Svitlana Serhiivna Loboda, also known by the stage name LOBODA (; born 18 October 1982) is a Ukrainian singer and songwriter. Honored Artist of Ukraine (2013). Biography Early life Svitlana Loboda was born on October 18, 1982, in Oleksandrivskaya Clinical Hospital in Kyiv, in the family of Sergii and Natalia Loboda. Till 1989, she lived with family in Irpin (Kyiv region), where the singer spent her childhood. She graduated from a music school in the classes of piano, conducting, and academic vocal. After receiving her first musical education, she entered the Kyiv Variety and Circus Academy in the Variety Vocal Department. Already in the 1st year, Svitlana became a member of the musical group "Cappuccino", which occupied a worthy place on the Ukrainian stage. However, she later realized that it was not quite her format and left the group at the end of her contract. Also, Loboda participated in the first Ukrainian musical "Equator" (directed by Viktor Shulakov), where she got one of the main roles — the savage Mirana. After the premiere of Equator, Loboda was talked about in Ukraine as a rising star. For the period of the musical, a song and video — "Black Angel", recorded and filmed with Svitlana Loboda, were released in wide rotation. VIA Gra/Nu Virgos On December 28, 2003, Loboda created her own band called Ketch. In the spring of 2004, having passed a casting, Loboda became a new soloist of the trio "VIA Gra". As a member of the group, she took part in a tour across Asian cities, and starred in the music video "Biology" and the New Year musical "Sorochynskyi Yarmarok" by the TV channel "Inter". Three years later, Svitlana left the band and in December she released her first single, "Black and White Winter". In November 2005, Loboda's first solo album, “You Will Not Forget”, was released. In 2006, the music video and then the single "Black Angel" was released, and after a trip to Japan, Loboda recorded the song "Wait, man". The same year, she hosted the show Shoumaniya on Novy Channel, and in 2007, she became the host of “Miss CIS” on TET channel. She opened her own travel agency, “Happy Vacations”. In October 2007, the music video for the lyric song "Happiness" was released. On October 18, 2007, Loboda organized a photo exhibition of her own photos dedicated to India. The aim of the exhibition is