Ell & Nikki

Ell & Nikki
Ell & Nikki
	Eldar (left) & Nigar on stage in Baku (2012)
Background information
Origin	Baku, Azerbaijan
Genres	Pop
Years active	2011 – 2013
Website	Official website
Members	Eldar Gasimov; Nigar Jamal

Ell & Nikki, also known as Eldar & Nigar ([ɛlˈdɑr ˈvæ niˈɟɑr], are an Azerbaijani pop duo consisting of singers Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal. On 14 May 2011 they won the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 for Azerbaijan with their entry "Running Scared". It was the country's first win at the contest.[1] Although Nigar Jamal represented Azerbaijan, she lives in Enfield, North London.[2]

Band history

National final constellation

Eldar and Nigar separately took part in the Azerbaijani national selection, Milli Seçim Turu 2011. They qualified from the semi-finals along with three other artists to the final on 11 February 2011, where they won the right to represent Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany in May 2011.[3] Although it was originally planned to send an individual as Azerbaijan, when the winner was announced, İTV had decided that both Eldar and Nigar would be going to Germany as a duo.

Eurovision win

Azerbaijani stamp dedicated to Eurovision victory 2011.

In the 2011 Eurovision song contest Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal performed together under the duo name Ell & Nikki. As the contest was taking place in a Western European country, the name change was made to prevent confusion of Jamal's first name being interpreted as a racial slur. Their entry, named "Running Scared", was written by Stefan Örn and Sandra Bjurman from Sweden and Iain Farquharson from the UK. The performance included four backing vocalists and singers, including Jessica Marberger and Vera Prada who had earlier in the year attempted to represent Sweden as part of Shirley's Angels.

They were the overall winners of the Eurovision final on 14 May, which meant that Azerbaijan earned the right to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2012.

2011–present: After Eurovision

Ell & Nikki on the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 semi-final allocation draw ceremony in Buta Palace Baku.

Since winning the Eurovision final 2011, Jamal and Gasimov travelled to many European countries to perform their winning entry in the contest. The singers also received "Peace and Friendship Award" in Zonguldak’s Ereğli district for carrying a Turkish flag onstage during final scene.[4] Azerbaijan issued a postage stamp dedicated to Azerbaijan’s victory with Gasimov and Jamal at Eurovision.[5][6]

In 2011, Ell and Nikki became the official faces of Nar Mobile, one of Azerbaijan's mobile communication providers.

In 2013, the duo recorded their second song named Music's Still Alive. The song was written as a tribute to Michael Jackson and released on 29 August 2013, the late singer's birthday. Both Gasimov and Jamal describe themselves as Jackson fans.[7]

Discography

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions
Year	Single	AUT	BEL (FLA)	BEL (WAL)	GER	IRE	NL	SWI	UK
2011	"Running Scared"	22	37	9	33	41	59	11	61
2013	"Music's Still Alive"	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

References

Azerbaijan win Eurovision as Blue and Jedward finish mid-table
"Eurovision Song Contest 2011: review", The Telegraph, 15 May 2011. Accessed 15 May 2011.
Hondal, Victor. "News - Azerbaijan sends Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal to Eurovision". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 14 February 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011.Siim, Jarmo. "Nigar & Eldar get gold in Azerbaijan". European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 11 February 2011."İctimai Televiziya və Radio Yayımları Şirkəti - "Eurovision-2011" Milli Finalının qalibi bəlli oldu" (in Azerbaijani). İTV. Archived from the original on 14 February 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
"Azerbaijani artists accept award in Turkey". Retrieved 17 July 2011.
"Ell & Nikki (2011) IN POST STAMPS". Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
"Stamps on Azerbaijan's Eurovision-2011 win issued". Retrieved 17 July 2011.
Feliks Wiszniewiecki. Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal Celebrated Michael Jackson's Birthday Archived 2013-09-02 at the Wayback Machine. 1news.az. 30 August 2013.

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Lena with "Satellite"	Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011	Succeeded by Loreen with "Euphoria"
Preceded by Safura Alizadeh with "Drip Drop"	Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011	Succeeded by Sabina Babayeva with "When the Music Dies"

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[1] Azerbaijan win Eurovision as Blue and Jedward finish mid-table

[2] "Eurovision Song Contest 2011: review", The Telegraph, 15 May 2011. Accessed 15 May 2011.

[3] Hondal, Victor. "News - Azerbaijan sends Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal to Eurovision". ESCToday. Archived from the original on 14 February 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011.Siim, Jarmo. "Nigar & Eldar get gold in Azerbaijan". European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 11 February 2011."İctimai Televiziya və Radio Yayımları Şirkəti - "Eurovision-2011" Milli Finalının qalibi bəlli oldu" (in Azerbaijani). İTV. Archived from the original on 14 February 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011.

[4] "Azerbaijani artists accept award in Turkey". Retrieved 17 July 2011.

[5] "Ell & Nikki (2011) IN POST STAMPS". Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.

[6] "Stamps on Azerbaijan's Eurovision-2011 win issued". Retrieved 17 July 2011.

[7] Feliks Wiszniewiecki. Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal Celebrated Michael Jackson's Birthday Archived 2013-09-02 at the Wayback Machine. 1news.az. 30 August 2013.