About
Biography
Sofi Marinova, born on December 5, 1975, in Sofia, Bulgaria, is a distinguished singer known for her remarkable vocal talent and diverse musical style. Her journey in the music industry, marked by notable achievements and participation in significant events like the Eurovision Song Contest, reflects her dedication and versatility as an artist.
Raised in the village of Brusen, Marinova’s musical inclination was evident from an early age, nurtured by her mother’s guidance in music and dance. Her talent drew the attention of local orchestra musicians in her teenage years, leading her to embark on a singing career despite her father’s initial reservations.
Marinova’s repertoire, encompassing hits by Dragana Mirkovic, Michael Jackson, Sandra, Whitney Houston, and traditional Gypsy songs, showcases her versatility. At 17, she won a Romani music festival in Osikovitsa with the Gypsy song “Ochite mi mnogo plachat” and later secured first place at a Stara Zagora festival with “Stari rani” and “Slŭnchice moe”.
Her professional career began with Ara Audio-Video, collaborating with Super Express on the album “Stari rani”. Solo albums followed, including “Edinstven moĭ” and “Moyat sŭn”. She later recorded an entire album with Super Express, “Pesni ot sŭrtse”, initially intended to feature only four of her songs.
Marinova continued to release successful albums like “5 oktavi lyubov”, “Obicham”, “Ostani”, “Vreme Spi”, “Vip”, and “Sophie Marinova” with Sunny Music, where she also worked with rapper Ustata.
Her accolades are numerous, including “singer of the year” at Nov Folk magazine’s first awards. She won at the Golden Mustang in 1999 with “Protegni luke” and at the Erato Festival with “Moyat sun”, evidencing her appeal across different cultures.
A pivotal moment in her career was her participation in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, representing Bulgaria with the song “Love Unlimited”. Although she didn’t advance to the finals, her performance brought her international recognition and showcased her unique blend of pop, folk, and Roma music on a grand stage.
Beyond music, Marinova has been active in television, participating in shows like VIP Brother (2009) and Kato dve kapki voda (2018, 2021). She was also a jury member on Zvezdite v nas in 2022.
