Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on
DJ Fresh
Daniel Edward Stein (born 11 April 1977), better known by his stage name DJ Fresh, is an English musician, DJ, record producer, best known for making electronic music. He is one of the principal members of the drum and bass group Bad Company, ...
's single, "
Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut studio album, ''
Ora'', released in August 2012, debuted at number one in the United Kingdom. The album contained the UK number-one singles, "
R.I.P." and "
How We Do (Party)". Ora was the artist with the most number-one singles on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in 2012, with three singles reaching the top position.
Born in
Pristina
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians a ...
, modern-day
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Eur ...
, Ora was named an
Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo in 2015. Ora's second studio album, ''
Phoenix'', was released in November 2018. The lead single, "
Your Song", reached the UK top ten, and the subsequent singles, "
Anywhere" and "
Let You Love Me", reached the top five in the UK. "Let You Love Me" made Ora the first British female solo artist to have thirteen top ten songs in the United Kingdom.
[
]
Early life
Ora was born on 26 November 1990 in Pristina
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians a ...
, SFR Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
(modern-day Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Eur ...
), to Albanian parents. Her mother, Vera (), is a psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their ...
and her father, Besnik Sahatçiu, is a pub owner, having previously studied economics
Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analy ...
.[ Ora has an older sister, Elena, and a younger brother, Don. She was born as Rita Sahatçiu (; surname derived from the ]Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
word , which means 'watchmaker'), but her parents later added Ora ( means 'time' in Albanian) to the family surname so it could be easily pronounced.
Her family left Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Eur ...
for political reasons, because of the persecution of Albanians initiated with the disintegration of Yugoslavia
The breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s. After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
. They relocated to London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, England in 1991, when she was a baby.[ She grew up in ]Notting Hill
Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Roa ...
, in West London, and attended a performing arts school, Sylvia Young Theatre School.
Music career
2008–2011: Career beginnings
Ora began performing at open mic sessions around London and, occasionally, in her father's pub. In 2008, she auditioned for '' Eurovision: Your Country Needs You'' on BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's Flagship (broadcasting), flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News ...
to be the British contestant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Moscow, Russia, following the country's victory at the with the song "Believe (Dima Bilan song), Believe" by Dima Bilan. Organised by the Euro ...
and qualified, but later withdrew from the competition after a few episodes as she "did not feel ready" and thought "that challenge wasn't for her." Her manager, Sarah Stennett (who also worked with Ellie Goulding, Jessie J
Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical '' Whistle Down the Wind''. She studied ...
and Conor Maynard), later told '' HitQuarters'' that she reassured Ora that performing in Eurovision would hinder, rather than help her chances to make it as a solo artist.
Shortly after, Ora's management got in touch with the American label, Roc Nation, and told them about her. Ora signed a recording deal and a publishing deal with Roc Nation in December 2008, and was one of their first signees. She made a cameo appearance in Jay Z's video for " Young Forever" (2009). After being signed, Ora recorded an album and wanted to release it, but her label advised against it and she started to work on other material for her debut album.
2012–2013: Breakthrough and ''Ora''
Throughout 2011, Ora released covers and videos about working on her debut album on YouTube. The videos caught the attention of DJ Fresh
Daniel Edward Stein (born 11 April 1977), better known by his stage name DJ Fresh, is an English musician, DJ, record producer, best known for making electronic music. He is one of the principal members of the drum and bass group Bad Company, ...
, who at that time was looking for a female vocalist for his song, " Hot Right Now". Ora featured on the single that was released on 12 February 2012, debuting at number one on the UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
.["Rita Ora tops pop chart, Keane rival Beatles album hits"](_blank)
. Reuters. Retrieved 14 May 2012 During February 2012, Ora was also the opening act at the UK concerts from Drake's Club Paradise Tour
The Club Paradise Tour was the second headlining tour by Canadian recording artist Drake. The tour came following the release of Drake's second studio album, '' Take Care''. The tour's name spins off from the 2011 song "Club Paradise", a promotio ...
.
