Desi Slava facts for kids

Desislava Ivanova Doneva (in Bulgarian: Десислава Иванова Донева), born on March 7, 1979, is a famous Bulgarian singer, songwriter, and producer. She is best known by her stage names, Desi Slava or DESS. She is a popular artist in the pop, dance, and pop-folk music styles.

Personal Life

Desi Slava has two sons. Her older son was born in 2000. Her younger son, with Bulgarian boxer Blagoy Naydenov, was born in 2017.

A Musical Journey

Early Success with Payner

Desi Slava's talent for singing showed up early. As a child, she often competed in music festivals and won awards. When she turned 18, the music company Payner offered her a record deal.

In 1998, she released her first album, Нямам проблеми (I Got No Problems). She helped write many of the songs on this album. Her second album, Ези-Тура (Heads or Tails), came out the next year and was a big hit with critics. Her song Beli Noshti (White Nights) from her third album, Завинаги (Forever), became very popular.

Becoming an Independent Artist

In 2003, Desi Slava decided to leave Payner to have more creative control over her music. She started her own music company called New Music Stars in 2004.

Under her own label, she released several albums. These included Любовта е само чувство (Love is Just a Feeling) and a duet album called Together with the singer Azis. She continued to release popular albums like Гореща следа (A Hot Mark) in 2005 and Сладки сънища (Sweet Dreams) in 2006.

New Projects and Sounds

In 2007, Desi Slava showed her versatility. She performed cover songs by famous artists like Sade and Michael Jackson at a special concert. She also recorded an album in Spanish, but it was leaked online before it was finished, so she decided not to release it officially.

In 2009, she released the album Послушай сърцето си (Listen to Your Heart). She also worked with Greek singer Kostas Martakis on the dance-pop song "Agapi Mou."

A few years later, she experimented with electronic music on the album Slavatronica (2011). She also began using the name DESS for her dance music projects. Her song "I Like" became a summer hit in Bulgaria.

Eurovision and Collaborations

In 2012, Desi Slava competed to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest. Her song "Love is Alive" was a favorite with both the judges and the audience, and she finished in second place in the national final.

During this time, she worked with many other artists. She recorded duets with Bulgarian singer Toni Storaro and musician Alek Sandar. In 2013, her song "Baby" was chosen as the anthem for Sofia Pride. In 2014, she collaborated with German rapper Nana on the song "Cotton Candy."

Return to Payner and TV Fame

In 2014, Desi Slava signed a contract with Payner again. She also became a coach on the TV show The Voice of Bulgaria. The winner of that season, Kristina Ivanova, was from her team.

She continued to release hit songs, including Не го прави (Don't Do It) and a duet with the singer Galena called В твоите очи (In Your Eyes). In 2017, she competed on the celebrity imitation show Като две капки вода and finished in second place.

Discography

Desi Slava has released many albums throughout her career. Some of her most well-known studio albums include:

• No Problems (1998)
• Heads-Tails (2000)
• Forever (2001)
• Mystery (2002)
• Love Is Just A Feeling (2004)
• Together (with Azis) (2004)
• Sweet Dreams (2006)
• Listen To Your Heart (2009)

International Performances

Desi Slava has performed her music for audiences outside of Bulgaria.

• In 2007, she was the first Bulgarian singer to perform at the Soho Revue in London.
• In 2008, she performed at the MAD Video Music Awards in Greece with singer Kostas Martakis.
• In 2010, Turkish pop star Mustafa Sandal invited her to perform with him at his concert in Bulgaria.
• In 2012, she was the only Bulgarian artist to sing at the Balkan Music Awards.

Awards and Recognition

Desi Slava has won many awards for her music. Here are some of her major achievements:

• Early Career: She won first prize at several folk festivals as a teenager, including the Slaveyche, Petko Zaharieva, and Valkana Stoyanova festivals.
• 2000: She won many awards, including Singer of the Year and Album of the Year for Ези Тура (Heads or Tails). Her song Бели нощи (White Nights) was also named Song of the Year.
• 2002: She was named Singer of the Year at the Planet TV music awards. She also won Album of the Year for Мистерия (Mystery).
• 2009: Her song Бели нощи (White Nights) was named Song of the Decade (1998–2008) by Nov Folk magazine.
• 2013: She received a special award from her hometown of Radnevo for her contributions to the town's culture.
• 2015: She won the reality TV show Big Brother All Stars.

See also

In Spanish: Desi Slava para niños