Bulgaria was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "DJ, Take Me Away", written by Dian Savov, and performed by the group Deep Zone and Balthazar. The Bulgarian participating broadcaster, Bulgarian National Television (BNT), organised the national final in order to select its entry for the contest. 56 entries were selected to participate in the first phase of the national final, EuroBGvision, which consisted of three monthly selections. Fourteen entries qualified to compete in which consisted of two shows: a semi-final and a final held on 26 January 2008 and 23 February 2008, respectively. Eighteen entries competed in the semi-final and the top nine songs qualified to the final alongside three pre-qualified songs. In the final, public televoting exclusively selected "DJ, Take Me Away" performed by Deep Zone and Balthazar as the winning entry with 15.37% of the votes.
Bulgaria was drawn to compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 22 May 2008. Performing during the show in position 12, "DJ, Take Me Away" was not announced among the 10 qualifying entries of the second semi-final and therefore did not qualify to compete in the final. It was later revealed that Bulgaria placed eleventh out of the 19 participating countries in the semi-final with 56 points.
Background
Prior to the 2008 contest, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Bulgaria three times since its first entry . It achieved its best result with the song "Water" performed by Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankoulov, which qualified to the final and placed fifth. To this point, their 2007 entry is also the only Bulgarian entry to have qualified to the Eurovision final; they had failed to qualify to the final with their other two entries.
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, BNT organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. The broadcaster confirmed its participation in the 2008 contest on 29 June 2007. Since 2005, BNT has organised a national final in order to select its entry for the competition, a selection procedure that continued for its 2008 entry.
Before Eurovision EuroBGvision EuroBGvision was the first phase of the national final format developed by BNT which determined the artist and song that would represent Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. The competition consisted of three monthly selections on 26 October 2007, 23 November 2007 and 21 December 2007, held at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. All shows were hosted by Dragomir Draganov, Aksinia Chenkova, Dani Georgiev and Niki Iliev and broadcast on Channel 1 as well as online via the broadcaster's website bnt.bg.
Competing entries On 29 June 2007, BNT opened a submission period for artists and songwriters to submit their entries until 26 September 2007. Songs were required to contain partial Bulgarian involvement. By the end of the deadline, the broadcaster received 56 eligible entries out of 79 submitted, which were announced on 27 September 2007. The 56 entries were allocated to one of the three monthly selections and the entries competing in each selection were presented over three weekly shows: 7, 14 and 21 October 2007 for the October selection, 4, 11 and 18 November 2007 for the November selection, and 2, 9, and 16 December 2007 for the December selection. Artist Song Songwriter(s)Angels"Memory"Silvia Georgieva, Dob AntonovBig Mama Scandal"Come With Me"Ivaylo GochevBegacha"Ne vyarvay" ()BegachaBlack Rose"Malki chudesa" ()Black RoseBobi Kokera and Bleki"Tezhka vecher" ()Boris Vaklinov "Svetlinata i mraka" ()Dani Milev Deep Zone and Balthazar "DJ, Take Me Away" Dian Savov Dennis "Confession" Krasimir Iliev, Rositsa BliznakovaDi-Do"Full of Love"Alex Nushev, Alexander Kiprov "Koj sŭm az" () Dimitar Atanasov, Shterion UrumovDobromir Peev"Libe" ()Dobromir PeevElektrika"Like I Do"Nikola Petrov, Temi DimitrovaGeneration"Running Scared"Generation, Phil Jackson, Dimitar TrendafilovGergana Koeva"Nyakoy den" ()Alex Nushev, Ann-GGuava Jelly"Smelly King-Size Bed"Erol IbrahimovHristina Pipova"Kalino mome!" ()Ivo Naumov, Hristina Pipova Hristo Todorov "Ostani" () Hristo Todorov, Polya Poncheva-Nikolova Iliyana Yordanova "Unischozhavascha lyubov" () Iliyana Yordanova Instinkt "Vei, povei" () Dimitar Kostanzaliev, Boyka DragomiretskayaIntsident"Byagstva" ()Intsident, Diana Atanasova Ivan and Stani "You Are Magic" Paul Abela, Joe Julian FarrugiaIvelina Kolaksuzova and Popcorn"Dance with Me"Ivelina KolaksuzovaKatina"Almost Perfect"Nasko LyapchevKatrin"Tseluni noshtta" ()Ekaterina MladenovaKonkurent"Edin zhivot" ()Emil Anchev Krasimira Slavova "Iskam tvoite usmivki" () Petar Pisarski Kristina Georgieva "Don't Leave Me" Kristina Georgieva "Dosega" () Svetozar Hristov, Lora Vladova "Sweet Love" Svetlin Kaslev, Georgi Enchev Lorado "Paradoks remiks" () Krasimir Krastev, Lorado Margarita Hranova "Ne me boli" () Deyan Nedelchev, Emil Dilchev Mario Denev "Vyarvam" () Alexander Ribitsov, Nadezhda Zakharieva Mariyana "Moonlight" Mariyana Zhekova, Bob Katsionis Misha Iliev "Nai-krasivoto litse" () Andro Stubel Monika Goranova "Ot zvezdite" () Atanas Atanasov, Strahilka Petrova Monika Kirovska "Bring Me Back My Freedom" Tsvetan Vlaykov Motel"Chocolate Girl"Ivan Terziev, Yasen HadzhikolevNadezhda Manova"The Sweetest Kiss"Sabin Yordanov Nikolay Manolov "Po-dobre" () Krasimir Polmezov, Yavor KirinNikolay Mihailov"Vŭzdukh i voda" ()Nikolay MihailovPavel Mihov"Zabraven plazh" ()Dobrin Vekilov-Doni Reni, Vili and Vesi "Zvezdi" () Yevgeny Platov, Romanola MiroslavovaSimona Sivanio"Obeschay mi" ()Alexander Mikhailov Sky "Samo teb obicham" () Vasil Vasilev, Ivaylo Georgiev Stoyan Chingov "Zvezden mig" () Ivan ChingovSunnie"Do You Love Me"Ivaylo Terziev"Pandemonium"Svetozar Hristov, Ventsislava Tumangelova and "Lonely World" Svetozar Hristov, Ventsislava Tumangelova Tatyana Velikova "Den" () Tatyana VelikovaTerry Angel"Strannitsi v noshtta" ()Kamen Nikolov Tikhomir Nikolov "Byagam" () Tikhomir Nikolov, Svetlin Staykov, Rosen Dimitrov Tiramisu "Dali e znak" () Tsvetan Karabov, Hristina Tarnovska Tsetso Vlaykov and Stetson "Euro Train" Tsvetan VlaykovVlado and "Tired Soul"Vladimir Dimov, Ventsislava Tumangelova X-R@Y "Na sŭn" () Nikolay Dimitrov Zhivko Ivanov "Planeta bez bŭdeshte?" () Tsvetomir Kaloyanov, Zhivko Ivanov
Shows
Monthly selections The three monthly selections took place on 26 October, 23 November and 21 December 2007. Prior to the October selection, "Tseluni noshtta" performed by Katrin was disqualified from the competition, while Begacha and Dobromir Peev withdrew their songs. Three entries qualified to from each selection based on the results of public televoting, while an additional five entries received wildcards and qualified to Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2008”.
In addition to the performances of the competing entries, Dmitry Koldun (who represented ) performed as a guest in the October selection, while the StringS quartet, "Diva" Ballet Group, and Bon-Bon (who represented ) performed as guests in the November selection, and Petya Buyuklieva and Karolina (who represented and ) performed as guests in the December selection.
