Poli Genova facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Poli Genova
Genova in 2016
Background information
Native name	Поли Генова
Birth name	Poli Plamenova Genova
Born	(1987-02-10) 10 February 1987 (age 38) Sofia, Bulgaria
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter actress television presenter
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Virgin Records Cat Music Universal Ultra Sony

Poli Plamenova Genova (Bulgarian: Поли Пламенова Генова) is a talented Bulgarian singer, songwriter, actress, and TV presenter. She was born on February 10, 1987. Poli started her music journey very early, at just four years old, when she joined a children's music group called Bon-Bon in 1991.

Poli is well-known for representing Bulgaria twice in the Eurovision Song Contest. In Eurovision Song Contest 2011, she sang "Na inat" but did not reach the final. Five years later, in Eurovision Song Contest 2016, she returned with the song "If Love Was a Crime". This time, she made history by bringing Bulgaria to the final for the first time since Eurovision Song Contest 2007. She finished in fourth place, which was Bulgaria's second-best result ever at that time.

Beyond singing, Poli has been a coach on popular TV shows like The Voice of Bulgaria and X Factor Bulgaria. She also voiced the character Judy Hopps in the Bulgarian version of the movie Zootopia. In 2015, she hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Sofia. Poli is a mother of two children.

Poli's Early Life and Music

Starting with Bon-Bon

Poli Genova was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, on February 10, 1987. She began her music career in 1991. In 1995, she became one of the first members of the Bulgarian children's group Bon-Bon. While in the group, Poli also hosted their TV show, which was also called Bon-Bon.

With Bon-Bon, she performed alongside famous Bulgarian singers like Georgi Hristov and Neli Rangelova. She even received a special award for a duet she sang with Neli Rangelova. In 1997, Bon-Bon took part in the Slavianski Bazaar festival. Poli left the group in 2001.

Poli studied clarinet at the Lyubomir Pipkov National School of Music. Later, she attended the Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts. She also participated in a UNICEF charity project called The Magnificent Six.

Eurovision and TV Shows

First Eurovision Attempts

Genova in 2011

In 2009, Poli Genova was a finalist in the Bulgarian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. Her song was "One Lifetime Is Not Enough," and it came in second place.

She tried again in 2011 for the Eurovision Song Contest. This time, she won the national competition with her song "Na inat". This gave her the chance to represent Bulgaria in the main Eurovision contest. However, her song did not make it to the final round, placing 12th in the semi-final. After Eurovision, Poli became a mentor on the first season of X Factor Bulgaria. She released her album 1, 2, 3 in 2013.

Hosting Junior Eurovision and Second Time at Eurovision

Genova performing during the Eurovision Song Contest 2016.

On October 21, 2015, it was announced that Poli Genova would host the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Sofia.

Then, on February 19, 2016, the Bulgarian National Television chose her to represent Bulgaria again in the Eurovision Song Contest. Her song was "If Love Was a Crime". A famous Bulgarian jazz musician, Theodosii Spassov, played the kaval on the song. The song received many good reviews. Poli performed it live at pre-Eurovision parties in cities like Amsterdam and London.

Poli became the first Bulgarian singer to qualify for the Eurovision final since 2007. She finished fourth in the final, which was Bulgaria's best result at the time. The song was very popular, charting in 26 countries on iTunes and getting millions of plays on Spotify.

After Eurovision Success

After her success at Eurovision, Poli performed for 12,000 people at Arena Armeec, a big arena in Bulgaria. She also sang "If Love Was a Crime" at the BG Radio Music Awards 2016. There, she received a special award for being the BG Ambassador of the Year. In June 2016, Poli performed a concert in London. She was also a special guest at the 2016 MAD Video Music Awards in Athens, where she sang with Greek singer Demy.

Poli and Destiny Chukunyere, who won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015, were the special performers at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Malta. In 2017, Poli became a coach on The Voice of Bulgaria and continued in the fifth season.

Poli's Personal Life

Poli Genova is married and has two children.

Poli's Music Albums

Albums

Singles

Collaborations

Poli's Acting Career

Music Videos

Movies and Theatre Roles

Poli is also an actress. She performs in her own musical theatre shows for children. One of her shows is based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale The Ugly Duckling. She also played the role of The Idea in a puppet play called Some can do it, Others cannot.

Poli has also lent her voice to animated characters in Bulgarian versions of movies:

See also

In Spanish: Poli Genova para niños