Elena Ionescu ( 17 May 1988 ) is a Romanian singer who was the lead singer of pop band Mandinga from 2006 until 2016 , replacing Elena Gheorghe after she left the group to work on her solo career . Ionescu left the group in 2016 to pursue a solo career as well . Mandinga won the Romanian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku , Azerbaijan , where Ionescu performed the hit song " Zaleilah " . Ionescu was the second lead singer of Mandinga to represent Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest , as Elena Gheorghe represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Elena Ionescu