration of the Georgian kingdom, Batumi passed to the princes (mtavari) of Guria, a western Georgian principality under the sovereignty of the kings of Imereti. A curious incident occurred in 1444 when the Burgundian flotilla, after a failed crusade against the Ottoman Empire, penetrated the Black Sea and engaged in piracy along its eastern coastline until the Burgundians under the knight Geoffroy de Thoisy were ambushed during their landing raid at the port of Vaty, as Europeans then knew Batumi. De Thoisy was taken captive and released through the mediation of the emperor John IV of Trebizond.

Detail from a map of Antonio Zatta, 1784, depicting Georgian principality of Guria and its major town Batumi.

150-meter-tall glass tower of the Georgian alphabet in Batumi.

Batumi Neptun Square

In the 15th century in the reign of the prince Kakhaber Gurieli, the Ottoman Turks conquered the town and its district but did not hold them. They returned it by force a century later after the decisive defeat which they inflicted on the Georgian armies at Sokhoista. Batumi was recaptured by the Georgians several times, first in 1564 by prince Rostom Gurieli, who lost it soon afterwards, and again in 1609 by Mamia Gurieli. In 1723 Batumi again became part of the Ottoman Empire. With the Turkish conquest the Islamisation of the hitherto Christian region began, but was terminated and to a great degree reversed, after the area was re-annexed to Russian Imperial Georgia in the mid 19th century.

Imperial Russian rule[link]

Port of Batumi in 1881.

In 1878, Batumi was annexed by the Russian Empire in accordance with Treaty of San Stefano between Russia and the Ottoman Empire (ratified on March 23). Occupied by the Russians on August 28, 1878, the town was declared a free port until 1886. It functioned as a center of a special military district until being incorporated in the Government of Kutaisi on June 12, 1883. Finally, on June 1, 1903, with the Okrug of Artvin, it was established as the region (oblast) of Batumi placed under the direct control of the General Government of Georgia.

The expansion of Batumi began in 1883 with the construction of the Batumi-Tiflis-Baku railway completed in 1900 by the finishing of the Baku-Batumi pipe-line. Henceforth Batumi became the chief Russian oil port in the Black Sea. The town expanded to an extraordinary extent and the population increased very rapidly: 8,671 inhabitants in 1882, and 12,000 in 1889. By 1902 there were 16000 in the port, 1000 worked in the refinery for Baron Rothschild's Caspian and Black Sea oil company.^[1]

War, Communism and independence[link]

Coasts of Batumi in summer

During 1901, 16 years prior to the Russian Revolution, Joseph Stalin, the future leader of the Soviet Union, lived in the city organizing strikes. Unrest during World War I led to Turkey's re-entry in April 1918, followed by the British in December, who stayed until July 1920. Kemal Atatürk then ceded it to the Bolsheviks, on the condition that it be granted autonomy, for the sake of the Muslims among Batumi's mixed population.

When the USSR collapsed, Aslan Abashidze was appointed head of Adjara's governing council and subsequently held onto power throughout the unrest of the 1990s. Whilst other regions, such as Abkhazia, attempted to break away from the Georgian state, Adjara maintained an integral part of the Republic's territory. However, due to a fragile security situation, Abashidze was able to exploit the central government's weaknesses and rule the area as a personal fiefdom. In May 2004, he fled the region to Russia as a result of mass protests sparked by the Rose Revolution in Tbilisi.

Sheraton Hotels and Resorts and Nearby Square

Present day[link]

Batumi today is the main port of Georgia. It has the capacity for 80,000-tonne tankers to take materials such as oil which is shipped through Georgia from Central Asia. Additionally the city exports regional agricultural products. Since 1995 the freight conversion of the port has constantly risen, with an approximate 8 million tonnes in 2001. The annual revenue from the port is estimated at between $200 million and $300 million.

