Mariya Serifovic Serbian folk singer Date of Birth: 14.11.1984 Country: Serbia

1. Biography of Marija Šerifović
2. Early Life and Career Beginnings
3. Success and Eurovision Victory
4. Eurovision Victory and Aftermath

Biography of Marija Šerifović

Marija Šerifović is a Serbian folk singer of mixed Turkish and Roma descent. She was born on November 14, 1984, in Kragujevac, Serbia. Her mother, Verica Šerifović, is a famous Serbian folk singer, and her father, Rajko, has Turkish roots. Music has been a part of the Šerifović family for generations.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Marija made her first public performance at the age of 12, singing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." She completed her musical education at the music school in Kragujevac. After finishing high school, she moved to Belgrade.

In 2003, Marija released her debut album, "Naj, najbolja" (translated as "The Very Best"), marking the beginning of her musical career. The album's biggest hit was the song "Znaj da znam" (translated as "Know That I Know"), written by Darko Dimitrov. In the same year, she participated in the Budva Festival with Darko Dimitrov's song "Gorka čokolada" (translated as "Bitter Chocolate").

Success and Eurovision Victory

In 2004, Marija won first place at the Budva Festival with the song "Bol do ludila" (translated as "Pain to Madness"). The song reached high positions in music charts. In the summer of 2005, she released the single "Agonija," which was a cover version of Greek superstar Despina Vandi's song "I Believe It."

In 2005, Marija performed the song "Ponuda" (translated as "Offer") at Beovizija-2005 and later in the semifinals of Serbia and Montenegro's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, Evropesma. She finished in 18th place. In the same year, she won the Serbian Radio Festival with the song "U nedelju" (translated as "On Sunday"), written by Leontina Vukomanović. She also received an award for best vocals.

Her second album, "Bez ljubavi" (translated as "Without Love"), was released in 2006 and was highly successful. In early 2007, she released the single "Bez tebe" (translated as "Without You"). On February 21, 2007, Marija held her first solo concert, which was attended by an audience of four thousand people.

On March 8, 2007, Marija won the Beovizija-2007 contest with the song "Molitva" (translated as "Prayer"), receiving the highest number of votes from both the jury and the televoting audience. As a result, she became the first representative of the recently independent Serbia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki, Finland. The song was also recorded in English, Finnish, and Russian.

Eurovision Victory and Aftermath

On May 12, 2007, Marija participated in the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, and on May 14, she competed in the final. She performed under number 17 in the final and won the competition. Upon her return to Belgrade, around 100,000 people welcomed her at the Nikola Tesla Airport.

Marija Šerifović's victory at Eurovision brought her international recognition and established her as a prominent figure in the Serbian music scene. She continues to release music and perform in concerts, maintaining her status as one of Serbia's most successful and beloved singers.