Nelly Ciobanu, born on October 28, 1974, in the village of Cania, Cantemir District, Moldova, is a renowned Moldovan singer and a prominent figure in the music industry of her country. Her full name is Nelly Ciobanu-Malău, and she grew up in a musical family, which significantly influenced her career choice.
From a young age, Nelly demonstrated a remarkable talent for singing. She pursued formal education in music, graduating from the Ștefan Neaga Music College in Chișinău. Her professional career began to take off in the early 1990s when she participated in various music festivals and competitions, showcasing her vocal prowess and stage presence.
Nelly’s big break came in 1993 when she won the Grand Prix at the “Tineretul Speranțelor” festival in Chișinău. This victory opened numerous doors for her, leading to national and international recognition. She further cemented her status by winning several prestigious awards, including the Grand Prix at the “Slavianski Bazaar” in Belarus in 1996.
One of the defining moments of Nelly’s career was her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009. Representing Moldova with the song “Hora din Moldova,” she captivated audiences with her powerful performance, which earned her a respectable 14th place in the final. The song, which blended traditional Moldovan folk elements with contemporary sounds, became a hit and is still celebrated in Moldova.
In 2012, she attempted to represent Moldova once more in Eurovision with the song “Turn on the Light” but did not make it to the final selection. In 2013, Nelly released new singles, “Tu iubire” and “Ola Hello!”. She teamed up with Stefano Nutti to record the duet “Rimani qui!!” in February 2014.
In 2017, Nelly Ciobanu was a member of the expert jury for the Eurovision Song Contest. On Christmas eve of the same year, Nelly performed in Paris along with Ionel Istrati. In February 2018 Toronto followed, where she sang with Valentin Uzun. A month later, Nelly sang in Italy. In October, she released a new single, “Dă-mi înapoi”. Nelly ended the year by performing in Israel.
In 2019, Nelly was awarded the Gavrill Muzicescu Award from the Moldovan ministry of Culture. In January 2020, she performed with Ionel Istrati again, this time in Russia. She became an Interpol ambassador as a member of the “Turn back crime” campaign. She also released the song “Da-mi Inapoi” in the same year.
It was in March 2023 when Nelly performed for the Moldovan diaspora in Zürich, Switzerland. A month later she was a member of the Caucaz- 2023 international festival of Arts jury. In March 2024 she performed in Nice, France, in collaboration with Valentin Uzun. In May of the same year she released a new song, “Treci dragoste pe la mine”.
Nelly has also been involved in television, notably hosting the popular Moldovan music program “Vedete la bis” (Stars Encore), which showcases various musical talents. In November 2021 she played one of the main roles in the movie “Bereh pravyy, bereh levyy”.