Since the change of power in Ajara, Batumi has attracted several international investors with real estate prices in the city trebling since 2001. Kazakh investors have reportedly invested $100 million to purchase more than 20 hotels in the Ajara region of Georgia. Construction of a number of new hotels will be launched in Ajara’s Black Sea resorts starting from 2007.^{[dated info]}

Batumi was also host to the Russian 12th Military Base. Following the Rose Revolution, the central government pushed for the removal of these forces, and in 2005 an agreement with Moscow was reached. According to the agreement, the process of withdrawal was planned to be completed in a course of 2008, but the Batumi base was officially handed over to Georgia on November 13, 2007, ahead of planned schedule.^[2]

In July 2007, the seat of the Constitutional Court of Georgia was moved from Tbilisi to Batumi in an attempt to further facilitate the regional development.^[3]

Climate[link]

Batumi lies at the northern periphery of the humid subtropical zone. The city's climate is heavily influenced by the onshore flow from the Black Sea and is subject to the orographic effect of the nearby hills and mountains, resulting in significant rainfall throughout most of the year, making Batumi the wettest city in both Georgia and the entire Caucasus Region.

The average annual temperature in Batumi is approximately 14 °C (57 °F). January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 7 °C (45 °F). August is the hottest month, with an average temperature of 22 °C (72 °F). The absolute minimum recorded temperature is −9 °C (16 °F), and the absolute maximum is 40 °C (104 °F). The number of days with daily temperatures above 10 °C (50 °F) is 239. The city receives 1958 hours of sunshine per year.

Batumi's average annual precipitation is 2,718 mm (107.0 in). September is the wettest month with an average of 335 mm (13.2 in) of precipitation, while May is the driest, averaging 92 mm (3.6 in). Batumi generally does not receive significant amounts of snow (accumulating snowfall of more than 30 cm.), and the number of days with snow cover for the year is 12. The average level of relative humidity ranges from 70–80%.

Transportation[link]

The city is served by Batumi Airport, one of three international airports in the country.

BatumVelo

A bike-sharing scheme named BatumVelo^[5] allows you to rent a bicycle on the street with a smart card.

Subdivisions[link]

According to the March 31, 2008 decision of the Batumi City Council, Batumi is divided into seven boroughs, those of:

• Old Batumi (ძველი ბათუმის უბანი)
• Rustaveli (რუსთაველის უბანი)
• Khimshiashvili (ხიმშიაშვილის უბანი)
• Bagrationi (ბაგრატიონის უბანი)
• Aghmashenebeli (აღმაშენებლის უბანი)
• Javakhishvili (ჯავახიშვილის უბანი)
• Tamar (თამარის უბანი)
• Boni-Gorodok (ბონი-გოროდოკის უბანი)
• Airport (აეროპორტის უბანი)
• Gonio-Kvariati (გონიო-კვარიათის უბანი)
• Kakhaberi (კახაბრის უბანი)
• Batumi Industrial (ბათუმის სამრეწველო უბანი)
• Green Cape (მწვანე კონცხის უბანი)^[6]

Demographics and religion[link]

Georgian Orthodox (former Catholic) Cathedral of the Mother of God

According to the 2002 Georgian census, Batumi had a population of 121,806 with population density of 7293.8 per km². Ethnic groups include:

• Georgians – 104,313
• Armenians – 7,517
• Russians – 6,300
• Abkhaz – 800
• Ukrainians – 770
• Greeks – 587
• Azerbaijani – 301
• Ossetians – 142
• Yazidi – 69
• Kists – 8.^[7]

Batumi is a home to Eastern Orthodox Christian, Muslim, Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, and Jewish communities. The places of worship in the city are:

• The Georgian Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Mother of God, and Saint Barbara Church
• The Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit
• The Batumi Mosque
• The Batumi Armenian church
• The Batumi Synagogue^[8]

Main sights[link]

Batumi University Fountain

Attractions include

• the Adjara State Museum
• Batumi Botanical Garden, started (like the previous) by professor Krasnov (brother of the general Pyotr Krasnov)
• aquarium
• circus
• Medea statue
• former resort area along the Black Sea coast.

Postage stamps[link]

Twin towns and sister cities[link]

•  Italy, the city Bari, 1987.^[9]
•  Spain, the city San Sebastian, 1987.^[9]
•  USA, the city Savannah, 1992.^[9]
•  Greece, the city Piraeus, 1996.^[9]
•  Turkey, the city Trabzon, 2000.^[9]
•  Armenia, the city Vanadzor, 2006.^[9]
•  Greece, the city Volos, 2007.^[9]
•  Ukraine, the city Yalta, 2008.^[9]
•  Bulgaria, the city Blagoevgrad, 2008.^[9]
•  Ukraine, the city Ternopil, 2011.^[9]
•  Colombia, the city Cartagena.
•  Spain, the city Barcelona.

