Sofi Marinova was born on December 5, 1975 in Sofia, Bulgaria, although her family was living near Etropole at the time. She showed musical and dancing talent at the age of two and was tutored in singing and dancing by her mother. In primary school Marinova was an excellent pupil. She spent a year at a professional builders' school. After 8th grade she moved to a professional school for tailors, though years later she admitted she never liked sewing. While at school Marinova fell for acting, appearing in school musicals such as Snow White. When she was in 10th grade, a local band offered her the position of lead singer. Her father didn't allow it at first but relented after the insistence of her mother: "I started crying and my mother supported me, because when she married my father she put an end to her singing career".
At 17 Marinova began singing at weddings and christenings. Her repertoire included songs of Dragana Mirkovic, Michael Jackson, Sandra, Whitney Huston as well as Romani music. IAround this time she and the band took part in a music competition in the village of Osikovitsa near Sofia. She won the singers event and the admirations of the jury, chaired by the famous Romani-Bulgarian musician Angelo Malikov. At the competition she also met Petar, a drummer, who later became the father of her only child, Lorenzo. After Osikovitsa, Marinova won the Grand prize at the Stara Zagora festival with her songs "Stari Rani" (Old wounds) and "Slanchitse moe" (My Little Sun).
Marinova was introduced to the big stage by Nencho Kasamov, president of the record company ARA Music, after he saw her performing in a restaurant. Kasamov invited her to record for ARA, because he sensed the future music star in her "by the look in her eyes". Marinova and her band recorded for ARA the album "Stari Rani", which is believed to be one of the best-selling music albums in Bulgaria of all time.
In 2004 Marinova signed with Sunny Music, working with the producer Krum Krumov. She recorded the albums 5 oktavi ljubov and Obicham. Her cooperation with the Bulgarian hip-hop singer Ustata resulted in some of her most successful songs. In that period she also recorded a Romani cover of "Vetrove" by Lili Ivanova, Bulgaria's most established music artist. The compilation "Sofi Marinova Best MP3 Collection" consisting of her 64 most popular songs from her Sunny Music period, was released in 2009. She stated that she was "happy that my project was accomplished and I hope my fans accept it as a gift for their loyalty and love for me for so many years."
In March 28th, as part of the pre-celebrations for the International Romani Day, Sofi Marinova sang Romani songs and her Eurovision song "Love Unlimited" in front of MEPs and official guests in the building of the European Parliament in Brussels. She was invited there by the MEPs from Bulgaria.
Philantropy and charity workIn 2008 Marinova and Ustata joined a campaign against human trafficking, for which they recorded Chuzhdi ustni (A Stranger's Lips). Both of them travelled around Bulgaria and met with youths in the risk groups for becoming victims of human trafficking. In 2010 Marinova was appointed ambassador against poverty and social isolation. Her tasks include raising awareness about the issues, taking part in various activities and sharing her own experience. On her appointment she told the journalists: "I think I can be useful to the campaign. In addition I myself come from a poor family and I'm aware of the concerns of poor and underprivileged people."
Marinova has one son, called Lorenzo, with whom she has had some collaboration singles. She was married once (to Lorenzo's father Peter). She then had a long-term relationship with Dacho, who is as well son of Peter. They tried to marry two times, but they didn't and finally broke up in 2010. She is well-known for her honest and direct answers to media's questions in interviews.
Sofi Marinova was chosen to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku in May 2012 with the song "Love Unlimited". She won the National final, which was held on February 29, receiving a total of 20 points - the maximum 12 points from the public and 8 points from the jury. She was one of the favourites to win after coming second in the public vote in the semifinals. The song "Love Unlimited" was written by Yassen Kotsev and Krum Georgiev. Its lyrics talk about the transcending and all-embracing power of love ("The song has no borders, language and colour") The song is in Bulgarian but contains the phrase "I love you" in Turkish, Greek, Spanish, Serbo-Croatian, French, Romani, English, Arabic, Azerbaijani and Italian. The song is characterised by the typical Romani glides, vocal power and Techno musical arrangement. Marinova will perform in the first half of the second semifinal that is scheduled for May 24.
This was Marinova's third appearance in the Bulgarian national finals for Eurovision. In 2005, her collaboration with Slavi Trifonov "Edinstveni" ("Only Ones") finished second. They tried again the following year with the song "Ljubovta e otrova" ("Love Is a Poison"), but fell out in the qualifications after taking 25th place, one place short of the semi-final. In 2007, her collaboration with Ustata, "Ya Tvoya" ("I'm yours" in Russian), finished third in the National final.
Zasvirete MI Chalgii
Sofi Marinova Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Една песма мераклийска!
Да се сетам за младостта,
Да си плати сърце радостта!
Да се сетам за младостта,
Да си плати сърце радостта!
Свирайте ми чалгаджии,
Празник ми е на душата,
Сега пиям за младостта!
Свирайте ми чалгаджии,
Свирайте ми все от сърце!
Празник ми е на душата,
Сега пиям за младостта!
Ай,засвирайте ми чалгии,
Тежка песма како живот мой!
Очи солзи да наполнат,
Душа моя да олекне!
Очи солзи да наполнат,
Душа моя да олекне!
Свирайте ми чалгаджии,
Свирайте ми все от сърце!
Празник ми е на душата,
Сега плачам за младостта!
Свирайте ми чалгаджии,
Свирайте ми все от сърце!
Празник ми е на душата,
Да си плати сърце радостта!
The lyrics to Sofi Marinova's song "Zasvirete Mi Chalgii" are a celebratory call for the instruments of the chalga music genre to be played, specifically asking for a song full of pleasure and nostalgia, allowing the singer to remember her youth and pay tribute to the joys of her heart. The song is a mix of both happy and sad emotions, as the singer reminisces about the carefree days of her past while also acknowledging the sorrows and hardships she has endured since then. The overall sentiment is one of gratitude and appreciation for the experiences that have shaped her life.
The repeated use of the word "svirayte" (play) emphasizes how important the music is to the singer, both as a way to remember her past and to help her cope with the difficult emotions that come with aging. The line "Sega piyam za mladostta" (Now I drink to my youth) further highlights the singer's desire to honor her past by reliving it in a way, through the power of music. The final verse adds a layer of sadness to the proceedings, with the singer asking for tears to fill her eyes and empower her soul. Despite its somber undertones, the song is ultimately a beautiful testament to the power of both music and memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Ай, засвирайте ми чалгии,
Oh, play chalga music for me,
Една песма мераклийска!
One song full of yearning!
Да се сетам за младостта,
To remember my youth,
Да си плати сърце радостта!
To pay for the joy in my heart!
Свирайте ми чалгаджии,
Play chalga music for me,
Свирайте ми все от сърце!
Play everything from the heart!
Празник ми е на душата,
It's a celebration in my soul,
Сега пиям за младостта!
Now I drink to my youth!
Тежка песма како живот мой!
Heavy song like my life!
Очи солзи да наполнат,
Eyes filling with tears,
Душа моя да олекне!
My soul lightens!
Сега плачам за младостта!
Now I cry for my youth!
Да си плати сърце радостта!
To pay for the joy in my heart!
Writer(s): Folk Song
Contributed by Austin I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.