Serbia: meet the winner of the 2007 Eurovision Marija Serifovic

Albums
Marija Šerifović’s debut album Naj, najbolja (”The Very, Very Best”) was released in 2003 and was well received. The biggest hit from the album was “Znaj da znam” (”You should know that I know”). In the summer of 2005, she released the single Agonija, which was a cover version of Greek superstar Despina Vandi’s “I believe it” (Olo lipis). Her second album “Bez ljubavi” was released in 2006, and was moderately successful. In early 2007, she released her second single called Bez tebe (”Without You”).

Festivals
In 2003, she participated in the Budva Festival with the song Gorka čokolada (”Bitter Chocolate”), without major success. In 2004, she took part in the same festival again with a song called Bol do ludila (”Hurting to insanity”) and won the first prize. The song was a regional chart topper. For the 2005’s Beovizija, then the Serbian semifinal of former Serbia and Montenegro’s national pre-selection of the Eurovision Song Contest, Evropesma, the song was called Ponuda (”Offer”), and it won the 18th place. That same year, she entered as a favorite and won the Serbian Radio Festival with a song U nedelju, written by Leontina Vukomanović. She also received the award for the best vocal performance.

Concerts
On February 21, 2007, Marija had her first solo concert at Belgrade’s Sava Centar, considered a big break in the Serbian music scene. 4,000-strong audience attended it.

Beovizija and the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 
Marija Šerifović holding the winner’s award at Beovizija 2007 festivalMarija won the Beovizija 2007 with the song Molitva (”Prayer”) on March 8, winning the combined votes of the jury and televoting and thus qualified to be the first representative of newly independent Serbia in the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki, Finland. As a part of her Eurovision Song Contest promotional tour, Marija has so far visited Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Switzerland and Greece. Although a promotional video was originally planned, a documentary film will be made which will include both the music video and the preparations for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. Marija on a press conference after winning Beovizija 2007On March 12, the draw of the running order for the semi-final and the final was held. Serbia was the 15th country to participate in the semi-final, and qualified for the final, where they will present their song in the 17th position, following Germany and preceding Ukraine.

Discography
2003
Naj, najbolja, (City Records)
01 Znaj da znam
02 Sad idi nek te đavo nosi
03 Naj, najbolja
04 Ti mi se sviđaš
05 Ti i samo ti
06 Volim ga
07 Za sreću nam malo treba
2005
Ponuda (non-album track), performed at Beovizija 2005, released on the accompanying CD
Agonija (non-album track) 

2006
Bez ljubavi, (City Records)
01 Povredi me
02 Jesen bez nas
03 101
04 Na tvojoj košulji
05 Pamti me po suzama
06 Laž
07 Nije mi prvi put
08 Bilo bi bolje
09 Bez ljubavi
10 Trubači
11 U nedelju (winning song of Serbian Radio Festival 2005)
12 Bol do ludila (winning song of the Budva Festival 2004)
13 Gorka čokolada (performed at the Budvanski Festival 2003)

2007
Bez tebe (non-album track)
Molitva (non-album track), winning song of Beovizija 2007