Notable people[link]

Notable people who are from or have resided in Batumi:

• Katie Melua, singer
• Mary, Princess Eristavi, Georgian princess and model
• Valery Meladze, singer
• Mindia Khitarishvili, composer
• Sopho Khalvashi, first Georgian entrant to the Eurovision Song Contest 2007
• Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, science fiction authors
• Josef Bardanashvili, composer
• Herbert Backe, Reich Minister of Food, Agriculture and Forests
• William Horwood Stuart, British diplomat who was murdered there in 1906
• Fyodor Yurchikhin, astronaut
• Odysseas Dimitriadis (1908–2005) Greek-Soviet music conductor

References[link]

• Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia. Georgian SSR (Supplementary Edition). 1981. pp. 16–18.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Batumi

• Official website of Batumi
• Batumi city tour, Department of Tourism and Resorts of Adjara
• Map of Batumi, Department of Tourism and Resorts of Adjara
• Batumi city navigator
• Batumi Sea Port
• Prokudin-Gorskii color photos of Batumi circa 1910
• Photo gallery "Batumi Today". Government of Adjara website
• Historical postcards of Batumi
• Photos of new Batumi

Coordinates: 41°38′19″N 41°38′14″E / 41.63861°N 41.63722°E / 41.63861; 41.63722

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Natalia Lesz
Natalia Lesz
Background information
Birth name	Natalia Lesz
Also known as	Natalia
Born	(1981-07-27) July 27, 1981 (age 30), Warsaw, Poland
Genres	Pop, Adult Contemporary, Electronica
Occupations	singer, songwriter and actress
Years active	2008 – present
Labels	EMI Music Poland, Unleashed Music
Website	Official Website

Natalia Lesz in 2009

Natalia Lesz (born 27 July 1981 in Warsaw, Poland) is a Polish pop singer, dancer songwriter and actress.

Background[link]

Natalia studied for eight years at The Warsaw Ballet School. She later went on to complete numerous training programs in well-known schools, including the Royal Academy of Dancing in London, and both The Alvin Ailey, and Broadway Dance schools in New York City. Natalia had the opportunity to study and work with accomplished choreographers such as Brian Green and Brian Friedman. While living in New York, Natalia immersed herself in studies at CAP21 (voice, music theory), The Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting and The Lee Strasberg Institute (acting, diction, voice). She is a graduate of the renowned acting department at the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University (NYU). While in New York, she has performed in numerous plays both on and off Broadway.

This young artist has already performed on major stages in the US and Europe, including an opening spot for British pop star Mika; as well as for Celine Dion as a part of her current “Taking Chances” world tour.

Natalia’s debut album, Natalia Lesz, was produced by hit makers Greg Wells (Celine Dion, Mika, One Republic, Katy Perry) and Glen Ballard (Celine Dion, No Doubt, Alanis Morissette, Annie Lennox, Shakira, Michael Jackson).^[1] It was released in Poland on April 14 and worldwide late 2009. Both of her singles - “Fall” and “Power Of Attraction” quickly made it to the top of the polish single charts, earning her the prestigious Best Debut Of the Year Award, at the National Festival of Polish Songs in Opole. Both singles and "Arabesque" charted on American Billboard Dance/Club Play Charts.

2009[link]

In January, 2009, Natalia was nominated by the POPCORN magazine, as "The Best Polish Singer of The Year". In February, she was nominated by the BRAVO magazine in a "Fresh Blood" category. In the same month, she was also nominated by the members of the recording industry for the prestigious “Fryderyki”, the Polish music awards.

In March, Natalia had been nominated by the polish-edition Glamour magazine, in "The Most Glamorous Debut of The Year" category. Natalia has featured on Polish "Dancing With The Stars" and placed 2nd with the highest score in history of the show. In the new TV series on TVP "Tancerze" (eng. The Dancers) which first aired on the 3rd of April 2009, she plays one of the leading roles as "Inga".

2010[link]

In May 2010, Natalia won a "Press and Media Award" at Top Trendy Festival in Sopot.

2011[link]

In 2011 she released her second studio album "That Girl", which was promoted by the single with the same title. It smashed Polish radio stations and became one of the biggest hit of 2011 in Poland and gained some airplay in USA. The album, itself, received mostly favorable reviews from critics. Natalia has been praised for good vocals, lyrics and the whole production. However, the album peaked only at position 44 on Polish Albums Chart, but still managed to be certified gold (over 15,000 copies sold).