The first UK single from her debut album, " R.I.P." (featuring Tinie Tempah), was released on 6 May 2012. Produced by Chase & Status, the song debuted at the top of the UK Singles Chart, becoming her first solo UK number one.[Rita Ora Tops UK Singles Chart](_blank)
. MTV. Retrieved 14 May 2012 On 12 August, " How We Do (Party)" was released as a single, and it reached number one in the UK and Ireland. It was Ora's second UK number one as a solo artist, and third overall in 2012.
Whilst supporting Coldplay
Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey (manager), Phil H ...
on their Mylo Xyloto Tour, she later announced that her debut album would be titled '' Ora''. The album was released on 27 August 2012 in Europe and Oceania, and debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. Ora was nominated for Best New Artist, Push Artist and Best UK/Ireland Act at the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards
The 2012 MTV EMAs (also known as the MTV Europe Music Awards) were held in Frankfurt, Germany, on 11 November 2012. This was the fifth time the awards had been held in Germany, and the second time Frankfurt had been the host city. On 17 August th ...
. In September 2012, it was announced that Ora would be the opening act on the UK concerts from Usher
Usher may refer to:
Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place:
* Usher (occupation)
** Church usher
** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony
** Fiel ...
's Euphoria Tour set to start in January 2013. However, the tour was postponed due to Usher's "professional and personal commitments."
" Shine Ya Light", released on 4 November, became Ora's fourth consecutive UK top ten single in 2012, peaking at number ten. On 28 November 2012, Ora performed as a special guest at the concert held in Tirana
Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...
, Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the ...
for the 100th Anniversary of the Independence of Albania. In January 2013, Ora embarked on her first UK tour, Radioactive Tour
The Radioactive Tour was the second concert tour by British singer Rita Ora, in support of her debut studio album, ''Ora (Rita Ora album), Ora'' (2012). The tour began on 28 January 2013, in Manchester, England, and concluded on 31 August 2013. Th ...
, to support her debut album. She was nominated for three awards at the 2013 Brit Awards, including the Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act.["Brit Awards: Emeli Sande gets four nominations"]
. BBC News. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
In January 2013, Ora revealed that her second album would be clearer and have more direction than the first one. On 26 February 2013, she revealed to ''Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
'' that her second album shows a different angle to a "party girl." On 24 May 2013, Ora was the headline act on In New Music We Trust stage at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. On 28 June 2013, she performed on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury
Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonb ...
.
2014–2016: Split from Roc Nation and other projects
In 2014, she had two top-five UK singles; the song " I Will Never Let You Down" which debuted at number one, and she featured on Iggy Azalea's "Black Widow
Black widow may refer to:
Spiders
* Black widow spider, a common name for some species of spiders in the genus ''Latrodectus''
American species
* ''Latrodectus apicalis'', the Galapagos black widow
* ''Latrodectus curacaviensis'', the South Amer ...
" which peaked at number four in the UK, and the latter became Ora's first top ten song on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at number three. On 14 December 2014, Ora performed at the 2014 telecast of '' Christmas in Washington'', filmed at the National Building Museum. In February 2015, Ora featured on Charli XCX
Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery b ...
song, " Doing It", which debuted at number eight in the UK. On 22 February 2015, at the 87th Academy Awards, she performed the song " Grateful", which appears in Gina Prince-Bythewood's film, '' Beyond the Lights'' (2014).
In December 2015, Ora filed a lawsuit against Roc Nation, seeking release from the label and citing that the contract she signed in 2008 is "unenforceable", due to California's " seven-year rule." The complaint stated that she's "only been permitted to release one album despite creating multiple additional records for release" and that her relationship with Roc Nation is "irrevocably damaged." In January 2016, Roc Nation filed a counter-lawsuit against Ora for breaking her recording contract, in New York. They reached a settlement in May 2016.
In June 2016, it was reported that she signed a new record deal with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most ...
. On 3 September 2016, she performed in a concert at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...
, in Rome, at the vigil for Mother Teresa's canonisation, alongside other Albanian artists, accompanied by the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra.
