Гайтана - Biography and discography, all albums and songs

Gaitana-Lourdes Essami (born March 24, 1979, in Kyiv), known professionally as Gaitana, is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter and composer. Her music developed at the intersection of pop, soul, R&B, funk and jazz; some of her works also incorporate elements of folk, electronic and dance music. Gaitana has written or co-written a significant part of her own repertoire and performs songs in Ukrainian, Russian, English and French. In 2012, she represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest with Be My Guest.

Gaitana became one of the most prominent figures on the Ukrainian pop scene of the 2000s. Unlike many artists of her generation, her musical language was never based solely on a conventional mainstream pop formula: soul phrasing, jazz freedom and funk rhythm play an important role in her vocal style. At the same time, many of Gaitana’s best-known songs — «Слідом за тобою», «Два вікна», «Шаленій», «Танці», «Дивне кохання», «Самый лучший», «Сонце в тобі» — belong to melodic singer-songwriter pop.

Childhood in Ukraine and Congo

Gaitana was born in Kyiv to a Ukrainian mother and a Congolese father, Claver Essami. Soon after her birth, the family moved to Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo, where the future singer spent her early childhood. In 1985, Gaitana returned to Kyiv with her mother. By that time, she spoke mainly French and Lingala, while Ukrainian and Russian were languages she learned after returning to Ukraine. Her father remained in Brazzaville.

In Kyiv, Gaitana received musical training in saxophone. Alongside music, she trained seriously in table tennis and reached the level of Candidate for Master of Sports. She later received an education in economics, but ultimately devoted her professional life to music.

First performances, «Альтана», Overtime and Unity

The first important episode in her musical biography came in 1991, when she took part in the children’s television competition «Фант-лото Надія» and finished third. After the competition, composer Volodymyr Bystriakov invited her to join the ensemble «Альтана». With the group, she participated in musical recordings, including projects connected with animation.

Before launching her solo career, Gaitana accumulated considerable studio and concert experience. She sang backing vocals for Iryna Bilyk, Taisia Povaliy, Ani Lorak, Nikolai Karachentsov and Alexander Malinin, performed with the jazz orchestra Overtime, and later worked with the pop-jazz group Unity. This period is important for understanding her later style: she entered pop music already experienced in ensemble performance, jazz and professional studio work.

«О тебе»: the beginning of her solo discography

In 2003, Gaitana began a long-term collaboration with Lavina Music. Her debut album «О тебе», recorded together with Unity, was released in December 2003. The record contained 11 tracks, including «Лондон-дожди», «Я не буду вспоминать тебя» and «Діти світла». The latter became one of the singer’s first notable Ukrainian-language songs.

The debut recording already displayed the main characteristics of Gaitana’s music: an expressive lower and middle vocal register, soul-inflected phrasing, a combination of programmed arrangements with a live rhythm section, and a desire to move beyond the standard mainstream pop sound of the early 2000s.

«Слідом за тобою» and the move toward Ukrainian-language repertoire

On April 21, 2005, Gaitana released her second album, «Слідом за тобою». The share of Ukrainian-language material increased considerably. Key tracks included the title song «Слідом за тобою», «Самотня босса», «Відшукаю», as well as «Острова» and «Там, де голос твій».

It was during this period that Gaitana’s recognizable version of Ukrainian pop-soul took shape: vocal melodies and rhythmic ideas rooted in soul and R&B were combined with accessible song structures and Ukrainian-language lyrics.

«Два вікна», «Шаленій» and «Капли дождя»

In 2006, Gaitana released «Два вікна», one of the most recognizable songs of her career. An English-language version, Maybe Once, was also created. Around the same period, she recorded the joint track «Не йди» with S.K.A.Y. In 2007, «Шаленій» and «Танці» followed.

These recordings appeared on «Капли дождя», a compact 2007 release issued in versions containing seven main tracks plus additional versions of the title song. In addition to «Шаленій», «Два вікна» and «Танці», it included «Не йди», «Але» and «Бажання».

