Marija Šerifović
Marija Šerifović (Serbian Cyrillic: Марија Шерифовић, pronounced [mǎrija ʃerǐːfoʋitɕ]; born 14 November 1984) is a Serbian singer. Born in Kragujevac, she is best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki, Finland with "Molitva", becoming Serbia's first and to date only winning entry.
Marija Šerifović | |
|---|---|
Марија Шерифовић | |
Šerifović in 2012 | |
| Born | 14 November 1984 |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Parent | Verica Šerifović (mother) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocal |
| Labels |
|
Šerifović made her recording debut in 1998 and has released five studio albums as well as numerous standalone singles. Additionally, she has served as a judge on the televised singing competition Zvezde Granda since 2015. She has won the Artistic Marcel Bezençon Award for "Molitva" and two regional MAC Awards. Predominately recognized for balladic songs, Šerifović is often regarded as one of the best female pop vocalists in Serbia.[1][2]
Early life
Šerifović was born on November 14, 1984 in Kragujevac. She is the only child to musicians Verica and Rajko Šerifović. According to the column by The Guardian's Germaine Greer, she is of Romani descent and has been out as a lesbian since 2004.[3] Šerifović graduated from the First Grammar School in Kragujevac.[4]
In 1998, she made her recording debut with a television performance of the song "Moje bube", which she recorded with her mother.[5]
Career
2003-2006: Career beginnings, Naj, Najbolja and Bez ljubavi
Her debut album Naj, Najbolja was released under City Records in 2003. The following year, Šerifović participated at the Pjesma Mediterana music festival in Budva with the song "Bol do ludila", winning the frist prize. In 2006, she released her second album Bez Ljubavi, which was a year later promoted with her first solo concert at Sava Centar in Belgrade.
2007-2010: Eurovision Song Contest, Nisam anđeo and Anđeo
In March 2007, Šerifović competed at the Serbian national selection festival for the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki, Finland, called Beovizija, with the song "Molitva". On the final on March 8, she was declared the winner by receiving most televotes and coming second on the jury's vote, and thus became the first Eurovision representative of Serbia since the country restored its independence as a sovereign state in 2006.[6] At the Eurovision, Šerifović performed 15th during the semi-final on May 10, placing first with 298 points.[7] Subsequently, at the grand final on May 17, she sang 17th. Her performance of "Molitva" scored the maximum of 268 pints and was declared the winner of the 52nd Eurovision.[8] Upon returning home, Šerifović was greeted by reportedly 70,000 people in front of the House of the City Assembly of Belgrade.[9][10]
In 2008, she released her third studio album Nisam anđeo, which circulated in 120,000 copies.[11] A year later, it was followed by Anđeo, which was sold in 100,000 units.[12] Same year, Šerifović announced a solo concert at the Belgrade Arena for 11 May 2009.[13] In 2010, she participated on the second season of the reality television show Farma, which she voluntarily left after 27 days.[14]
2011-2020: Hrabro, standalone singles and Zvezde Granda
Šerifović was given a documentary film, titled Ispovest (Confession), in which she reflected on her sexual orientation as well as on personal struggles, such as domestic abuse from her father. The movie premiered at Sava Centar in November 2013.[15] The following year, she also released an autobiography of the same name.[16] In May 2014, Šerifović released her fifth album Hrabro. It was sold in 50,000 copies.[17]
In September 2015, she became a judge on the singing competition Zvezde Granda.[18][19] As a mentor on the show, she had the winning contestant for two consecutive seasons with Džejla Ramović in 2019 and Mahir Mulalić in 2021.[20][21] Between 2015 and 2016, she released a series of three songs: "Pametna i luda", "Sama i nervozna" and "Svoja i tvoja".[22] In March 2016, Šerifović held a concert at Zetra Hall, Sarajevo.[23] Same month she also performed at the National Theater in Belgrade, which saw polarizing reception from the general public and indignation from actors' union.[24][25] In December 2016, Šerifović released "Deo prošlosti" under IDJTunes.[26] A year later in November, she released the single "11".[27] Šerifović again performed to a sold-out Belgrade Arena on 25 May 2018.[28][29]
Between March and May of 2019, she embarked on a tour called Druga strana ploče, where she sang the covers of her favorite songs from other artists as well as her own hits.[30] It featured seven sold out shows, six of which were held at Belgrade's Sava Centar and one in SPC Vojvodina, Novi Sad.[31] The second rendition of the tour began a year later.[32] It was supposed to include four live shows in Sava Centar, however, the last one was eventually cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.[33] Same year, she also released her The Best of compilation under Dallas Records.
