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CHACHI, whose real name is Chachi Hildén, describes herself as a Mexican-American family-oriented performer who has lived her entire life surrounded by music and dance.

Born in Houston, Texas, she was the youngest of five siblings. Dance, which she began at the age of four, became her lifeline through a difficult childhood.

– I grew up in a place where I was scared and lost most of the time. But dance kept me sane. Through it, I could say everything without words, Chachi says.

At nine, ballet gave way to hip-hop. Michael Jackson on MTV and R&B music left a lasting impression on her.

Her career exploded in her teens when she joined America’s Best Dance Crew at just 15 years old – the first season that allowed minors. Her team won the competition, making Chachi the youngest winner in the show’s history.

In the mid-2010s, her career expanded into television and acting, including her own reality series Chachi’s World.

In 2017, her life changed dramatically while filming Ultimate Expedition in Peru and climbing the over-5,000-metre Ishinca mountain. At the summit, she also found love: fellow participant Jukka Hildén, known from The Dudesons, was part of the expedition. Chachi says she was drawn to Jukka’s exceptional kindness and radiant presence.

Love led her to move across the world. For the first time, she felt she had found a place she could honestly call home. She has embraced Finnish everyday life so deeply that she considers herself Finnish.

CHACHI prioritised family life and motherhood for several years. In 2020, she decided to participate in Masked Singer Finland, which ultimately led to a record deal in 2023.

UMK26 Jury Statement:

– Cherry Cake is this charismatic artist’s debut release – an explosive dance banger guaranteed to set club dance floors alight around the world this year. Beneath the tight beat lies a stylish and highly musical composition that allows the singer’s voice to truly shine. The mid-song dance break will undoubtedly be a major moment in the UMK show, and we are eagerly awaiting the full staging concept.

The Grand Final will take place on 28 February 2026, when all seven competitors take the stage at Nokia Arena in Tampere. The two-hour live final is expected to draw around two million TV viewers, with about 20,000 fans attending in person, as Finland chooses its Eurovision representative for 2026.

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