«Тайные желания» and electronic sound

In spring 2008, Gaitana released «Тайные желания», one of the most cohesive studio albums of her early period. The record contains 14 songs and demonstrates an expansion of her sonic palette: the familiar soul-pop foundation is combined with electronic arrangements and a stronger dance component. The album includes «Тайные желания», «Капли дождя», «Дивне кохання», «Кто я для тебя», «Скучаю», «Я люблю тебе» and «Хто ти».

In October 2008, Gaitana received Ukrainian Music Awards for Best Female Singer of the Year and Best Album for «Тайные желания». These awards are documented in the artist’s official biography.

Children’s project «Кукабарра»

A separate branch of Gaitana’s work was the children’s musical project «Кукабарра». Released in 2008, the album brought together songs performed by Gaitana herself and by young vocalists. It included «Кукабарра», «Каникулы», «Новий рік», «Школьный бал», «Купите мне собаку», «Африка», «День рождения», «Діти світла», «Тепло слів», «Україна» and other works. The project was later expanded with karaoke versions.

«Только сегодня»

In 2010, Gaitana released the album «Только сегодня». The original CD edition contained 17 recordings, including «Слушаю и повинуюсь», «Только сегодня», «Химия», «Люби меня», «Нет родней», «Я дышу тобой», «Небо», «На своей планете», «Самый лучший», a live version of «Текіла», the Gouache collaboration Tomorrow, and Diamond Ring. Some modern digital editions present the album in a shortened 15-track version.

This material definitively marked Gaitana’s transition from the intimate pop-soul of her early recordings to a broader radio-oriented sound. Synthesizers and electronic rhythm sections became more prominent, while her vocal delivery retained its characteristic soul inflections.

Compilation «Самый лучший»

In November 2011, «Самый лучший» was released as a compilation consisting mainly of lyrical and well-known songs by the singer. It is not an independent studio album of entirely new material, although the title song was new at the time. The compilation contains 19 tracks, including an instrumental version of «Самый лучший».

Eurovision 2012

On February 18, 2012, Gaitana won Ukraine’s national Eurovision selection with Be My Guest. At the contest in Baku, she performed in the second semi-final, where she finished eighth with 64 points and qualified for the final. In the final on May 26, Ukraine performed 25th and finished 15th with 65 points.

Be My Guest was written by Gaitana with the participation of KIWI Project. Compared with her earlier work, the song was aimed at the international dance-pop scene and built around a direct club rhythm, a powerful chorus and English-language lyrics.

English-language album Be My Guest

A full English-language album titled Be My Guest was prepared around the Eurovision period. The original 2012 Lavina Music physical edition contained ten songs: Be My Guest, Diamond Ring, You Are My Everything, I'm Not Useless, I'll Do It, Tonight, For Me, I Can't Look Back, Ne t'en vas pas, and Tomorrow featuring Gouache. Recording took place in Kyiv and in American studios in San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles, with international musicians and producers involved in the sessions. The modern digital version of Be My Guest is also available in a shortened four-track EP format.

During the same international period, Gaitana recorded My Everything with Karl Frierson, vocalist of De-Phazz. The song was used in connection with the film Feathered Dreams.

Viva, Європа! and sports projects

In summer 2012, the themed digital release Viva, Європа! appeared, tied to major sporting events of the period. The expanded version contains 11 tracks: Be My Guest, «Україно! Будьмо!», «Шахтер — Чемпион!», «Ты — Чемпион!», «Самолет», «Нещодавно», «Маяк», «Зачаруй нас любов», Viva, Європа!, You Are the Champion! and Shakhtar the Champion!. Modern digital catalogs also contain a shortened six-track EP version.

In December 2012, Gaitana presented another catalog compilation, «Самый лучший — Dance», featuring dance-oriented material from different periods together with several songs that were new at the time, including «Самолет», «Если бы» and «Казанова».

