Bulgaria on stage

Bulgaria is a nation rich with culture and history, as well as national pride. However, some people outside of Europe may forget that this nation exists, or had no idea about it in the first place. This is why Bulgaria’s participation in the Eurovision song contest is very important. It is an opportunity to show viewers the creativity that can come from the nation’s participants. This, in turn, can affect the viewer’s perception of how they view the country in question. This means Bulgaria, as well as the other participants, must try to give it their all in the performance. Bulgaria has given Eurovision several interesting performances throughout the years. There are three performances that I believe provide a look into how Bulgaria views diversity, and presents itself on stage. Kristian Kostov’s “Beautiful mess”, Poli Genova’s “If Love Was a Crime”, and Elitsa & Stoyan’s “Samo Shampion” all present viewers a range of performances to view. These performances help to showcase the creativity that has come from Bulgaria, and how the nations culture influenced these songs. We can also see how diversity is shown within these performances, as we are shown performers of various backgrounds and styles. These elements come together to make Bulgaria a strong contender on the Eurovision stage.

Kristian Kostov was Bulgaria’s representative in Eurovision 2017 in Kiev. He would go onto preform “Beautiful mess” in the contest. Kostov was born to a Kazakh-Russian mother, and a Bulgarian father. This goes into the idea of diversity, as it shows a mixed nationality singer preforming for Bulgaria. Another topic of note is that he was 17 when he preformed in Kiev, which isn’t very common. His performance in Kiev was quite interesting, as he took advantage of the LED screens and lights in his performance. He himself moved only within the center of the stage, while the screens and effects moved all around him. The screens present a simplistic, grey background to the performance. The floor changes to water when mentions it in his song, present an interesting looking special effect. This presented a cool, simplistic style to accompany his performance that year. The song itself is a love song, however, it has a different message than your run of the mill romance song. Kostov sings about going to great lengths to be with the one he loves, no matter how hard or dangerous the obstacle appears to be.  One line of the song sums up that idea of fighting for love: “Even in the line of fire, when everything is on the wire Even up against the wall, our love is untouchable” (Kostov 2017). I believe this song sets itself apart from the other love song performances, as it’s not just about loving someone. Its more about fighting to preserve or gain the love for another, which seems more “authentic”. This performance can help to present the people of Bulgaria as caring, and gives off an identity of love and compassion. The can look favorably for the nation, as it shows how strongly the people of Bulgaria feel about this emotion.

Poli Genova preformed “If Love Was a Crime” in 2016 Eurovision Stockholm. She is of full Bulgarian descent, and was born in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The song she sings is also a love song, one that follows similar tropes to the typical love songs you hear in Eurovision. Lines such as: “You and I we collide, Like the stars on the summer night, We can shine for ever” and “Unafraid, Never fade, When it's dark we illuminate, Can we rise together” (Genova 2016), present these tropes well. However, the stage itself was quite interesting during the performance. Similar to Kostove, Poli Genova also made use of the screens and lights during her song. Sparkling effects can be seen on the walls behind her, as well as images of dancing. This presents a positive image, like the audience is supposed to have a good time while listening. This creates a fun, energetic environment for the viewers. Genova’s performance presents the identity of carefreeness and willingness to have fun. This presents, as a result, Bulgarians as fun loving people. This creates a positive view of the country as a result of the performance.

Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankulov would perform “Samo Shampioni” in the second semifinal of Eurovision 2013 Malmo. Todorova, from Varna, Bulgaria, studied music relating to ancient folklore. Yankulov is Bulgaria’s most famous percussionist. Together, they would go onto preform in Eurovision, with an instrument heavy song. The two would use traditional Bulgarian instruments in their 2013 performance, including drums and other types of instruments. Though there would be some other staging elements, the main focus would be on the two preforming. The lyrics of the song present a very traditional view of Bulgaria. It references villages and other elements of Bulgarian traditions. As a result of this, it provides Bulgaria with the identity of tradition. The nation is proud to show others its culture and music to the world. This presents Bulgaria as strong and proud of its culture and traditions.

Throughout these performances, viewers are shown the various identities the make up the people of Bulgaria. We can see that the people of Bulgaria are caring, with Kristian Kostov’s performance, and their willingness to show that they care. That they are carefree and willing to have fun, we are shown this in Poli Genova’s performance. Finally, we can see how the people of Bulgaria are proud of their traditions and cultural heritage with Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankulov’s performance. All of these elements show how Bulgaria is many things to many people, and that is what makes it a special nation. Bulgaria is a strong contender on the stages of Eurovision, with its variety of musical styles and techniques that are presented. As well as the various talented performers that go on stage to perform in their acts. The various identities, and the strong performers, make Bulgaria an important member of Eurovision.

                                               

           References

Genova. (2016). If love was a crime. (Bulgaria). Eurovision Song Contest 2016 Stockholm [DVD]. Baarn, NL: Universal Music Group.

Kostov. (2017). Beautiful Mess (Bulgaria). Eurovision Song Contest 2017 Kyiv [DVD]. Baarn, NL: Universal Music Group.

Elista, T &Yankulov. Samo Shampioni (Bulgaria). Eurovision Song Contest 2013 Malmo. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bExp3aNOFsE