2021-present
During March 2022, Šerifović held five concerts in Banja Luka, Zagreb and Belgrade under the title Druga strana ploče Vol.3.[33][34] The one in Zagreb was held to an audience of 10,000 people.[35] In late December 2022, she released the single "Dobar Vam dan", which scored over million views in the first 24 hours.[36]
Legacy of "Molitva"
In May 2007, Serbian magazine Nedeljnik highlighted that Šerifović focused her Eurovision performance on vocal delivery rather than on spectacle, which is often linked to Eurovision entries, citing her quote: "I like to hear music, not to watch it". Furthermore, the article compared her international success to those of tennis players Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Janković and Novak Djokovic.[37]
In 2010, The Eurovision Times declared "Molitva" as the third best Eurovision entry of all time.[38] Moreover, in 2016, Special Broadcasting Service ranked Šerifović among the top ten most deserving winners of the Eurovision.[39] In 2019, "Molitva" was also placed at number ten on The Independent's listing of Eurovision winners.[40]
Personal life
Šerifović has not openly declared as a lesbian. In her 2014 documentary Ispovest, Šerifović admitted that she has had relationships with other women. Serbian LGBT magazine Optimist commented on it as "one of the clearest anti-identity coming-outs on the Serbian public scene".[41] During her 2022 New Year's Eve concert in front of the House of the National Assembly of Serbia, Šerifović included an image of the rainbow flag with the quote "Ljubav je zakon" (Love is Law) in reference to the legalization of same-sex domestic partnerships in Serbia.[42]
In January 2008, Šerifović performed at a pre-election rally organized by the Serbian Radical Party. She has since voiced her regrets about this, stating that it was not a statement of political affiliation, but a paid engagement.[43][44] Because of the incident, her role as an ambassador for the European Union during the 'Year of Intercultural Dialogue' was also questioned by a spokesperson of the European Commission.[45]
Discography
- Naj, Najbolja (2003)
- Bez Ljubavi (2006)
- Nisam Anđeo (2008)
- Anđeo (2009)
- Hrabro (2014)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Beovizija 2007 | Herself | Winner |
| Eurovision Song Contest 2007 | Winner | ||
| 2010 | Farma | Season 2; Quit on day 27 | |
| 2013 | Ispovest | ||
| 2015-present | Zvezde Granda | Judge and mentor |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee/work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Marcel Bezençon Awards | Artistic Award | Herself | Won | [46] |
| 2019 | Music Awards Ceremony | Female Pop Song of the Year | "Nije ljubav to" | Nominated | [47] |
| Music Video Song of the Year | "11" | Nominated | |||
| Concert of the Year | Štark Arena, 24 May 2017 | Nominated | |||
| Female Artist of the Year | Herself | Won | |||
| 2020 | Concert of the Year | Druga strana ploče (Sava Centar) | Won |
See also
References
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- ^ Vesović, M. (9 November 2017). "One su vlasnice moćnih vokala! Koja je naša najbolja pop pevačica?". Pulsonoline.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Greer, Germaine (21 May 2007). "Go, Marija! Eurovision's triumphant lesbian Gypsy". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ Sabotinovski, A. (27 October 2022). "MARIJA ŠERIFOVIĆ JEDVA ZAVRŠILA SREDNJU ŠKOLU Sad ima jednu od najuspešnijih karijera, a išla na razredne ispite: "VIŠE SAM BILA ISPRED NEGO U ŠKOLI"". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Prvi nastup: Marija Šerifović kao tinejdžerka". Tracara.com (in Serbian). 12 January 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Iker, Z. (9 March 2007). "Serbia: Marija Šerifović to Helsinki". Esctoday.com. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ "Semi-Final of Helsinki 2007". European Broadcasting Union. from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "Grand Final of Helsinki 2007". European Broadcasting Union. from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Dejanović, M. (21 May 2021). "Kako je Srbija 2007. godine slavila pobedu na Evroviziji". Nova.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ D. B. (22 May 2021). "СРБИЈА "ОДУВАЛА" ЕВРОПУ: Пре 13 година Марија је победила на Евровизији - "Молитва" одзвањала широм земље". Novosti.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 4 March 2023.
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- First series: "Nisam anđeo [Zvučni snimak]". Virtuelna biblioteka Srbije (in Serbian). Retrieved 4 March 2023.
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- First series: "Anđeo [Zvučni snimak]". Virtuelna biblioteka Srbije (in Serbian). Retrieved 4 March 2023.
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- ^ "MARIJA ŠERIFOVIĆ UŠLA U REALITY I ODMAH NAPRAVILA HAOS: Objavljen video, ovo niko nije očekivao". Novi.ba (in Bosnian). 27 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "Ispovest Marije Šerifović: Lezbejka sam, super je imati odnos sa ženom!". Novosti.rs (in Serbian). 27 November 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ "Ispovest - Marija Šerifović". Knjizare-vulkan.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ "Hrabro [Zvučni snimak]". Virtuelna biblioteka Srbije (in Serbian). Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ "ZVEZDE GRANDA: I članovi žirija su..." Grand.rs (in Serbian). 16 September 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
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- ^ V. M. (27 June 201). "MAHIR JE POBEDNIK ZVEZDA GRANDA Trofej ponovo otišao u komšiluk! Publika dala svoj sud". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 June 2019.
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- ^ "Bura zbog koncerta Marije Šerifović u Narodnom pozorištu". RTS (in Serbian). 2 February 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
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- ^ "Singl Marije Šerifović: Sve u znaku broja 11". Novosti.rs (in Serbian). 10 November 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
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- ^ Janković, D. (13 March 2022). "Nezaustavljiva! Nakon Banjaluke, Marija "zapalila" Zagreb: Čime sam ovo zaslužila?!". Telegraf.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ Krkeljić, B. "Marija Šerifović postavlja rekord: Za samo 12 sati njena pesma na vodećoj poziciji na svim EX YU prostorima". Nova.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 December 2022.
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