2017–2019: ''Phoenix''
On 26 May 2017, Ora released her first solo single in almost two years, titled " Your Song", which peaked at number seven in the UK. The song served as the lead single from Ora's second studio album, after previous attempts at her second record were lost in her lawsuit against her former label, Roc Nation. The second single, " Anywhere", became her eleventh top ten song in the UK, peaking at number two. In January 2018, Ora released the song "For You For You may refer to:
Albums
* ''For You'' (Casey Donovan album), or the title song, 2004
* ''For You'' (Frankmusik album), 2015
* ''For You'' (Selena Gomez album), 2014
* ''For You'' (Eddie Kendricks album), 1974
* ''For You'' (Philipp Kirk ...
" (with Liam Payne
Liam James Payne (born 29 August 1993) is an English singer. He rose to fame as a member of the boy band One Direction. Payne made his debut as a singer in 2008 when he auditioned for the British television series '' The X Factor''. After bei ...
), from the soundtrack of the film '' Fifty Shades Freed''.
On 18 September 2018, Ora revealed the title of her second studio album, '' Phoenix'', and its release date, 23 November. On 21 September, she released the album's fourth single, " Let You Love Me". The song reached number four in the UK, marking Ora's 13th top-ten song, thus breaking a 30-year-old record for most top ten songs by a British female solo artist (previously jointly held by Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalist ...
and Petula Clark). On 29 October, she announced tour dates
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed b ...
for the album in Europe, Asia and Oceania from 1 March until 29 May 2019.
2019–present: Upcoming third album
In April 2019, Ora released the song " Carry On" with Norwegian producer Kygo, as a standalone single for '' Pokémon: Detective Pikachu'', a film in which she also briefly appears. On 31 May, she released the song "Ritual
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...
", with Tiësto and Jonas Blue.
In September 2019, Ora confirmed to ''Marie Claire
''Marie Claire'' is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937, followed by the United Kingdom in 1941. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on w ...
'' that she had begun working on her third studio album. She provided further details regarding her upcoming third studio album with '' NME'', stating that "people have been coming to studio sessions from all over the world. I've been working on this now for the past two years, on and off. I have plans for this third album to be something I've never done before." On 12 February 2021, Ora released the extended play, '' Bang'', with Kazakh
Kazakh, Qazaq or Kazakhstani may refer to:
* Someone or something related to Kazakhstan
*Kazakhs, an ethnic group
*Kazakh language
*The Kazakh Khanate
* Kazakh cuisine
* Qazakh Rayon, Azerbaijan
*Qazax, Azerbaijan
*Kazakh Uyezd, administrative dis ...
producer Imanbek.
In February 2022, Ora announced that she signed a record deal with Berlin-based music label, BMG BMG may refer to:
Organizations
* Music publishing companies:
** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008
*** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...
.
Other ventures
Acting
An appearance in an episode of the British drama series, '' The Brief'', was her first television role, at age 13. Shortly after, she appeared in the British film, '' Spivs'' (2004). In April 2014, Ora appeared alongside Korean popstar, Hyuna, in an episode of '' Funny or Die'' called "Girl, You Better Walk." In 2015, she played Christian Grey's sister, Mia, in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel '' Fifty Shades of Grey'', a role she later reprised in the film's two sequels. Ora originally approached the production hoping to contribute to the film's soundtrack and instead was asked to audition for the role of Mia Grey by the director of the film, Sam Taylor-Johnson. In the 2021 film, '' Twist'', an adaptation of Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
' '' Oliver Twist'', Ora played the Artful Dodger.
In February 2022, she was announced to act in the Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...
prequel an eight-episode limited series Limited series may refer to:
*Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series
*Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered
* Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number ...
to the 2017 film, '' Beauty and The Beast'', in a role described as a "fugitive with surprising abilities who carries with her a secret that could potentially affect an entire kingdom", but the project has been put on hold indefinitely.
Endorsements
In 2010, Ora featured in a commercial for Skullcandy headphones. In 2011, she appeared in Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, a ...
