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International album and duet
Serbia: Marija Serifovic sets eyes abroad
In a recent interview with Serbian, Blic Marija says that her new album will be released soon and it will include Ne volis je znam which she performed in English at the opening of the final in Belgrade. The particular song, as well as the rest of the tracks in Marija's forthcoming album are adapted to appeal to international audiences while retaining the singers own style.
It won't be easy to make it abroad, though, Marija has realised while visiting many European countries during last year's Eurovision winner's tour: "Unlike Serbia where everything is done ad hoc, people there (in other European countries) do everything on time. Of course they have a higher standards as well, so they can invest more in the quality of music. I agree that it is not easy to make an international career, but it is possible. From the beginning of my career I have tried hard to be different from other musicians. It is hard to make the career in Europe, but I am on my way to realise it. That is my wish, intention and ultimate goal". Marija is already working with a foreign star, whose name she will not disclose yet, and they are currently in the process of choosing a song to perform together.
Since Marija parted in a not so amicable way with former manager Sasa Mirkovic a lot has happened, with him even publishing a book about her. But the 23 year old singer is determined to leave everything behind as she knows : " ... there are many nice things in present, and I believe in better future as well."
Marija confesses that during this past year she saw the worst side of her job but she will not let that stop her from pursuing her dream. "...at the start and end of anything, no matter what successes or failures you have, the most important thing is to stay normal and rational." she concludes.
Ne Volis Je Znam in Serbian
And the English version follows Molitva in this year's final
Related polls
- Jury vote, do you agree?
- Jury vote only in the final or in the semis as well?
- What mixture of televote and jury vote do you think is the best?
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Max is right, there was such a headline and such a front page. In "Kurir", which is the worst populist arse-wipe rag one could imagine. Every country has one, in the UK it's The Sun, or even the Daily Mail. Only Kurir is a lot more insidious.
Recent surveys show that 70% of the Serbian population still regard homosexuality as some sort of a mental illness. However, the same study shows that people who have gay friends or acquaintances are by and large very open minded, relaxed, liberal and supportive about the issue.
As always, Serbia is a country of very sharp contrasts.
@ Max
What are these newspapers ???
I didnt hear about them.
The problem in Serbia is that we have some homophobic people and becouse of them it's not good idea to kiss or something in park, ... but we also have gay people and they have their own places and bars where they do what they like. ESC fans who were in Belgrade didn't have any problem here and Im glad about that.
Were you in Belgrade this May ?
@ cpbija 89
I got the impression that Serbia is mostly a quite homophobic country... There was a newspaper in Belgrade coming out on Friday, the day before the final, showing kissing men and the headline "the devil's coming to Belgrade"...
@ Mina
last year's act was very clear for us who understand the lyrics, coz girls were touching eachother to make a Molitvas (prayers) with their hands. In the last part Marija made a prayer with one back singers. For us who understood lyrics and message it didn't look too lesbian. For people in Europe it looked. They saw touching, hearts, and it was enough. And I think that's what our delegation wanted, so it kinda shocked some viewers and it was different enough for them to call. Appart from that I really think the song itself was good and well performed live, performance just helped in voting.
For this year's wedding LOL I think she did it on purpous becouse so many people were attacking her and saying she's lesbian and she decided to make a little wedding. Maybe it was just an idea to try make the country not homophobic to European viewers coz people in Europe think we all are homophobic in Balkans (there is some true there unfortunately)
anyway, she's the past now, i don't believe she will make a succes aboard, but she will always be a star here
I don't care if she's a lesbian, I don't care about any artist's sexual orientation but if she really isn't, she could have fooled me first with her performance last year (the suit, the hair, the other girls touching her) and second with the 'wedding' at this year's opening. If she's not a lesbian, she's certainly trying to pass for one.
Personaly I don't think she's lesbian.
And she already said that she isn't so many times, but people always speak that she may be gay. I don't care, that's her personal thing, but I don't like that some bad opinions about her from both Serbian and European viewers and media were based only on her looks.
Lesbian performance last year was there to collect votes from West we usually don't get with ballads. And we made it. We got high points from so many countries, and they gave us 0 this year.
But I DO care about who is singing the song, not who hapens to be in the postcards!
Cornald Maas, the Dutch commentator, s also from the west - he is ver yenthusiastic despite our recent results and tells you loads of interesting things about the singers.. i guess im just spoiled!
Chris Karanikos
Why do you think lesbians will embrace her if she came out? I don't she doesn't have the lesbian appeal at all, she is either really politically right wing, or she doesn't stand up for herself enough, both of which are not necessarily good traits if your aim is to be a lesbian idol!
Also to EVERYONE
Just because she is butch, has a certain round shape to her and could be seen as somewhere between masculine and frumpy doesn't ACTUALLY mean she is a lesbian! Is there ANYTHING that she has said or done that could be taken to mean she is a lesbian? has she been in gay bars? no. and passing over the slightly lesbian nature of the performance in 2007 (which could have just been a bad idea or symbology for something else, and lets face is if Helena Paparizou did it with one of her backing dancers no one would bat an eye lid).
Now, as most people on this site no I'm not exactly a huge fan of Marija Serifovic, in fact I think she is a disgrace! BUT we can't go around ASSUMING she is gay! just because she has a stereotypically gay look about her doesn't ACTUALLY mean she is gay, it would be nice if the world worked like that but i'm afraid Sertab Erener, Helena Paparizou, and Ruslana are all just as likely to be a lesbian as Marija Serifovic is! and just because she MIGHT be gay and she MIGHT come out does NOT mean that the gay community (female OR male) is going to embrace her. Look at the British European Minister David Mandleson(at least I think thats what his name is) he is gay but he is hardly a gay icon is he!
her english was not good at all in the english version of the song... if she doesnt improve her english she will not have a chance at all to make it through internationally...