Qualifier Wildcard qualifier Entry withdrawn/disqualified
+ October selection – 26 October 2007 Artist Song Televote Place 1 Begacha "Ne vyarvay" 0.24% 17 2 Nikolay Manolov "Po-dobre" 10.87% 3 3 Katrin "Tseluni noshtta" — — 4 Ivan and Stani "You Are Magic" 5.38% 9 5 Dennis "Confession" 5.74% 4 6 Monika Kirovska "Bring Me Back My Freedom" 0.67% 16 7 Sky "Samo teb obicham" 5.28% 10 8 Stoyan Chingov "Zvezden mig" 0.84% 15 9 Tatyana Velikova "Den" 2.20% 12 10 Tiramisu "Dali e znak" 5.59% 5 11 Monika Goranova "Ot zvezdite" 2.13% 13 12 Dobromir Peev "Libe" 0.10% 18 13 Lora Vladova "Dosega" 5.11% 11 14 Tikhomir Nikolov "Byagam" 2.08% 14 15 Dimitar Atanasov "Koj sŭm az" 5.43% 8 16 Krasimira Slavova "Iskam tvoite usmivki" 5.47% 6 17 Instinkt "Vei, povei" 5.45% 7 18 Mariyana "Moonlight" 16.06% 2 19 Svetozar Hristov and Magdalena Dzhanavarova "Lonely World" 21.36% 1
+ November selection – 23 November 2007 Artist Song Televote Place 1 X-R@Y "Na sŭn" 3.89% 11 2 Tsetso Vlaykov and Stetson "Euro Train" 0.91% 19 3 Zhivko Ivanov "Planeta bez bŭdeshte?" 0.79% 20 4 Iliyana Yordanova "Unischozhavascha lyubov" 4.89% 10 5 Reni, Vili and Vesi "Zvezdi" 2.39% 13 6 Hristo Todorov "Ostani" 1.58% 15 7 Kristina Georgieva "Don't Leave Me" 5.82% 8 8 Deep Zone and Balthazar "DJ, Take Me Away" 9.07% 5 9 Misha Iliev "Nai-krasivoto litse" 9.26% 4 10 Hristina Pipova "Kalino mome!" 5.23% 9 11 Bobi Kokera and Bleki "Tezhka vecher" 1.84% 14 12 Mario Denev "Vyarvam" 1.26% 18 13 Simona Sivanio "Obeschay mi" 3.72% 12 14 Big Mama Scandal "Come With Me" 1.43% 17 15 Vlado and Svetlio "Tired Soul" 13.22% 1 16 Motel "Chocolate Girl" 6.35% 7 17 Sunnie "Do You Love Me" 9.81% 2 18 Di-Do "Full of Love" 9.67% 3 19 Konkurent "Edin zhivot" 7.35% 6 20 Margarita Hranova "Ne me boli" 1.52% 16
+ December selection – 21 December 2007 Artist Song Televote Place 1 Generation "Running Scared" 9.81% 2 2 Ivelina Kolaksuzova and Popcorn "Dance with Me" 12.81% 1 3 Intsident "Byagstva" 7.75% 7 4 Angels "Memory" 3.93% 12 5 Black Rose "Malki chudesa" 7.42% 8 6 Nikolay Mihailov "Vŭzdukh i voda" 2.02% 13 7 Guava Jelly "Smelly King-Size Bed" 1.01% 15 8 Gergana Koeva "Nyakoy den" 0.45% 16 9 Pavel Mihov "Zabraven plazh" 8.88% 5 10 Elektrika "Like I Do" 5.54% 11 11 Nadezhda Manova "The Sweetest Kiss" 1.61% 14 12 Lora Vladova "Sweet Love" 5.92% 9 13 Lorado "Paradoks remiks" 0.19% 17 14 Terry Angel "Strannitsi v noshtta" 5.62% 10 15 Dani Milev "Svetlinata i mraka" 7.87% 6 16 Katina "Almost Perfect" 9.44% 4 17 Svetozar Hristov "Pandemonium" 9.73% 3
(The Bulgarian song in Eurovision 2008) was the second phase of the national final format developed by BNT which determined the artist and song that would represent Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. The competition consisted of a semi-final on 26 January 2008 and a final on 23 February 2008, held at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. Both shows were broadcast on Channel 1 as well as online via the broadcaster's website bnt.bg.
Competing entries On 1 October 2007, BNT opened a submission period for artists and songwriters to submit their entries until 21 December 2007. Songs were required to contain partial Bulgarian involvement. By the end of the deadline, the broadcaster received 44 eligible entries out of 47 submitted. On 22 December 2007, the eighteen artists and songs selected for the semi-final of the competition were announced. Fourteen of the entries were the qualifiers of EuroBGvision, while the remaining four entries were selected from the submitted songs. An additional three entries were produced by BNT and automatically qualified for the final of the competition, which were announced on 26 January 2008.