Gentiana Ismajli (born 12 April 1984), known professionally as Genta Ismajli, is a Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter.
Career
Ismajli was born in Gjilan to an Albanian family. Before Genta was born, they moved to Gjilan. A few months after her birth, her parents decided to move to Chicago, Illinois in the United States, where she was raised. At the age of 19, she went to Kosovo and released the single "Dridhem". The song became a hit, which ignited Ismajli's music career. She later relocated permanently to Kosovo, and has participated in several music competitions, both in Albania and Kosovo. She won Kënga Magjike in 2005 with the song "S'dua tjetër" composed by Adrian Hila, an Albanian composer, receiving 292 points. Ismajli continued her career in Albania and Kosovo for three more years. She had great success; she then went back to the United States to spend some time with her parents, and came back to Albania with new projects in mind.
Ismajli sings mostly commercial pop songs, similar to other Balkan pop. Lascivious stage movements with challenging clothes are a part of her image. Ismajli is known for her energetic dance performances as well as catchy pop and hip hop rhythms. She participated in the first edition of Dancing with the Stars (Albania), where she ranked second overall.
She began singing in the English language, recording songs that were released in her then-upcoming 2008 album, her first all-English album. Many of these songs leaked onto the internet prior to the release of the album. The majority of the songs on the album were written by American songwriter Kara DioGuardi. In her interviews, Ismajli says she wants to be a famous singer, and in America she is working with known composers and songwriters.[1][2]
She released a half English, half Albanian album in 2011 entitled Guximi. Her English songs included "One Shot", "Accident", "Something to Remember Me By", "Idolize Me", "Intoxicated", "Choose", and her debut English single, "Planet Me", written and produced by Kara DioGuardi
