Tanja

Tatjana Mihhailova, also known as Tanja, is an Estonian pop singer and actress of Russian descent.

Born on June 19, 1983, in Kaliningrad, Russia, Tatjana moved to Estonia at a young age. Her passion for music was apparent early on and she began her journey in the entertainment industry as a teenager.

In 2002, Tatjana formed the duo Nightlight Duo with fellow musician Jaan Pehk. The group entered the Eurovision Song Contest preliminary competition in Estonia (Eurolaul) in 2002 and 2003, but did not win.

In 2004, Tanja, alongside producer and composer Timo Vendt, formed the band Jz Belle. Their self-titled debut album, released that same year, exclusively consisted of cover songs. This was followed by their second album “Teemant” in 2006, from which three singles were launched for radio airplay.

Upon concluding the Jz Belle project, Tanja joined Sunday Mood, a band that also featured Timo Vendt and Canadian guitarist Alex Pier Federici. Their English-language album, “Something more”, was released in 2009 and met with considerable success in the Baltic nations.

During this time, Tanja also performed in the theatrical show Queen – The Doors of Time at the Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu. She shared the stage with Broadway performer Tony Vincent and Estonian singer Rolf Roosalu.

Tanja secured the second place in Laulud tähtedega (Estonian version of Just the Two of Us) during the 2010/2011 season. 

Tanja released her 6th solo album, “Gemini”, in 2012. Three singles, “Supernatural”, “Sind ootan ikka veel” (featuring Mikk Saar), and “All In My Head”, were released from the album.

She also came second in “Laulupealinn” in November 2011. In 2013, she took the third place in the TV show Su nägu kõlab tuttavalt (Your Face Sounds Familiar). In later seasons she became a judge in the show.

In 2014, Tatjana, as Tanja, once again represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Amazing”. Her performance, which included a complex dance routine, was praised for its energy and execution but did not advance to the final.

In 2015, Tanja released a new album, “Elan päev korraga”, of which “Külmunud maa”, “Elan päev korraga”, “Hääletu peal” and “Kustuta tuled”, were also released on singles. She also performed a lot with 4 man band The Swingers. At the end of the year, she did a Christmas tour together with Mikk Saar, with whom she married in 2016.

In 2016, Tanja sang the end song in the Russian version of the movie Lotte and the moonstone secret. Together with her husband, she hosted the Eesti Music Awards 2017. She did a Memory 2017 tour together with Koit Toome, Lauri Liiv, Merili Johanson and Merle Jalakas. In July, she did the comments at an ETV+ Laulu ja Tantsu Pidu. Beside performances with her husband Mikk Saar and with The Swingers, she also performed with her own band. She did a Christmas tour in December 2017 together with Marta Laan and Nele-Liis Vaiksoo. A year later she did the same thing, but with The Swingers.

It was with The Swingers that Tanja and Birgit took part in Eestilaul again in 2019. With the song “High Heels In The Neighbourhood” they reached the 7th place in the final. They also took part in the Eesti Muusika Karika (Estonian Music Cup) and reached the semifinals. As a voice actor, Tanja could be heard in the Estonian version of the movie Ugly Dolls. In July, The Swingers came with a single, “Meie siesta”, again with Tanja and Birgit.

In November 2019, Tanja released a new solo single, “Kõik”. In September 2020, it was followed by the song “Hurricane”. Two months later, Tanja had a leading role in the musical Nunnad Hoos (Sister Act). And Tanja wrote a book, a biography called “Milles on süüdi taburet?”.

In 2021, Tanja took part in Eestilaul again, this time with the song “Best Night Ever”. She reached a 3rd place in the final of Eestilaul. In May of the same year she released another song “Paar sammu veel”. 

She made a summer tour in 2022, where she sometimes played with her own band, some of the concerts were with the Tallinn Police Orchestra. She also became a member of the jury in Tantsud tähtedega (Dancing with the stars) in 2022.

In June 2023, Tanja released a new song, “Millal veel?”.

In addition to her music career, Tatjana has also achieved success as an actress. She starred in the Estonian musical drama Georg, based on the life of singer Georg Ots, where she played Ots’ wife. Tatjana’s performance was critically acclaimed, showcasing her versatility as an entertainer.