Ekaterina Shelehova became a viral internet sensation with her Italia’s Got Talent performance of “Earth Melodies.” The judges and audience were unprepared for the range of musical influences and vocal sounds Ekaterina delivered. From emotional throat singing to bird-like calls and precise operatic high notes, it’s easy to see why the performance resonated with so many. What the audience didn’t know was that this audition was one of the greatest risks Ekaterina had taken to date.
Ekaterina began singing at the tender age of three and says the path forward for a career in music was “a direct line… I never really strayed from it.” She had musical talent in the family—an uncle who worked in radio, creating jingles—but her parents weren’t musicians. In kindergarten, the children would sing for school events, and Ekaterina’s vocal teacher at the time, Ludmila Gaft, noticed her sharp ear and quick ability to pick up melodies. “So while the kids were sleeping during nap time, she would pull me out and give me lessons.”
Ekaterina’s parents always supported her dreams. “They were my biggest fans and my biggest support system throughout my life because they always knew that’s what I wanted to do and what I should be doing.”
Her earliest musical roots were in Russian folk songs, but after moving to Canada, she pursued a more classical path. Though she was part of the Hamilton Children’s Choir, she was eventually pulled out for having a voice that didn’t quite blend with the others. Listeners recognized her special talent, and she became passionate about opera. Alongside this, Ekaterina began writing music in her teens but wasn’t sure how to incorporate it with her classical training. “I would write it, and then I would put it away because I didn’t know what to do with it at the time. I was so focused on classical performance and opera.”
Fortunately, Ekaterina had influences that encouraged her to stay true to her unique style. A class on improvisation during her conservatory years became a special time for her. “There were only four of us in the class. Not many took that course. I don’t know why, because it was one of my favorite courses in the entire five years I was there. It was with an incredible maestro, Davide Gualtieri. We would improvise poetry and put it to music, with a guitarist and pianist. We did concerts, and I had such an incredible time at the Conservatory. Of course, there was that nudge to stick to the classical way of doing things. I think just taking everything you know, keeping your wits about you, and understanding what they’re trying to say, but also trying to stay true to yourself.” Ekaterina also found herself inspired by the history surrounding her. “It was beautiful there… Walking down those halls, knowing that Verdi had walked them too, was incredible.”
Like many artists, the COVID-19 pandemic reignited her creativity. “My breaking point was, ‘Screw it. I’m just going to do what I want.’ I picked up where I left off at 16 and started writing new music, incorporating different genres together, which I had always done but now was solidifying.”
Ekaterina also began experimenting with vocal styles like throat singing, “I’ve heard it since I was a child because my parents are from Kazakhstan so that was some influence that I’ve heard since I was very, very small. I incorporated everything I’ve learned throughout my life and just created something of my own. I also sing a lot in my chest voice in a very old traditional Slavic style. So I incorporate all of those things, and it really depends on the song —sometimes more of this, sometimes more of that.”
Though she makes it sound effortless, Ekaterina’s skill as an artist is evident in how she navigates these different vocal styles. “It definitely takes a lot of concentration to be quite honest because every single technique is a little different, and the placement, especially on the mouth is a little different. But what connects it all is the breath. As long as I’m taking the proper breaths, and I’m using the proper diaphragm support, and I’m connecting solidly to the earth when I’m singing, it makes things a lot easier and the transitions a lot easier. But, yeah, it takes some concentration to be like, ‘Hey, we’re switching. Now switch!’”
Having been working isolated during the covid period she had no idea what the reception would be, but decided to take a risk and debut her new experimental style on Italia’s Got Talent. “I genuinely came in not knowing what to expect. I didn’t know if they were going to play me in a good or bad light, because I was doing something that was creative and was something that I wanted to say, but I didn’t really know how it was going to be taken. I had a few influences in my life at the time that said, ‘Don’t do this! Don’t, that’s going to look weird! You’re going to be a laughing stock.’ And so honestly, I didn’t really know. So when it came out on social media and it exploded, it definitely did help me a lot.”
With over 100 million views and counting online, Ekaterina had definitely found her audience. “It gave me a push in the sense that I felt like I was doing the right thing in moving out my own music into the world. Because before that, I was a little shy about it because I came from a very classical background in music. Even proposing this to my teacher-I would never, ever do that. So it definitely gave me a push to keep going and to do what I do.”
Fans often comment that Ekaterina’s voice has a power that seems to call to ancient ancestors, but what she loves most is how limitless the interpretations can be. “That’s the most magical thing—being able to create music that speaks to people as a whole… Music is that one language everyone speaks and everyone understands. By incorporating different styles, like a melting pot of cultures, I feel like I’m speaking to everyone because everyone can find something of their own in it. People have reached out saying they felt one thing with my music, and someone else will say the complete opposite, but that’s what’s so beautiful—you connect with people through a universal language.”
Ekaterina shared more about her plans for the future, including a full-length album in 2025, her writing process, and upcoming collaborations. Tune in on October 3rd to hear the full interview in a new episode of Crossover Deep Dive.
Stream Ekaterina Shelehova on Spotify