Voodooman

Her next full-length studio album, Voodooman, was released on December 25, 2014. The nine-track record includes Voodooman, «Помогите», «Мама, я живу», «Женихи», You'll Like It, «Инопланетяне», «Читай», a dance version of «Инопланетяне», and «Галактика».

The electronic component became even more prominent on Voodooman. The album moves away from the soft soul-pop of Gaitana’s early records toward denser electronic production, synth bass and club rhythms, while the ballads retain her traditional emphasis on vocal melody.

Creative break and new songs

After Voodooman, Gaitana significantly reduced her public activity and stopped releasing full-length studio albums, although she continued recording individual songs. In January 2014, she released «Ти все, що в мене є»; in September 2015, the English-language You Are the One followed. In October 2016, after a long pause, she presented «Біль мене не лякає», followed by «Сонце в тобі» in 2017.

Her later repertoire included Te Amo, «Сніг», «Танці з зірками», Dиvo featuring Orest, «Далі», «На хвилі», «Закохана», «Я твоя квітка» and other songs, some of which were later brought together on the album «Сонце в тобі».

End of collaboration with Lavina Music

In November 2023, Gaitana announced the end of her collaboration with Lavina Music, which had lasted about twenty years. Under the terms of the agreement, the rights to her songs, albums and music videos remained with the performer. At the same time, she announced the beginning of a new independent stage of her music career.

«Сонце в тобі»: first album in ten years

On April 5, 2024, Gaitana released «Сонце в тобі», her first full-length album since Voodooman. The album consists of 12 tracks. Ten had previously been released as standalone songs, while «Кохаю» and «Нова весна» were new material at the time of the album’s release.

The tracklist of «Сонце в тобі» brings together several stages of Gaitana’s later work: «Я твоя квітка», «Танці з зірками», «Закохана», «Нова весна», «Кохаю», «Сонце в тобі», «Хто для тебе я?», «Далі», «Сніг», «На хвилі», a live version of «Біль мене не лякає», and Dиvo with Orest.

New English-language material

After the release of «Сонце в тобі», the singer returned to English-language music. On December 6, 2024, she released the soul single Don't Stop the Music, followed by I've Got All on December 27. On February 14, 2025, Gaitana released Can't Look Back — a title that had previously appeared on the English-language album Be My Guest, although the new digital publication was presented as a separate standalone release.

On May 19, 2026, she released the Ukrainian-language single «Саме той». It became Gaitana’s next standalone release following the series of English-language works issued in 2024–2025.

Musical style and songwriting

Gaitana occupies a distinctive place in Ukrainian popular music because of her combination of pop songwriting with a performance tradition rooted in soul and jazz. Her voice is characterized by a rich timbre, flexible rhythmic phrasing, frequent use of the lower register, and an ability to work equally convincingly in ballads and dance-oriented material.

Her discography is stylistically diverse. «О тебе» and «Слідом за тобою» are closer to pop-soul and pop-jazz; «Капли дождя» and «Тайные желания» make noticeably greater use of electronic pop; «Только сегодня» is oriented toward broad mainstream pop and R&B; Voodooman moves toward a more electronic and experimental sound. «Сонце в тобі» combines songs recorded over several years and therefore effectively represents several stages of her later period at once.

A separate part of Gaitana’s artistic identity is connected with the Ukrainian language. After a predominantly Russian-language debut, she significantly expanded her Ukrainian-language repertoire, and songs such as «Слідом за тобою», «Відшукаю», «Два вікна», «Шаленій», «Дивне кохання», «Сонце в тобі» and «Сніг» became some of the most recognizable works in her catalog.

Personal life

Gaitana is not an artist who builds her public image around her private life. In 2017, she became a mother when her daughter, Sapphire-Nicole, was born. In public appearances and interviews, Gaitana has traditionally focused primarily on music, family and creative projects.

