Edita Abdieski (born November 14, 1984) is a Swiss pop singer. She rose to fame during the debut series of the German X Factor show, which she won in November 2010.[1][2]

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 2002—2009: Career beginnings 2.2 2010: X Factor 2.3 2010: First Studio Album One 2.4 2011: Edita Club Tour and new album 3 Discography 3.1 Studio albums 3.2 Singles 3.3 Featuring Singles 4 Awards 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Early life

Abdieski is the eldest child born to a Macedonian Albanian father and a Montenegrin Albanian mother.[3] Raised in Bern alongside three younger siblings, she spent much of her childhood in the Bern borough of Bümpliz-Oberbottigen, where she was enrolled at primary and secondary school.[4] Her father died of cancer in 1992.[5] At eleven, Abdieski became part of her first school band and by the age of thirteen, she began writing songs.[3] After leaving school, she was trained as qualified office employee,[3] but as she hoped to embark on a professional singing career, Abdieski enrolled at the Swiss Musical Academy in Bern — much against the wishes of her mother, who was sceptical about her daughter's ambition, prompting Abdieski to leave home and move into a girls' flat-sharing community in 2002.[5] To fund her academical training, she was forced to take four side jobs at times.[6]

Career 2002—2009: Career beginnings

In 2002, a producer asked Abdieski and school friend Vanessa Tancredi to collaborate on a mundart album, a collection of songs in Swiss German dialect.[6] Barely trained in mundart singing, Abdieski even so accepted the offer to record a full-length album, and during the following two years, the pair worked with production duo Thomas Fässler and Ben Mühlethaler on what would eventually become the debut album of Vanessædita.[7]

Meanwhile, Abdieski was hired as a backing vocalist for the Swiss pop–rock band Lunik and worked with musician Santiago Cortés on his debut album Welcome to My Airline (2005).[3] The album's leading single, "Don't Leave Me," sung and co-written by Abdieski, reached number forty on the Swiss Singles Chart.[8] Still with Vanessædita, Abdieski was cast in the leading role of Kimberly in the musical Dance Me! – The Streetdance Musical in fall 2005. A same-titled album, on which she appeared along with her ensemble, was released in January 2006 but failed to chart.[9]

After Vanessædita's contract signing with Muve Recordings, their album Z'Debü ("The Debut") was finally released in Switzerland in March 2006. Although its first single "Wenn ig nume wüsst" entered the top fifty of the Swiss Singles Chart, the pop soul–influenced album underperformed commercially, only reaching number eighty-two on the Swiss Albums Chart.[10] In 2007, Abdieski and Tancredi disbanded amicably, citing musical differences.[11] Abdieski later stated, that after one album, she had become aware that mundart singing was "not thing."[6]

2010: X Factor

Abdieski auditioned for the debut series of X Factor in 2010, singing Joss Stone's "Tell Me 'Bout It". She was mentored by Till Brönner and was announced the winner on November 9, 2010, winning a record deal with Sony Music.[1]

Episode Theme / Date Song title Original performer Result (Placement) Casting Free choice "Tell Me 'bout It" Joss Stone to Bootcamp Bootcamp Free choice "Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)" Pixie Lott to Judges' House Judges' House Free choice "With a Little Help from My Friends" Joe Cocker to the Live Shows Live show 1 Playlist 2010 (21 Sept 2010) "Empire State of Mind" Alicia Keys 13.92% (4/9) Live show 2 Blockbuster Night (28 Sept 2010) "Street Life" Randy Crawford 12.91% (5/8) Live show 3 Kings and Queens of Pop (5 Oct 2010) "Respect" Aretha Franklin 15.33% (3/7) Live show 4 Mystery Night (12 Oct 2010) "Heavy Cross" Gossip 18.15% (3/6) Live show 5 Laut und leise (Loud and Quiet) (19 Oct 2010) "Just Like a Pill" Pink 19.43% (3/5) "Russian Roulette" Rihanna Live show 6 A Night at the Club (26 Oct 2010) "Release Me" Agnes 27.42% (1/4) "Why Don't You Love Me" Beyoncé Knowles Live show 7 Michael Jackson & Friends (2 Nov 2010) "Blame It on the Boogie" The Jackson Five 41.53% (1/3) "You Are So Beautiful" Diana Ross Live show 8 Finale (9 Nov 2010) "Run" Leona Lewis 74.10% (1/2) "Wo Willst Du Hin" Xavier Naidoo "I've Come to Life" Edita Abdieski