The song which she presented in the final wasn't that special... In fact, it was quite boring...
@marc x:
why not? :-)
marc x
Good point, viewers in the UK don't really care about information about the songs. They just want to watch for a good evenings entertainment, and will probably forget the songs by the next morning anyway!! 
Why changing the subject once again to Terry Wogan ? I am a BBC fan and can not see the point why Terry should say something about the singers, as nobody is really interested in that. He tries to make it funny, to get all the people watching it, not to switch to another channel.
Maria, like her song a lot, don't like her attitude and don't think someone is waiting for her. Same for Dima, let him be a BIG star in Russia and neighbouring countries, I don't need him and defenetely will not miss him.
terry wogan is arrogant and he cmments as if he were costantly drunk..and he must be 100 something years old..i think it is time he retired..
This year I haven't heard Terry Wogan's commentary but usually I like him. I agree though that his comments aren't informative enough.
On Swedish TV we get a lot of information but the commentators tend to talk too much. In 1998 for instance when Ulrika had the "unfortunate" chat with Dutch Connie van den Bos the two Swedish commentators (one of them being Christer Björkman) were talking incessantly to each other. When the audi ence started booing and laughing the two Swedes hadn't a clue about what was going on, nor had the viewers.
Finn, Mina & cpbija
Well I do find Terry quite funny , although yes, he never really gives any information on the songs. But I think this year was his last year, becuase he was so dissappointed with the voting. I think he just doesn't have the same enthusiasm for the contest anymore 
@ Finn
yes, disco version just doesnt suit this song. Lyrcis are emotional and we have dancers on stage and disco music. It sucked.
About Wogan, I have a video with the final from BBC and Terry's comments.
This year he was the worst ever. So uninterested, he didn't say anything about singers, about organisations, hosts, or something. He didn't even say Zeljko was a singer in Eurovision who was 2nd 4 years ago. Nothing. Speaking about ppl in postcards like somebody cares who is the clown from Armenian postcard or balley dancers from Bosnian.
And he was the same last year and in the past.
In Greece he comented like this *oh watch this, this is a Greek restourant, now we see their streets, nice, bla bla, oh yes, its Turkey on the stage, the singer is called Sibel and she will sing the song called ...*.
And all that way. Speaking about what is in postcards which everybody who have eyses can see and nothing about singers or songs. Shame BBC still keeps him for the final. Their semi final commentators are way more interesting and they gave more informations about singers and Belgrade then Terry said in final.
He doesnt even watch voting carefully. How many times he said *12 will go to Russia* and Russia already has 6 or 7 points from the voting country. He does switch Balkan and Baltics every year, ... bad
I've seen a few videos of this year's esc with Terry Wogan's comments and I have to admit I found him very amusing. But yes, not very informative indeed.
Ah, sorry, I made a typing error in my last post.... I meant I didnt like her new song. I loved Molitva... I thought it was an excellent ballad, which is why I was quite disappointed she/her recording company/someone else thought it was necessary to make an uptempo version..
btw, as for a completely off-topic subject - this year for the first time I was watching the final with BBC commentary instead of the usual Dutch coverage, but I actually thought Terry Wogan, legend or not, was awful... he doesnt tell you ANYTHING about the singers (He didnt even care to explain Diana gurtskaya was blind! which is kind of an essential fact I'd say) and he didnt recognise the violin tune they played with the logo as an instrumental version of Molitva - instead he wondered while commentating why they'd chosen such a sad tune!.. I mean c'mon... if you choose to not like Eurovision okay, but at least dont be this thick..
"Well I would listen to her new album only at gunpoint, no other way." . . . . . . "..dear lord, she should go out more. "
haha Darko!!!! I love your comments!!! 
Well I would listen to her new album only at gunpoint, no other way. Not a fan, never have been, although dying her hair a la one time Kelly Osbourne might help - a little.
Besides, is it my impression or is each and every song of hers laced with bitterness and anger? The titles go along the lines of Deception, Agony, Mindblowing Pain, All That Remains Is Sorrow...dear lord, she should go out more. 
She wants an international career? I thought she defends racist/fascist ideas. What a paradox.
cpbija,
I didn't mean to grow her hair long, I'm sure it wouldn't suit her face. But she could do something extreme, like cut it even shorter and dye it blue or purple. Her look just...it doesn't say anything right now.
@ Night Elf
That song is great but it is a cover of one song of Despina Vandi, Greek singer
@ Mina
She has had very long hair before but she looked even worse.
Anyway, THAAAANK YOU Marija. There is no word for me to explain how thankful I am for her to giving us Eurovision in Serbia.
Without her it couldnt be possible, and all of us would be in Kiev or elsvere this May
Thank you Maria, God bless you
Night Elf,
that's a good song. I like it more than Molitva (not hard since I didn't like Molitva ).
I just wish this girl did something different with her hair.
Marija I have only one thing to say to you "THANK YOU" 
Here is Marija's best song "Agonija"... 
music is great !!! Enjoy
http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=spPuegRjgIU
@crbuja89:
You forgot that Abba are known outside of Europe, too
They're much better known than T.a.T.u.
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