Gaitana discography

Gaitana’s discography exists both in the original physical Lavina Music editions and in modern digital reissues. As a result, the number of tracks and the classification of some releases vary across services. For example, the original Be My Guest was a ten-track album, while the modern digital edition is presented as a four-track EP; Viva, Європа! exists in both an expanded 11-track version and a shortened six-track edition.

Studio albums

«О тебе» — 2003

Gaitana & Unity. 11 tracks.

1. Лондон-дожди
2. Я не буду вспоминать тебя
3. Все давно ушло
4. Діти світла
5. Ты не обещай
6. Не о тебе
7. Звезды
8. Мечты
9. Спутник
10. Убегу
11. Я ищу

«Слідом за тобою» — 2005

12 tracks.

1. Слідом за тобою
2. Самотня босса
3. Відшукаю
4. Острова
5. Лондон-дожди
6. Там, де голос твій
7. Тану
8. Абунае
9. На лінгі йо
10. Діти світла
11. Близкие люди
12. Желания

«Капли дождя» — 2007

Main edition — 7 songs; the expanded edition also includes two versions of the title track.

1. Капли дождя
2. Шаленій
3. Не йди — with S.K.A.Y.
4. Але
5. Два вікна
6. Танці
7. Бажання
8. Капли дождя — Lounge Mix
9. Капли дождя — Dance Mix

«Тайные желания» — 2008

14 tracks.

1. Тайные желания
2. Когда губы твои близко
3. Капли дождя
4. Дивне кохання
5. Скучаю
6. Кто я для тебя
7. Лето
8. Пластиковая девочка
9. Осень
10. Я люблю тебе
11. Девочка-звездочка
12. Фантазія
13. Без тебя
14. Хто ти

«Только сегодня» — 2010

Original CD edition — 17 tracks.

1. Слушаю и повинуюсь
2. Только сегодня
3. Химия
4. Только с тобой
5. Ангел
6. Навсегда
7. Люби меня — featuring ЧП
8. Алло — featuring Bozon Higgs
9. Нет родней
10. Я дышу тобой
11. Небо
12. На своей планете
13. Самый лучший
14. Запомни меня
15. Текіла — Live Version
16. Tomorrow — Live, featuring Gouache
17. Diamond Ring

Voodooman — 2014

9 tracks. Released December 25, 2014.

1. Voodooman
2. Помогите
3. Мама, я живу
4. Женихи
5. You'll Like It
6. Инопланетяне
7. Читай
8. Инопланетяне — Dance
9. Галактика

«Сонце в тобі» — 2024

12 tracks. Released April 5, 2024.

1. Я твоя квітка
2. Танці з зірками
3. Закохана
4. Нова весна
5. Кохаю
6. Сонце в тобі
7. Хто для тебе я?
8. Далі
9. Сніг
10. На хвилі
11. Біль мене не лякає — Live
12. Dиvo — with Orest

Conceptual and special albums

«Кукабарра» — 2008

Gaitana’s children’s musical project featuring young performers.

1. Кукабарра
2. Каникулы
3. Новий рік
4. Школьный бал
5. Купите мне собаку
6. Африка
7. Все професии
8. Засыпай малышка, засыпай мальчишка
9. День рождения
10. Снова в школу
11. Новый год
12. Діти світла
13. Ялиночка
14. Тепло слів
15. Україна

Be My Guest — 2012

Original English-language Lavina Music album — 10 tracks. A modern digital reissue also exists as a four-track EP.

1. Be My Guest
2. Diamond Ring
3. You Are My Everything
4. I'm Not Useless
5. I'll Do It
6. Tonight
7. For Me
8. I Can't Look Back
9. Ne t'en vas pas
10. Tomorrow — featuring Gouache

Viva, Європа! — 2012

Expanded digital edition — 11 tracks.

1. Be My Guest
2. Україно! Будьмо!
3. Шахтер — Чемпион!
4. Ты — Чемпион!
5. Самолет
6. Нещодавно
7. Маяк
8. Зачаруй нас любов
9. Viva, Європа!
10. You Are the Champion!
11. Shakhtar the Champion!