's CK One campaign. In 2013, she was the face of Italian sneaker brand, Superga, and the face of " Material Girl", a clothing line designed by Madonna. In September 2013, cosmetics brand, Rimmel, announced their collaboration with Ora for makeup collections. She was the face of two Donna Karan
Donna Karan (, born Donna Ivy Faske), also known as "DK", is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels.
Early life
Karan was born Donna Ivy Faske to mother Helen "Queenie" Faske (née Rabi ...
2014 collections, Resort collection and Autumn/Winter collection. She was also the face of the label's fragrance, DKNY My NY, inspired by New York City. In March 2014, Ora was one of the cast members of Marks & Spencer's "Leading Ladies" campaign. Later in 2014, she appeared as the face of Roberto Cavalli Autumn/Winter campaign. In 2015, she appeared in Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atla ...
and Samsung Galaxy S6
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is a line of Android-based smartphones manufactured, released and marketed by Samsung Electronics. Succeeding the Samsung Galaxy S5, the S6 was not released as a singular model, but instead in two variations unveiled a ...
advertising campaigns. In 2019, she was the face of several German brands; luxury fashion label, Escada, jewellery company, Thomas Sabo, and footwear retailer, Deichmann.
Design
In January 2014, Adidas announced a multi-year designer collaboration with Ora for their brand of casual sports clothing, Adidas Originals. Ora designed her own apparel collections for the brand, including footwear and accessories. In 2016, she collaborated with Italian fashion brand, Tezenis, on a capsule lingerie collection. In 2018, Ora co-designed a capsule shoe collection with the Italian footwear designer, Giuseppe Zanotti. After appearing as the face of Escada, Ora co-designed a capsule collection with the brand in 2019.
Television
In 2015, she was a coach on the fourth series
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
of ''The Voice UK
''The Voice UK'' is a British singing Reality competition, competition television series. Created by John de Mol, it premiered on BBC One during the spring television cycle on 24 March 2012. Based on the original ''The Voice of Holland'', and p ...
'' on BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's Flagship (broadcasting), flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News ...
, replacing Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
. The same year, it was confirmed that Ora and BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
presenter, Nick Grimshaw, signed as judges for the twelfth series of ''The X Factor'' on the rival TV network, ITV, after a bidding war between ''The X Factor'' and ''The Voice UK''. She hosted the BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards, alongside Grimshaw, several times (from 2013 to 2017).
In July 2016, Tyra Banks, the creator of ''America's Next Top Model
''America's Next Top Model'' (abbreviated ''ANTM'' and ''Top Model'') is an American reality television series and interactive competition in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of "America's Next Top Model" and a chance to ...
'', announced that Ora would replace her as host of the revamped show which aired on VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
. Ora hosted the 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards
The 2017 MTV EMAs (also known as the MTV Europe Music Awards) were held at The SSE Arena in Wembley, London, United Kingdom, on 12 November 2017. The ceremony's host was Rita Ora, with voiceovers provided by Capital FM DJ Roman Kemp. This was ...
on 12 November in London, at Wembley Arena. In September 2019, Ora was announced as a judge for the UK version of the music game show, '' The Masked Singer'', which aired on ITV in January 2020. Ora co-hosted the 2022 MTV Europe Music Awards
The 2022 MTV Europe Music Awards were held on 13 November 2022 at the PSD Bank Dome in Düsseldorf, Germany. This marks the sixth time the award show is hosted in Germany. The show aired live on MTV with an hour long pre-show leading up to the ...
with Taika Waititi, on 13 November in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in ...
, Germany.
Philanthropy
On 23 March 2013, Ora performed at ''Bal de la Rose du Rocher'' in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino i ...
in aid of the Princess Grace Foundation. On 1 June 2013, Ora performed at the "Chime for Change" charity concert at Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium () in Twickenham, south-west London, England, is a rugby union stadium owned by the Rugby Football Union ( RFU), English rugby union governing body, which has its headquarters there. The England national rugby union team pl ...
, London, which raised funds and awareness for girls' and women's issues around the world.
On 15 November 2014, Ora joined the charity group Band Aid 30 to record a version of the track, " Do They Know It's Christmas?", to raise money for the 2014 Ebola crisis
The 2013–2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease, centered in Western Africa, was the most widespread outbreak of the disease in history. It caused major loss of life and socioeconomic disruption in the region, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and S ...
in West Africa. On 9 March 2016, she gave a speech on immigration and the Syrian refugee crisis at the We Day UK event in London, organised by Free the Children.
In April 2019, she became one of UNICEF UK's ambassadors.
Personal life
Ora's mother is Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
and her father is a nominal Muslim. She considers herself spiritual but not religious
"Spiritual but not religious" (SBNR), also known as "spiritual but not affiliated" (SBNA), is a popular phrase and initialism used to self-identify a life stance of spirituality that does not regard organized religion as the sole or most valuable ...
.
Her maternal grandfather, Osman Bajraktari, was the Albanian consul
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states th ...
to Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
(then part of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
). Ora's paternal grandfather, Besim Sahatçiu
Besim Sahatçiu (; 2 October 193520 October 2005) was a Kosovo-Albanian director of theatre and film.
Biography
After finishing gymnasium in Pejë, Sahatçiu studied literature at the University of Belgrade. Following the interruption of hi ...
, was a film and theatre director.
On 10 July 2015, Ora was named an Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo by then-president, Atifete Jahjaga, at the Embassy of Kosovo in London. Ora, who was joined at the ceremony by her parents, and former British Prime Minister and his wife, Tony and Cherie Blair, stated she was "overwhelmed" by the honour.
Ora dated Scottish DJ Calvin Harris
Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums.
His debut studio album, '' I Created Disco'', was released in June ...
from 2013 until June 2014. In 2016, Ora began a relationship with American musician Andrew Watt. They were together for two years until September 2018. They got back together in January 2019, but broke up for the second time in October 2019. Since 2021, she has been in a relationship with New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi
Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He is a recipient of an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Grammy Award, and has received two nominations at ...
. They reportedly got married in the summer of 2022.
In November 2020, Ora broke the COVID-19 restrictions
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions colloquially known as lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions) have been implemented in numerous coun ...
by having her birthday party at a West London restaurant during a period of national lockdown. Ora had recently returned from Egypt and was supposed to be isolating for 14 days as a result. According to the police, Ora's security offered to pay the venue £5,000 to break guidelines and asked for CCTV cameras to be switched off. The restaurant's representative denied that such payment was made. Ora apologised for the breach and was fined £10,000.
Discography
*'' Ora'' (2012)
*'' Phoenix'' (2018)
Tours
Headlining
* Ora Tour (2012)
* Radioactive Tour
The Radioactive Tour was the second concert tour by British singer Rita Ora, in support of her debut studio album, ''Ora (Rita Ora album), Ora'' (2012). The tour began on 28 January 2013, in Manchester, England, and concluded on 31 August 2013. Th ...
(2013)
* The Girls Tour (2018)
* Phoenix World Tour (2019)
Supporting
* DJ Fresh
Daniel Edward Stein (born 11 April 1977), better known by his stage name DJ Fresh, is an English musician, DJ, record producer, best known for making electronic music. He is one of the principal members of the drum and bass group Bad Company, ...
– DJ Fresh Tour (2012)
* Drake – Club Paradise Tour
The Club Paradise Tour was the second headlining tour by Canadian recording artist Drake. The tour came following the release of Drake's second studio album, '' Take Care''. The tour's name spins off from the 2011 song "Club Paradise", a promotio ...
(2012)
* Coldplay
Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey (manager), Phil H ...
– Mylo Xyloto Tour (2012)
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ora, Rita
1990 births
Living people
Musicians from Pristina
Kosovo Albanians
People from Notting Hill
Singers from London
21st-century English women singers
21st-century English singers
English women singer-songwriters
English women pop singers
English feminists
English mezzo-sopranos
English women in electronic music
Actresses from London
Alumni of the Sylvia Young Theatre School
21st-century English actresses
English people of Kosovan descent
English people of Albanian descent
Feminist musicians
Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom
Yugoslav emigrants to the United Kingdom