Maléna (born Arpine Martoyan on January 10, 2007) is a 19-year-old Armenian singer and songwriter. She gained international recognition after representing Armenia in the 2021 Junior Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Qami Qami.” Her victory marked Armenia’s second win in the competition’s history.

EARLY LIFE

Growing up immersed in a creative environment, Maléna—born Arpine Martoyan—was destined for the arts from the very beginning. Born in Yerevan on January 10, 2007, she was raised by her mother, Anna Manucharyan, a well-known Armenian actress. This close proximity to the entertainment world gave Maléna early exposure to television; she appeared alongside her mother in several episodes of Stone Cage, was chosen to be part of the Children of Orchestra cast, and even starred in a music video.

However, her artistic journey extended far beyond acting and television. From a very young age, Maléna studied musical theatre and learned to play the cello, weaving a childhood deeply tied to the performing arts. Despite having numerous opportunities to work across various audiovisual projects, her greatest passion has always been music. In addition to her musical and acting training, she also pursued formal dance training, proving that her natural talent for movement was further honed through dedication and study.

This rich, multidisciplinary foundation shaped her formative years and set the stage for her future success, ultimately paving the way for her to represent Armenia and win the 2021 Junior Eurovision Song Contest with her hit song “Qami Qami.”

Did you know that Maléna was initially hesitant about appearing on television, but ultimately agreed to film her first project so she could purchase a bicycle?

EUROVISION

Maléna has long dreamed of participating in the Eurovision Song Contest and began pursuing that goal at a very young age. She first attempted to represent Armenia in the 2018 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, competing in the national selection Depi Mankakan Evratesil with the song “Par” under the name Arpi, where she placed 8th in the semi-final.

Since 2020, Maléna has collaborated with TKN Entertainment, a Yerevan-based record label owned by Tokionine. She was originally chosen to represent Armenia in the 2020 Junior Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Why,” but the country ultimately withdrew from the competition due to the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War.

She was selected once again the following year to represent Armenia at the 2021 Junior Eurovision Song Contest in Paris, France, performing the space-pop track “Qami Qamin” (“Wind, Wind” in Armenian). The song was composed by Tokionine and written by Vahram Petrosyan, Tokionine, David Tserunyan, and Maléna herself. Reflecting on the songwriting process, she shared:

“I’d never thought that I’d be writing lyrics that one day would be shared with such a big audience. It’s such a huge honor. The song is about finding yourself and finding a way to keep going. Don’t you ever think of falling down again… always be true to who you are.”

Maléna won the 2021 contest with 224 points, making her the second Armenian entrant to win the competition following Armenia’s first victory in 2010. The official music video has since surpassed 10 million views. Following her win, the Public Television Company of Armenia (AMPTV) announced that Armenia would host the 2022 Junior Eurovision Song Contest on December 11, with Maléna playing a prominent role in the event. In May 2022, she made a special guest appearance during the first semi-final of the adult Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, Italy, to formally announce Yerevan as the host city for the milestone 20th edition of Junior Eurovision.