2012[link]

In 2012 Natalia released the second single from her second album, "Beat of my heart". The song received good reviews from critics and Natalia has been compared to Kylie Minogue. She's planning to go on a tour promotion "That Girl" through the biggest Polish cities and a few abroad.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias in November 2007.
Background information
Birth name	Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva
Born	(1943-09-23) September 23, 1943 (age 68) Madrid, Spain
Genres	Latin American music, Latin, Latin pop, Dance and Classical
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1968–present
Labels	Columbia Records and Sony Music Entertainment
Website	www.julioiglesias.com

Julio Iglesias (born Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva; September 23, 1943) is a Spanish singer and songwriter whose romantic image, magnetic stage presence, and expressive music made him one of the best-selling artists of all time. By the early 21st century he had sold hundreds of millions of albums in more than a dozen languages.^[1] He has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums.^[2] According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best-selling music artists in history.^[3] While Iglesias rose to international prominence in the 1970s and 1980s as a performer of romantic ballads, his success has continued on as he entered new musical endeavors.^[4] He is the father of singer Enrique Iglesias.

Early life[link]

Iglesias was born in Madrid, the eldest son of Dr. Julio Iglesias Puga and María del Rosario de la Cueva y Perignat. Iglesias' father's family was from Galicia, and Iglesias' mother an Andalusian.

In the 1960s, he studied law in Madrid and was a goalkeeper for one of Real Madrid's^[5] football teams. On September 22, 1963, he was involved in a car crash, resulting in an injury to his spinal cord.^[6] He said, "I had a car accident; [a] very, very strange car accident...I lost control of the car and rolled it, resulting in what they call 'paraparexia,' which is not paraplegia. It's a compression in the [spinal] cord, in the sense of the neck...my spinal cord; and I was very, very ill for three years."  His doctors thought he would never walk again; indeed, his legs were left permanently weakened, and they continued to require therapy as of late October 2010. However, slowly, he began recovering his health. To develop and increase the dexterity of his hands, he began playing guitar.^[6] When he recovered from his accident, he resumed academic studies and traveled to the United Kingdom to study the English language, first in Ramsgate, then at Bell Educational Trust's Language School in Cambridge.

In 1971, he married Spanish Filipino^[7] journalist Isabel Preysler and had three children, Chabeli Iglesias, Julio Iglesias, Jr. and Enrique Iglesias. Their marriage was annulled in 1979. In 1981 his father, Julio Iglesias Puga, Sr, was kidnapped by Basque terrorists but found alive two weeks later, prompting Julio Iglesias to move his children to Miami, Florida.^[8]

On August 24, 2010, Julio Iglesias and Miranda Rijnsburger got married after a 20-year relationship. The religious ceremony was celebrated in the Parish of the Virgen del Carmen of Marbella, and was followed by a Mass of thanksgiving in the chapel on the property the couple owns in the same city.^[9] The couple has three sons and twin daughters: Miguel (born September 7, 1997), Rodrigo (born April 3, 1999), Victoria and Cristina (born May 1, 2001) and Guillermo (born May 5, 2007).^[10] After Iglesias was 60 years old, his 89 year old father produced more children: half-brother Jaime born May 18, 2004; and half sister Ruth born July 26, 2006. Julio's half siblings were a product of Dr. Iglesias Puga's second marriage, to Ronna Keitt.^[11]

Career[link]

In 1968, he won the Benidorm International Song Festival, a songwriter's event in Spain, with the song "La vida sigue igual" (meaning "Life Continues Just The Same") which was used in the film La vida sigue igual, about his own life. After his events he signed a deal with Discos Columbia, the Spanish branch of the Columbia Records company. He represented Spain in the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest, earning fourth place, after Northern Irish singer Dana and the Welsh singer Mary Hopkin. His entry was the song "Gwendolyne." Shortly after he had a number one hit in many European countries with "Un Canto A Galicia." That single sold 1 million copies in Germany. In 1975 he found success in the Italian market by recording a song exclusively in Italian called "Se mi lasci non vale" ("If You Leave Me, It Can't Be"). Notable albums from this decade are A Flor de Piel (1974, with the European hit "Manuela"), "El Amor" (1975), and "Soy" (1978). He also sang in French. One of his popular songs is "Je n'ai pas changé".

