Rania Zeriri | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Youth fairYOU, Berlin, October 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Rania Zeriri |
| Also known as | Rania |
| Born | (1986-01-06)6 January 1986 (age 39) |
| Origin | Enschede, Netherlands |
| Genres | Pop music |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 2005–? |
| Labels | Kontor Records,EMI |
Rania Zeriri (born 6 January 1986) is aDutch singer. Most notably, she finished fifth in the German reality talent showDeutschland sucht den Superstar in2008.
Rania Zeriri grew up in the Netherlands as the daughter of a Dutch mother and an Algerian father who left the family when she was still very young.[citation needed] After finishing school with aGeneral Certificate of Secondary Education (Mittlere Reife), she moved at the age of 17 toSalamanca to study Spanish.[citation needed]
Later, she acquired a hotel animation diploma and then worked mainly onIbiza andFuerteventura where she also started to perform as a singer in hotels.[citation needed]
.JPG)
Rania Zeriri gained national recognition as contestant and 'Top 5' finalist in the 2008 German "Idol" versionDeutschland sucht den Superstar (DSDS) broadcast byRTL. She finished in fifth place.[citation needed]
After the DSDS show Zeriri performed throughout Germany and performed before the final of theEuropean Football Championship at the fan area at the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, in front of several hundred thousand visitors.[1][2] Zeriris debut solomaxi singleCrying Undercover was released on 14 November 2008[3] by the record labelKontor Records.[4] The title song was written for the singer by Achim Jannsen, a writer who produced several cover-songs forJan Wayne,[5] together with the musician Claas P. Jambor, a member of theZeichen der Zeit project.[6] The CD contains also the songCursed And Blessed written by Zeriri in 2006[7] and the video of the title song.
Although Rania Zeriri started the last phase of the competition as one of the favourites[8][9][10] she received later controversial press coverage, especially from the German newspaperBild. On 24 April 2008Bild appeared with an article suggesting that contestants of the show might have useddrugs in the dressing room area singling out Zeriri as potential culprit.[11] However, the accusation was never proven and Zeriri made new headlines when she publicly voiced her opinion that a requested drug test should not only include the contestants but also the jury,[12] openly stated her increasing discomfort in participating in the show and directly criticised the jurorDieter Bohlen.[13][14]
Zeriri was born with holes in hervocal cords. Her dark voice is the result of an operation which was necessary to close the inborn holes usinglaser treatment.[15] This caused her difficulties to sing high notes and in thefalsetto register.[16]
In 2010, Zeriri started to study at the EnschedeConservatory a branch ofArtEZ. She also works as a reporter with the regional broadcasterTV Enschede FM.[17] After she reached the Top 10 of the fifth season of the German television contestDeutschland sucht den Superstar (DSDS) in 2008, she resigned from her job and moved toGronau-Epe in Germany to live with her mother.[citation needed]
In February 2025, the pop star was intercepted inMercogliano,Avellino, Italy, where she lived as a homeless person: the city administration mobilized to help her.[18] As of 25 February 2025, she is receiving mental health support from the municipality of Mercogliano.[19]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
