Gaia Cauchi

Gaia Cauchi M.Q.R
Cauchi in 2015
Cauchi in 2015
Background information
Born (2002-11-19) 19 November 2002 (age 22)
Mġarr, Malta
Genres
OccupationSinger
InstrumentVocals
Years active2004–present

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".[1]

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.[2]

2013–present: Junior Eurovision Song Contest and breakthrough

Gaia Cauchi at the dress rehearsal for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2013

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.[3] Cauchi won the contest on 30 November with a 9-point lead over Ukraine.[4] 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.[5] 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.[4][6]

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.[7] This move generated controversy,[8] and she and her team were given the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika instead on 13 December 2013.[9]

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 2022, for the occasion of the 20th edition of the event, she performed as part of the winners interval act in Yerevan.[10]

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.[11]

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

List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
MLT
Air.
[12]
"Noti u Kliem" 2012 — Non-album singles
"The Start" 2013 —
"Floating on Air" 2014 —
"#Together" —
"Children of the Future" —
"Hey Hello" 2017 —
"Why Should I?"[13] 2019 —
"Over You"[14] 2020 2
"Message"[15] 2021 —
"Eye for an Eye"[16] 2022 7
"Kewkba Feġġeja"[17] — Mużika Mużika 2022
"Unlove Me"[18] 4 Non-album singles
"11:11"[19] —
"Why?"[20] 2023 1
"Sincerely, You"[21] 2024 —
"Cupid"[22] 1
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
List of singles as featured artist, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
MLT
Air.
[12]
"Lately"[23]
(Sheldona featuring Gaia Cauchi and Kevin Paul Calleja) 		2018 9 Non-album singles
"Skin Deep"[24]
(Maxine Pace featuring Destiny, Gaia Cauchi, and Michela) 		2021 —
"Running"[25]
(The Crowns featuring Gaia Cauchi) 		2022 3
"Flavor"[26]
(Owen Leuellen featuring Gaia Cauchi) 		—
"What Are We Now?"[27]
(Jon Guelas featuring Gaia Cauchi) 		2024 2
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other charted songs

List of songs with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
MLT
Air.
[12]
"Taħt Ħarstek" 2022 6 Mużika Mużika 2022
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

  1. ^ Siim, Jarmo (26 September 2013). "Malta picks Gaia Cauchi for Kyiv". European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  2. ^ Zadoorian, Loosine (26 September 2013). "MALTA: PBS CHOOSES MINI TINA TURNER FOR JUNIOR EUROVISION 2013". WIWIBLOGGS.COM. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  3. ^ Bayliss, Marc Calleja (25 September 2013). "JESC 2013: Gaia Cauchi Chosen to Represent Malta". escflashmalta. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  4. ^ a b Fisher, Luke James (30 November 2013). "Malta wins Junior Eurovision 2013". Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  5. ^ "- YouTube". YouTube.
  6. ^ "Malta wins Junior Eurovision Song contest". BBC News. 2 December 2013.
  7. ^ "Gieh ir-Repubblika for Gaia Cauchi". Times of Malta. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  8. ^ "Controversy rages over Gaia Gieh ir-Repubblika award". Times of Malta. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  9. ^ "Gaia to receive same honour as Ira Losco". The Malta Independent. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  10. ^ "Junior Eurovision 2022: 11 Champions will perform in Yerevan!". junioreurovision.tv. 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  11. ^ "X Factor UK: Robbie Williams sends home Gaia Cauchi's girl group Sweet Sense". 14 October 2018.
  12. ^ a b c Peak chart positions for singles in Malta:
  13. ^ "Why Should I? - Single by Gaia Cauchi on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2019-10-02. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  14. ^ "Over You - Single by Gaia Cauchi on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  15. ^ "Message - Single by Gaia Cauchi on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2021-02-11. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  16. ^ "Eye For an Eye - Single by Gaia Cauchi on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2022-03-17. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  17. ^ "Kewkba Feġġeja - Single by Gaia Cauchi on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2022-05-13. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  18. ^ "Unlove Me - Single by Gaia Cauchi on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  19. ^ "11:11 - Single by Gaia Cauchi on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2022-11-11. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  20. ^ "why? - Single - Album by Gaia Cauchi on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
  21. ^ "Sincerely, You - Single - Album by Gaia Cauchi on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  22. ^ "Cupid - Single - Album by Gaia Cauchi on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2024-04-05. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  23. ^ "Lately (feat. Gaia Cauchi & Kevin Paul Calleja) - Single by Sheldona on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2018-07-08. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  24. ^ "Skin Deep (feat. Michela, Gaia Cauchi & Destiny) - Single by Maxine Pace on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  25. ^ "Running - Single (feat. Gaia Cauchi)". Apple Music. 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  26. ^ "FLAVOR (feat. Gaia Cauchi) - Single by Owen Leuellen on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2022-08-24. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  27. ^ "What Are We Now? (feat. Gaia Cauchi) - Single - Album by Jon Guelas on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gaia Cauchi.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Nicole Azzopardi
with "Knock Knock!… Boom! Boom!"
 Malta in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest
2013 		Succeeded by
Federica Falzon
with "Diamonds"
Preceded by
Ukraine Anastasiya Petryk
with "Nebo" (Небо)
 Winner of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest
2013 		Succeeded by