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 famous Bulgarian singer, songwriter, actress, and TV presenter. She was born on February 10, 1987, in Sofia, Bulgaria. Poli started her music journey very young, at just four years old, joining a children's music group called Bon-Bon.

She is well-known for representing Bulgaria twice in the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2011, she sang "Na inat". Five years later, in 2016, she returned with "If Love Was a Crime". This time, she brought Bulgaria to the Eurovision final for the first time since 2007. She finished in fourth place, which was Bulgaria's second-best result ever at that time.

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

Poli Genova's Journey in Music

Early Life and First Steps

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

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

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

Eurovision Adventures

Genova representing Bulgaria at Eurovision in 2011.

Poli Genova first tried to represent Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. Her song "One Lifetime Is Not Enough" came in second place in the national selection.

She tried again in 2011 with the song "Na inat". This time, she won the competition and got to represent Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. The song did not make it to the final, placing 12th in its semi-final. After Eurovision, Poli became a mentor on the first season of X Factor Bulgaria. In 2013, she released her album 1, 2, 3.

Big Success at Eurovision 2016

Genova performing "If Love Was a Crime" at 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 at the Eurovision Song Contest. Her song was "If Love Was a Crime". Famous Bulgarian jazz musician Theodosii Spassov played the kaval on the song. Many Eurovision fans loved the song. Poli performed it at special events in cities like Riga, Amsterdam, and London.

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

After Eurovision, Poli performed for 12,000 people at Arena Armeec in Bulgaria. She also won the BG Ambassador of the Year award. She performed in London and Athens, where she sang with Greek singer Demy. Poli and Destiny Chukunyere, who won Junior Eurovision 2015, were special guests at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Malta. In 2017, she became a coach on The Voice of Bulgaria and continued for the fifth season.

Poli's Other Talents

Voice Acting and Theatre

Besides singing, Poli is also an actress. She has her own musical theater for children, based on the fairytale The Ugly Duckling. She also played "The Idea" in a puppet show.

Poli has lent her voice to animated characters in Bulgarian versions of popular movies, including:

Music Albums

Poli Genova has released several albums:

Images for kids

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  Poli Genova at Eurovision in 2011.

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  Poli Genova performing "If Love Was a Crime" at Eurovision 2016.

See also

In Spanish: Poli Genova para niños