Compilations

«Самый лучший» — 2011

Compilation of ballads and well-known songs, 19 tracks.

1. Самый лучший
2. Капли дождя
3. Шаленій
4. Небо
5. Дивне кохання
6. Кто я для тебя
7. Близкие люди
8. Не йди
9. Острова
10. Нет родней
11. Я люблю тебе
12. Я дышу тобой
13. Без тебя
14. На своей планете
15. Скучаю
16. Хто ти
17. Желания
18. Запомни меня
19. Самый лучший — Instrumental

«Самый лучший — Dance» — 2012

A dance compilation presented in December 2012. It included «Слідом за тобою», «Самотня bossa», «Тайные желания», «Слушаю и повинуюсь», «Только сегодня», «Лондон-дожди», «Відшукаю», «Два вікна», a dance version of «Люби меня», as well as «Если бы», «Алло», «Казанова», «Девочка-звездочка», «Когда губы твои близко», «Только с тобой», «Химия» and other recordings.

The Best UA — 2024

A limited-edition vinyl compilation of Ukrainian-language songs released by Тільки Так Records under catalog number TTR006. It was issued in Ultra Clear and Black Ice variants.

1. Шаленій
2. Відшукаю
3. Слідом за тобою
4. Дивне кохання
5. Танці з зірками
6. Сніг
7. Диво
8. Ти все що в мене є
9. Сонце в тобі
10. Закохана
11. Квітка

Singles and standalone releases

• 2006 — «Два вікна» / Maybe Once
• 2007 — «Шаленій»
• 2007 — «Не йди» — with S.K.A.Y.
• 2009 — «Нещодавно» — with Stas Konkin
• 2012 — Be My Guest
• 2013 — You'll Like It
• 2013 — «Щастя є»
• 2013 — «Инопланетяне»
• 2014 — «Ти все, що в мене є»
• 2015 — You Are the One
• 2016 — «Біль мене не лякає» / «Как бы не было больно»
• 2017 — «Сонце в тобі»
• 2018 — Te Amo
• 2018 — «Сніг»
• 2019 — «Танці з зірками»
• 2019 — Dиvo — featuring Orest
• 2020 — «Далі»
• 2024 — Don't Stop the Music
• 2024 — I've Got All
• 2025 — Can't Look Back
• 2026 — «Саме той»

Gaitana’s modern digital catalog also includes reissues of earlier recordings and separate versions of songs, so the dates shown for some works on streaming services may differ from their original physical or radio release dates. For example, Apple Music currently lists «Ти все, що в мене є» (2014), You Are the One (2015), Te Amo and «Сніг» (2018), Don't Stop the Music and I've Got All (2024), Can't Look Back (2025) and «Саме той» (2026) as standalone digital singles.

Awards and significant events

• 1991 — third place in the children’s television competition «Фант-лото Надія».
• 2006 — special European Star award at the ShowBiz Awards.
• 2008 — Ukrainian Music Awards for Best Female Singer of the Year and Best Album of the Year for «Тайные желания».
• 2012 — victory in Ukraine’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest.
• 2012 — eighth place in the second Eurovision semi-final and 15th place in the final with Be My Guest.
• 2023 — conclusion of a twenty-year collaboration with Lavina Music and transition to independent management of her music catalog.
• 2024 — release of «Сонце в тобі», her first full-length album after a ten-year break.

Gaitana’s career has taken her from jazz ensembles and backing-vocal work to becoming an independent songwriter and one of the most recognizable Ukrainian singers of her generation. Her catalog spans more than two decades and includes pop-soul, R&B, funk, electronic and dance music, children’s projects, English-language recordings and a substantial body of Ukrainian-language songs. Despite noticeable changes in production from album to album, the foundation of her music remains her own melodic songwriting and distinctive soul-influenced vocal style.