Ani Lorak

Karolina Myroslavivna Kuiek (born 27 September 1978), popularly known as Ani Lorak, is a Ukrainian singer and former UN Goodwill Ambassador.

Having received Ukraine's most prestigious and honorary title, the People's Artist of Ukraine, Lorak has been cited as one of the most powerful and influential women in her country, as well as ranked one of the most beautiful women from Eastern Europe.

In 1992, at the age of 13, she took part in the Chernivtsi singing competition Pervotsvit, which she won.

There, she met Yuriy Falyosa, who became her first producer.

As a result, at the age of 15, she signed her first professional contract for the duration of ten years.

In that timeframe, as part of her contract duties, she was not allowed to marry or give birth.

Kuiek became known as Ani Lorak from March 1995 onwards after she took part in the popular children's music television programme Morning Star on Channel One Russia.

Intending to perform there mononymously as Karolina, she was told that that was undesirable as there was another famous singer at the time in Russia who performed under that pseudonym.

As a result, the stage name "Ani Lorak" was invented, which was the name "Karolina" read backwards.

After participating in "Morning Star", Lorak's star started to rise in Ukraine.

In the summer of 1995, Lorak was one of the laureates of the Chervona Ruta festival, that year held in Sevastopol and Simferopol, which led to her definite breakthrough in the Ukrainian show business.

Ani Lorak moved to Kyiv later that year to start recording her first album.

She was named "Discovery of the Year" at the popular Ukrainian festival Tavria Games in 1996.

The same year she released her first Russian-language album, "Khochu letat" (I Want to Fly).

Lorak continued recording new songs in 1997.

Her two videos, "Manekenschitsa" and "Bozhe moy," were filmed and the latter became a soundtrack to the movie "The Right to Choose".

In the spring of 1998, her new video, "Ya vernus," was shot and in December Lorak's second Russian-language album

"Ya vernus" was released.

The mastering of this album took place in New York.

Simultaneously, her two music videos "O moya lyubov" and "Dozhdlivy gorod" were filmed to accompany her new album.

At the outset of 1999, Lorak started her first extensive and international touring, performing in the United States, France, Germany, Hungary, and in every major city of Ukraine.

In 1999, she earned the title of the Honoured Artist of Ukraine.

That same year, she got acquainted with Igor Krutoy, who wrote the composition "Zerkala" for her, which brought her more initial fame in Russia.

In 2000, she released her third album with Falyosa as the main producer, titled "www.anilorak.com," containing Russian, Ukrainian, and English compositions.

Lorak became known outside of the former Soviet Union after she represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Shady Lady", coming in second place behind Dima Bilan from Russia.

Ani Lorak had a notably tough childhood, which she later claimed shaped her personality.

Lorak was born in the provincial city of Kitsman, Chernivtsi Oblast in Western Ukraine.

She lived in the same house as Hero of Ukraine, singer and composer Volodymyr Ivasyuk spent his childhood as Lorak's maternal grandfather had bought it from the Ivasyuks after they had decided to move away from Kitsman.

Prior to her birth, her parents – a journalist and an announcer – had separated, however, her mother chose to still give Lorak her father's surname upon her birth.

Lorak developed the desire to become a singer as early as the age of four.

She often performed at various school vocal competitions.

As a child, she listened a lot to Russian singers such as Alla Pugacheva and Larisa Dolina, which were popular at the time she was young.

Speaking Ukrainian as her native language, Lorak was raised by a single mother.

After having lived in Kitsman for several years, the family moved to Chernivtsi, where they lived in bitter poverty.

From the age of six until seventh class, she and her brothers were placed in a foster home in Chernivtsi as her mother was unable to provide for her children full-time.

When she was nine, her eldest brother Serhii died while in combat during the Soviet–Afghan War.

Lorak's eldest brother had gone there to receive money to take Lorak and her two brothers out of the foster home.

Serhii had also been the first one to recognise her musical potential.

When the family was given an apartment in Chernivtsi after all, Lorak was subject to severe bullying in her new school due to her poor background.

Ani Lorak reported the highest income of all singers in Ukraine in 2014.