Gaia Cauchi
{{short description|Maltese singer}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Gaia Cauchi M.Q.R
| image = Гайя Кауки (день 1) на Детской Новой волне 2015.jpg
| caption = Cauchi in 2015
| image_size =
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|11|19|df=yes}}
| death_date =
| instrument = Vocals
| occupation = Singer
| years_active = 2004–present
| label =
| associated_acts = {{hlist|Gillian Attard|Federica Falzon}}
| website =
| current_members =
| past_members =
}}
Gaia Cauchi M.Q.R. (born 19 November 2002) is a Maltese singer. She represented Malta at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2013 and won the contest with her song "The Start".{{cite web|last=Siim|first=Jarmo|title=Malta picks Gaia Cauchi for Kyiv|url=http://www.junioreurovision.tv/page/blog?id=malta_picks_gaia_cauchi_for_kyiv|publisher=European Broadcasting Union|access-date=30 November 2013|date=26 September 2013}}
Life and career
=2004–2012: Early career=
Gaia's first "international gig" came in 2011 when she appeared on the popular Italian TV show, Ti Lascio Una Canzone. She took on Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" and left the audience shouting "bellissimo!" (superlative of beautiful in Italian). She won the prestigious Sanremo Junior Music Festival a year later in her category when she was just nine years old. There, she sang "One Night Only", from Dreamgirls.{{cite web|last=Zadoorian|first=Loosine|title=MALTA: PBS CHOOSES MINI TINA TURNER FOR JUNIOR EUROVISION 2013|url=http://wiwibloggs.com/2013/09/26/gaia-cauchi-junior-eurovision-2013/32196/|publisher=WIWIBLOGGS.COM|access-date=1 December 2013|date=26 September 2013|archive-date=3 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203011807/http://wiwibloggs.com/2013/09/26/gaia-cauchi-junior-eurovision-2013/32196/|url-status=dead}}
=2013–present: Junior Eurovision Song Contest and breakthrough=
File:JESC 2013 (Malta) Gaia Cauchi at rehearsal 2.jpg]]
After a two-year break from the contest, PBS (Public Broadcasting Services) decided to return to the Junior Eurovision. PBS, Malta's national broadcaster went for an internal selection and chose Cauchi to represent the island nation.{{cite web|last=Bayliss|first=Marc Calleja|title=JESC 2013: Gaia Cauchi Chosen to Represent Malta|url=http://escflashmalta.com/index.php/music-news/international-music-news/item/3264-jesc-2013-gaia-cauchi-chosen-to-represent-malta|publisher=escflashmalta|access-date=30 November 2013|date=25 September 2013}} Cauchi won the contest on 30 November with a 9-point lead over Ukraine.{{cite web|last=Fisher|first=Luke James|title=Malta wins Junior Eurovision 2013|url=http://www.junioreurovision.tv/page/blog?id=malta_wins_junior_eurovision_2013|access-date=30 November 2013|date=30 November 2013}} Being the winner of the Junior Eurovision, she was given a trophy which was incidentally broken a few minutes after being awarded, when the contingent had a group hug.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-6Lw2dviJc|title = - YouTube|website = YouTube}} She became the first singer from Malta to win the Junior Eurovision Song Contest and the first person from the island nation to win an EBU produced competition.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25183156|title=Malta wins Junior Eurovision Song contest|work=BBC News|date=2 December 2013}}
On 2 December 2013, the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced that Cauchi would be awarded the order Xirka Ġieħ ir-Repubblika, the country's highest honour.{{cite news|title=Gieh ir-Repubblika for Gaia Cauchi|url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131202/local/gieh-ir-republika-for-gaia-cauchi.497307|access-date=13 December 2015|work=Times of Malta|date=2 December 2013}} This move generated controversy,{{cite news|title=Controversy rages over Gaia Gieh ir-Repubblika award|url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20131204/local/controversy-rages-over-gaia-gieh-ir-repubblika-award.497473|access-date=13 December 2015|work=Times of Malta|date=4 December 2013}} and she and her team were given the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika instead on 13 December 2013.{{cite news|title=Gaia to receive same honour as Ira Losco|url=http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-12-04/news/gaia-to-receive-same-honour-as-ira-losco-3374153731/|access-date=13 December 2015|work=The Malta Independent|date=4 December 2013}}
Cauchi made an appearance in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 performing part of her winning song. At the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2014 contest, Cauchi performed during the interval act and delivered the "Kids' Jury" points. For the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016, which returned to Malta, Cauchi revealed the points from the adult Maltese jury and in {{Escyr|2022|Junior}}, for the occasion of the 20th edition of the event, she performed as part of the winners interval act in Yerevan.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-02 |title=Junior Eurovision 2022: 11 Champions will perform in Yerevan! |url=https://junioreurovision.tv/story/junior-eurovision-2022-11-champions-will-perform-yerevan |access-date=2022-12-11 |website=junioreurovision.tv |language=en}}
In 2018, Cauchi auditioned for the 15th series of The X-Factor. She was placed in the group "Sweet Sense". On 13 October 2018, Judge Robbie Williams sent Sweet Sense, including Gaia, home from the Judges' Houses round.{{Cite web|url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2018/10/14/x-factor-uk-gaia-cauchis-sweet-sense-sent-home/|title=X Factor UK: Robbie Williams sends home Gaia Cauchi's girl group Sweet Sense|date=14 October 2018}}
In 2019, she released her single 'Why Should I?'. Cauchi has also been nominated for 3 awards at the Malta Music Awards.
Discography
=Singles=
==As lead artist==
==As featured artist==
= Other charted songs =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+List of songs with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:15em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:1em;" | Year ! Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| MLT Dom. Air. |
|---|
| scope="row"| "Taħt Ħarstek"
| 2022 | 6 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commonscat|Gaia Cauchi}}
- [http://www.junioreurovision.tv/page/participant-profile?song=30983 Gaia Cauchi - Participant Profile] on the official site of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest
{{s-start}}
{{s-ach}}
{{succession box
| before=Nicole Azzopardi
with "Knock Knock!… Boom! Boom!"
| title=Malta in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest
| years=2013
| after=Federica Falzon
with "Diamonds"
}}
{{succession box
|before = {{flagicon|Ukraine}} Anastasiya Petryk
with "Nebo" (Небо)
|title = Winner of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest
|years = 2013
|after = {{flagicon|Italy}} Vincenzo Cantiello
with "Tu primo grande amore"
}}
{{s-end}}
{{List of Junior Eurovision Song Contest winners}}
{{Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2013}}
{{Malta in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cauchi, Gaia}}
Category:Maltese child singers
Category:21st-century Maltese women singers
Category:21st-century Maltese singers
Category:Recipients of Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika