Back in 1998, a relatively unknown singer walked out onto the stage of the Malta Song for Europe contest. Humble and sincere, she sang a song called ‘The One That I Love’. That performance reached into people’s hearts enough for her to win the competition and the right to represent Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest in Birmingham. Chiara took to the stage in Birmingham, on 9 May 1998 with a strong and determined personality. She sang her heart out to a rapturous audience.
She led the voting process right up to the very end where she was pipped at the post by Dana International in the very last stages of the ever-controversial voting process. She finished in third place. Chiara had become a star and was in demand. However, due to weak management and a lack of preparation, her music career did not flourish. Unable to get herself released from a stale contract, Chiara spent the next five years in a musical wilderness having only her national market to rely on. During this time she won the ‘Best Female Artist’ at the 1998 Malta Music Awards and released three albums on the local market. Her highlight was performing with Leo Sayer and Boney M in concert in 2000 and 2001 respectively. In 2003, things rapidly changed for the better. Once her contract expired, Chiara was free to choose for herself and signed up with Bridge Productions, and worked on a new album. Her new album consists of a number of songs written by internationally-acclaimed songwriters hailing from Sweden, Belgium and the United States including none other than Diane Warren who is undoubtedly one of the most successful songwriters ever.
In the process, she developed her song-writing skills to write the beautiful ballad ‘Angel’ which she entered for the Malta Song for Europe Festival 2005. Stronger and more determined than before, she performed magnificently to reach out and touch everyone’s heart. Seven years after her international debu in Birmingham, she once again stepped out onto the Eurovision stage, to represent Malta at the 50th Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev. She placed second, just a few points behind the winning song for that year.After the great result in the 2005 ESC Chiara has been working a lot around the Island and abroad, especially in Greece and Cyprus. Another highlight was the presentation of the Malta Song for Europe and supporting act during a Michael Bolton concert in Malta both in 2008. The most important change in Chiara’s life however was of course the birth of her daughter Ebony. The loss of her father late 2008, who has always been very supporting for Chiara, was a tough period, but as a tribute to her father, she was determined even more to achieve another success in her career.
2009 marked once again the return of Chiara to the Malta Eurosong finals with 'What If We' written by Gregory Bilsen and Marc Paelinck. Backed by the Maltese people she will once again step out onto the Eurovision stage, to represent Malta in Moscow.