Following the annulment of his marriage to Preysler in 1979, he moved to Miami, Florida, in the United States and signed a deal with CBS International, and started singing in different languages such as English, French, Portuguese, German and other languages to his music. Iglesias released the album De Niña a Mujer (1981), dedicated to his daughter (that divided the cover photo with him), from it came the first English-language hit, a Spanish cover of "Begin the Beguine" which became number 1 in the United Kingdom, he also released a collection, Julio (1983). In 1984, he released 1100 Bel Air Place, the hit album which gave him publicity in the English-speaking entertainment industry. It sold four million albums in the United States, with the first single "To All the Girls I've Loved Before", a duet with Willie Nelson, earning a fifth place spot in the Billboard Hot 100; it also featured "All of You", with Diana Ross.

Julio Iglesias made a cameo appearance as himself on The Golden Girls as Sophia Petrillo's date on St. Valentine's Day. In 1984 he recorded the duets with Diana Ross and Willie Nelson previously mentioned. Iglesias won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album in the 1988 Grammy Awards for the album Un Hombre Solo (A Man Alone). He recorded a duet with Stevie Wonder on "My Love", in his Non Stop album, a crossover success in 1988. In the 1990s, Iglesias returned to his original Spanish melody in Tango (1996), nominated for Best Latin Pop Album at the 1998 Grammy Awards, losing to the Romances album by Mexican singer, Luis Miguel.^[12] Also that year, his youngest son from his first marriage, Enrique Iglesias, also was nominated for the Vivir album.

Julio Iglesias went on to win the World Music Award for Tango in Monaco later that year where he was up against singer Luis Miguel and son Enrique for the second time. Julio performed two "Tangos" to the delight of the audience. In 1995, he appeared as a guest star in the videoclip of Thalía's song "Amandote"; she had starred in the video clip of Iglesias's hit "Baila Morena". Iglesias returned to the headlines in October 2003, when he went to Argentina and kissed show host Susana Giménez three times during a live telecast of her show.

In 2003, he released his album Divorcio (Divorce). In its first day of sales, Divorcio sold a record 350,000 albums in Spain, and reached the number 1 spot on the charts in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Russia. In 2003 and 2004, he was featured on a ten month world tour; which took Iglesias, aided by the success his album Divorcio and toured from Europe and Asia to North America, South America and Africa. More than half the shows on the tour sold out within days of going on sale. In December 2004, his Dutch girlfriend Miranda Rijnsburger and Iglesias himself recorded a duet of the Christmas song "Silent Night". The song, which was not officially released, also included a voice message from Iglesias, Rijnsburger and their 4 young children. The song was released online through the singer's official website and a CD was included on their Christmas card as a holiday gift from the Iglesias family to their friends and fans around the world.

In 2008, Iglesias recorded another song as a gift to his fans. The family recorded "The Little Drummer Boy" in Spanish and English and included it in the family's Christmas card. Iglesias also made investments in the Dominican Republic's eastern town of Punta Cana, a major tourist destination, where he spends most of the year when he is not on tour. Iglesias's south Florida mansion on the exclusive private Indian Creek Island property was placed on the market in 2006 for a quoted $28 million, making it one of "Ten Most Expensive Homes in the South" in 2006 according to Forbes Magazine.^[13]

In September 2006, a new English album titled Romantic Classics was released. "I've chosen songs from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s that I believe will come to be regarded as the new standards", Iglesias stated in the album's sleeve notes. The album features the hits "I Want to Know What Love Is", "Careless Whisper", and "Right Here Waiting". Romantic Classics was Iglesias's highest debut on the Billboard charts, entering at number 31 in the United States, 21 in Canada, 10 in Australia, and top spots across Europe and Asia. He returned to the studio to record songs in Filipino and Indonesian for his Asian releases of Romantic Classics which helped propel record sales in the Asian entertainment industry. Iglesias promoted Romantic Classics in 2006 and was seen all over the world on television shows. For example, in the United States, he appeared on Dancing With The Stars (where he sang his hit "I Want To Know What Love Is"), Good Morning America, The View, Fox and Friends, and Martha Stewart.

