| Xonia | |
|---|---|
Xonia, posed photo, 2009 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Loredana Sachelaru |
| Also known as | Xonia |
| Born | 25 June 1989 Melbourne, Australia |
| Origin | Romania |
| Genres | Pop, dance, electronic |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter actress, dancer |
| Years active | 2008 — present |
| Labels | Universal Music Romania |
| Website | www.xoniamusic.com |
Xonia (born Loredana Sachelaru; 25 June 1989) is an Australian singer, songwriter, actress and dancer of Romanian heritage.
Contents |
Xonia was born 25 June 1989 in Melbourne, Australia to Romanian parents.[1] Her full birth name is Loredana Sachelaru but she started promoting herself as "Xonia" since her adolescence.[2] Throughout her childhood, Xonia manifested interest in ballet and at the age of 7 she was studying under the auspicies of The Australian Ballet School.[3] During the 1990s Xonia toured Australia and Europe with a dancing caravan and collaborated with some highly prestigious schools of ballet such as the English National Ballet and The Royal Ballet.[4] Through her concurrence with The Dancers Company, a national tour organised by The Australian Ballet, she often played the classic role of Clara in The Nutcracker.[5]
In 1997 Xonia began showing interest in music and was subsequently signed to a recording contract with a local label in early 2003.[6] Throughout her adolescence she worked with several music producers such as Rob Davis, Doug Brady and Kevin Colbert in order to record her debut album.[7] Simultaneously, Xonia graduated graduated the Australian Ballet School (Certificate III in Dance) and was taken under the mentorship of Robert Sturrock, a well-known choreographer and dance coach.[8] In early 2000s Xonia put aside her musical career and focused on acting; shortly after she had a number of cameo appearances in high-profile TV series such as Noah's Arc, SeaChange, Holly's Heroes and Neighbours.[9][10]
In 2006 Xonia was selected to represent Australia at the international Beauty Contest "Miss Diaspora" where she had the opportunity to perform in front of 20,000 live spectators.[11] Same year later she performed in the Melbourne Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies and was selected to dance with a guest star, the football player Nathan Brown from Richmond team.[12] Throughout 2007 Xonia showcased her choreography abilities while working with pop singer Georgina Ward for her live shows;[13] eventually she was featured as a backup dancer in some of the music videos produced by Ian Smith and Laura Gissara.[14] At the age of 19 Xonia enrolled in at the Hollywood Pop Academy in California, where she studied dance theory for a short time.[15]
In early 2008 Xonia started touring the United States, where she sang for the Romanian diaspora at some social events.[16] Eventually she spent some time in New York recording music and working on her original material.[17] Whilst living in America, Xonia received an invitation to participate as a jury member at the annual Miss Diaspora Contest;[18][19] she accepted the invitation and performed on the stage of the Callatis Festival same year later.[5][20] Shortly after this representation, as a reward for her musical efforts, she was given a record deal with Star Management Romania in order to launch her career.[21]
Xonia's debut single, titled "Someone to Love You", was released in late 2009 and enjoyed moderate success.[21] Same year later she was selected to represent Australia at the international music festival the Golden Stag, where she performed two songs: "Dirty Dancer" and "Trandafir de la Moldova".[22][23] Impressed by her vocal ability showcased during the contest, the Universal Romania representatives offered her a management contract.[24][25] Eventually Xonia released a single in early 2010, entitled "Take the Lead", which has received favorable reactions and created a significant buzz on the internet.[26][27][28]
In early 2010 Xonia collaborated with the Romanian pop band Deepcentral on a new single called “My Beautiful One”.[29] As of November 2010, the track spent 25 consecutive weeks in the top 30 on the Romanian Top 100, peaking at number four.[30][31] Xonia is currently working on her debut album with some well-known Romanian music producers including Marius Moga, George Hora, Mihai Ogășanu and Deepcentral.[8][24]