Eldar Gasimov

Eldar Qasımov
Eldar Gasimov in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Eldar Parviz oglu Gasimov
Born	(1989-06-04) 4 June 1989 (age 27)
Origin	Baku, Azerbaijani SSR, Soviet Union
Genres	Pop, R&B, jazz-funk
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	2010-present
Associated acts	Nigar Jamal
Website	Eldar Qasimov profile

Eldar "Ell" Parviz oglu Gasimov (Azerbaijani: Eldar Pərviz oğlu Qasımov; born 4 June 1989) is an Azerbaijani singer who successfully represented Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in the music duo Ell & Nikki with Nigar Jamal. He co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 held in Baku, Azerbaijan with Leyla Aliyeva and Nargiz Birk-Petersen.

Eldar Gasimov is the great-grandson of Azerbaijani actor couple Honoured Artist of Azerbaijan Abbas Mirza Sharifzadeh and People's Artist of USSR Marziyya Davudova, and the grandson of People's Artist of Azerbaijan actress Firangiz Sharifova. Gasimov began singing when he was very young and has taken part in several concerts in various cities of Azerbaijan and Russia. Between 2001 and 2005 he received professional training in music and learned to play the piano.

Eldar Gasimov graduated from Baku Slavic University with a double major in international relations and regional geography. Since 2010, he has been a graduate student of international relations at the same university. Eldar Gasimov speaks Russian and German fluently and is also proficient in English.

Gasimov took part in the Azerbaijani national selection, Milli Seçim Turu 2011. Gasımov's first appearance was in Heat 6, placing second with 10 points, behind winner Ilgara Ibrahimova with 12 points with both qualifying to the semi-final. Gasimov qualified from the semi-final along with four other artists to the final on 11 February 2011, where he and Nigar Jamal won the right to represent Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany in May 2011. They sang under the pseudonym Ell & Nikki the song "Running Scared" written by Stefan Örn and Sandra Bjurman from Sweden and Iain Farquharson from the UK, which won the competition with 221 points.