In 2008, Iglesias promoted his Romantic Classics album worldwide and in 2009-2010, he planned a world tour as a celebration of forty years in the music industry.^{[citation needed]} After his house in Indian Creek did not sell he razed his house to the ground in 2008 and said he planned to build another.^[14]

In 2010, Iglesias continued to travel around the world with his "Starry Night World Tour" to promote his 42 years of career. Julio Iglesias is currently learning Tunisian Sephardic cuisine for which he has developed an incredible passion, the Mloukhia being his best recipe. According to his close friend, Emilio Lopez, Julio is also learning Orthodox Judaism to become a rabbi in Los Angeles and teach French-speaking kids how to pray with a Latino twist.

Julio is frequently seen at the Tunisian restaurant in Paris called Douieb where he orders the Tunisian sandwich.

According to his official site, he has sold over 300 million albums worldwide as of 1 November 2010 (2010 -11-01)^[update].

In March 2011, the artist launched a new studio album called Numero 1.

Iglesias' performance of the song La Mer ("The Sea") is featured in the soundtrack of the 2011 film Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. The performance comes from a live album, currently out-of-print, recorded live at the Olympia theater in Paris in 1976. At the beginning and the end of the recording, Iglesias introduces the song, and his backing musicians, in fluent French.

Discography[link]

Studio, live, remastered and compilation main albums

• 2011: Numero 1
• 2010: The Essential: Julio Iglesias
• 2010: Original album classic
• 2010: Nathalie-The best of Julio Iglesias
• 2007: Quelque Chose De France
• 2006: Romantic Classics (US:#41)
• 2006: Remastered+Bonus Track
• 2006: Remastered (US:#81)
• 2005: L'homme Que Je Suis
• 2003: Divorcio
• 2001: Ao meu Brasil
• 2000: Noche De Cuatro Lunas
• 1996: Tango
• 1995: La Carretera
• 1994: Crazy (US:#30)
• 1992: Calor (US:#186)
• 1990: Starry Night (US:#37)
• 1989: Raíces
• 1988: Non Stop (US:#52)
• 1987: Un Hombre Solo
• 1987: Tutto l'amore che ti manca
• 1985: Libra (US.#92), (US Latin:#1)
• 1984: 1100 Bel Air Place (US:#6) [Singles: "All Of You" US:#19, US R&B:#38, "Moonlight Lady" Adult Contemporary #17, "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" US:#5, US Country:#1]
• 1983: En Concierto
• 1982: Momentos
• 1982: Momenti
• 1982: Et l'amour crea la femme
• 1981: De niña a mujer
• 1981: Fidèle
• 1981: Minhas canções preferidas
• 1981: Zartlichkeiten
• 1980: Hey!
• 1980: Amanti
• 1980: Sentimental
• 1979: A vous les femmes
• 1979: Innamorarsi alla mia eta
• 1979: Emociones
• 1978: Aimer La Vie
• 1978: As Vezes Tu, As Vezes Eu
• 1978: Da "Manuela" A "Pensami"
• 1978: "Quiero" Album (El Amor)
• 1977: A mis 33 años
• 1976: America
• 1976: Ein Weihnachtsabend Mit Julio Iglesias
• 1976: En El Olympia
• 1975: A Mexico
• 1975: El Amor
• 1974: A Flor de Piel
• 1974: Viens M'embrasser
• 1973: Soy
• 1972: Un Canto a Galicia
• 1972: Por una mujer
• 1969: Yo Canto

References[link]

External links[link]

• Interview with Julio Iglesias
• Julio Iglesias at the Internet Movie Database

Sofia Nizharadze სოფო ნიჟარაძე
Sopho Nizharadze in Oslo (2010)
Background information
Birth name	Sophio Nizharadze სოფიო ნიჟარაძე
Also known as	Sopho Nizharadze София Нижарадзе
Born	(1986-02-06) 6 February 1986 (age 26)
Origin	Tbilisi, Georgia
Genres	pop, soul, musical
Occupations	singer, actress, songwriter

Sofia Nizharadze (Georgian: სოფო ნიჟარაძე, Sopho Nizharadze IPA: [sɔpʰɔ niʒarad͡zɛ]; born February 6,1986 in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, USSR) is a Georgian singer, actress and songwriter who represented Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song Shine. Nizharadze is now a jury member on the TV show "Georgia got talent" ^[1]

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Nizharadze's grandfather, a Turkish native, met his wife in Georgia during vacation and stayed there, during the Soviet era when all non-Soviet foreigners were considered potential spies, causing him trouble to communicate with his family in Turkey.

Nizharadze was born in Tbilisi and started singing from an early age, something that was encouraged by her mother. She studied piano and vocals in the Tbilisi State Conservatory, graduated with honors, and later continued her studies at the theatre of Arts GITIS, Moscow. She also graduated with honors from the Gnessin State Musical College, Moscow. She has a younger brother.

Music career[link]

Sopho's vocal range is light lyric soprano.

At the age of three, Nizharadze started performing as a professional with very positive reception. At the age of seven she was invited by Jansug Kakhidze, a prominent Georgian conductor and author of famous sound tracks for Georgian cinema, to join a children’s music studio where she took the lead as a vocalist for various shows and TV projects.

Later on at age 11 she performed “Sous le ciel de Paris” at the French Embassy, where she was noticed by journalist Bernard Pivot who invited her to his program on TV5.

When she reached 17 years old, Nizharadze had won several international young singer's contests, including the "Bravo, Bravissimo!" competition in Mini La Scala (Italy), "Crystal Note" (Moscow, Russia), "Crystal Fur-tree" (Borjomi, Georgia). She participated in several festivals in Russia, Turkey, Italy, Latvia and Georgia.

Later, she took the leading parts in the musicals “The Wedding Of The Jays” and ”Roméo et Juliette, de la Haine à l'Amour”. Living in Moscow at that moment she started gaining international recognition as a singer.

In 2004 she got a main part in Gerard Presgurvic's musical (Original Russian Version, Operetta Theatre, leading cast). In 2005, she reached the final in the New Wave Festival in Jūrmala, Latvia.

In 2008, Nizharadze gave up her career in Russia and returned to Georgia as a consequence of the war between the two countries, and started a career in Georgia.

Eurovision Song Contest 2010[link]

Nizharadze was internally chosen by GPB to represent Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. An open call for songs was launched, and over 100 entries submitted, the broadcasting authorities selected 6, that were all performed by her in a national final on February 27 in the Tbilisi Even Hall. Shine was voted as the winner.

2010: After Eurovision[link]

Nizharadze will plan her new album release, and new songs for it. She will also continue promoting her Eurovision entry in Georgia. Sofia actively participates in many concerts and shows in Europe and Asia. She sang duets with legendary José Carreras, Andrea Bocelli and Chris de Burgh. She was also the spokesperson announcing the Georgian votes during the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.

Awards and achievements[link]

• 1995- “Crystal fir tree”, the international festival nominated at the “Best Vocal” category;
• 1996- Special award – “The League”, the first Georgian festival; award owner at the festival Mini La Scalla;
• 1997- Participant of “Crystal note” International Festival in Moscow (850 anniversary of Moscow city);
• 1999- Diploma of the First category for the best vocal within the frame of the festival “Pushkin weeks”; Diploma of the Tbilisi Mayor’s Office for the “Unique vocal features”;
• 1998- 2001- Scholarship of President Eduard Shevardnadze;
• 2000- “Golden Star” for the best vocal granted by Forte Cinematographic Studio and Star Scale Studio;
• 2003- 2004 – leading part in the musical “The Wedding of the Jays” ;
• 2004- 2006- Leading part on “Romeo and Juliet” musical;
• 2005- Participant, a finalist of the young pop star contest “New Wave”;
• 2005- 2007- Takes leading parts in shows and production of RATIB; was invited for Esmeralda part to the Musical “Notre Dame de Paris”;
• 2010 performed a duo with Jose Carreras, extract from the West Side Story musical.
• 2010/11 performed with Andrea Bocelli on New Year's Eve concert.

Roles[link]

• Musical Svadba Soek (Ketevan - main role)
• Musical Romeo & Juliette - Juliet (Original Russian Main Cast)
• Musical Hello, Dolly (RATI)

Albums[link]

• Svadba Soek Original Cast Recording (2003)
• Musical Romeo & Juliette "Ot Nenavisti Do Lubvi" Original Cast Recording (2005)
• Where are you... (2008)

1. "My Dream"
2. "Every Moment"
3. "Where Are You..."
4. "Leave Me Alone"
5. "I'm Running Away"
6. "Over and Over"
7. "Leave Me Alone (rmx)"
8. "Over and Over (rmx)"

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sopho Nizharadze

• Official Facebook Page
• The Sofia Nizharadze official myspace
• Sofia Nizharadze official Eurovision.Tv page

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