Paula Seling
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Paula Seling | |
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.jpg) Seling in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | December 25, 1978 Baia Mare, Romania |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | paulaseling |
Paula Seling (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈpa.ula ˈseliŋɡ], born 25 December 1978) is a Romanian singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. She has released more than thirteen albums (including three Christmas albums) and over twenty singles, which include two top-ten hits in the Romanian Top 100,[1] and a minor European hit which entered the charts in Finland and Norway,[2] as well as the UK Singles Chart.[3]
Together with Ovidiu Cernăuțeanu, Seling represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song "Playing with Fire", finishing 3rd.[4] She then participated in Dansez Pentru Tine (Romanian "Dancing with the Stars") where she finished third.[5][6][7][8]
Starting from October 2011, Seling was a juror and mentor in the Romanian version of X Factor.[9] In 2011, she collaborated with Al Bano and Plan D.
Early life
[edit]Paula Seling was born in Baia Mare, northwestern Romania, on 25 December 1978. She began playing piano when she was six years old, and studied at the School of Performing Arts with Mariana Tilca. At the age of 10, she began to sing in the school choir, soon becoming a soloist. At the age of 15, she joined a band named the Enders as a pianist.[10]
After graduating from the Gheorghe Șincai National College in June 1997,[11][12] she studied journalism in Bucharest, graduating in 2002.
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]"I learned a lot about music by participating in national and county level piano contests, festivals and choir music contests. It was my success in these performances that helped me find confidence. I learned a lot during this time... I gained some experience and self-confidence as a result of successful performances."
—Seling, on the difficulty of her music career[13][irrelevant citation]
In 1995, she won the Best Instrumental Interpreter award at the "Steaua de cristal" (The Crystal Star) Contest in Botoșani, "Ursulețul de aur" (The Golden Teddy Bear) award in Baia Mare, and first place at the "Armonia" (Harmony) Festival in Bucharest.[citation needed]
In 1996, she won the "Aurelian Andreescu" trophy under the guidance of Anda Popp, and made her first performance at The Golden Stag festival,[14] in the show "Viața de român" (Romanian life),[11] as a backup vocalist.
In 1997, she opened for Joan Baez,[15] participated in the Mamaia Trophy with the Romanian-language song "Trurli", and released her first album in English, Only Love, recorded at Sound House Records, Germany.[16][17] She sang on the show Din darul magilor ('From the Magi's Gift') in December 1997.
Seling competed in the Selectia Nationala 1998,[18][19] collaborating with band Talisman on the song "Te iubesc", which came 4th with 565 points, finishing 2nd in the jury vote and 6th in the televote.
Seling competed in the Mamaia Festival 2001 with her performance of "Ploaie în luna lui marte" (Rain in the Moon of Mars), a cover of a song by Nicu Alifantis. She won the Golden Stag Festival in 2002,[citation needed] and was signed by Roton Records in autumn that year. In 2003, she won an MTV Romania Award for "Best Music Video" for a video which she co-directed. In early 2005, she launched her own record label, Unicorn Records Romania, along with her father and brother. During this period she sang duets with Al Bano, Anita Doth (from 2 Unlimited) and Tony Hawks,[citation needed] and performed as an opening act for Joan Baez (27 June 1997), Chick Corea (9 November 1998), Michael Bolton (7 July 2007), and Beyoncé (26 October 2007).[citation needed] In 2008, she performed a duet with "manele" singer Florin Salam at the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra.
Seling decided to move in the direction of rock, jazz, jazz-rock, soul, and rhythm and blues,[20] and suggested a collaboration with the Phoenix Foundation to create an album.
Dana Cristescu proposed Nicu Alifantis to work on the album as a composer and producer. "Ploaie în luna lui marte" was chosen to be the first track.[citation needed]
First album and success of "Ploaie în Luna Lui Marte"
[edit]
The single reached George Zafiu, a DJ at Radio 21, who began playing it on his shows. After many requests, Seling's team agreed to record her first Romanian-language albums, Ştiu că exist ("I know I exist") and Colinde și cântece sfinte ("Christmas carols and Holy songs") with the Romanian singer-songwriter Narcisa Suciu. Around the same time, she won the "Ascending Star" award from Avantaje magazine.[citation needed]
On 9 November 1998, Seling was the opening act for Chick Corea's concert in Bucharest.[citation needed] Following the concert Seling collaborated with percussionist Lucian Maxim on a project fusing jazz, classical music and old Romanian gypsy music.[citation needed]
In 1999 Seling released her first complete album, entitled De dragoste ("For Love"),[21][22][23] a collection of 10 songs composed by Nicu Alifantis. The album included tracks such as "Almost Silence"/"Aproape liniște"; "The Shadow"/"Umbra"; and "How Good That You Exist"/"Ce bine că ești".
"Ploaie în luna lui Marte" won the Hit of the Year award at the Mamaia Festival in 1998. After this, Seling took a career break to focus on other interests. Eventually, she started writing music and lyrics with her brother, Paul Seling.
Performances and Music Videos
[edit]In January 2001 Seling released the album Mă voi întoarce ("I will return"),[24] which included "Lângă mine" (Next to me), a duet with Cristi Enache of Direcția 5.[25]
Paula and Paul Seling worked on the album, Știi ce înseamnă (să fii fericit) ("You know what it means (to be happy)") until the autumn of 2001, collaborating with Cezar Stănciulescu and Cristi Ștefănescu of the band NSK. All the lyrics for the album were written by Paula.[16] Also in 2001, Seling released the album Prima selecție ("First selection"),[16] a collection of live recordings, duets and re-recordings, and collaborated with Puya from La Familia.
Her track "Fii pregătit" ("Be ready") was presented in a performance in Mamaia shortly after its release. As 2001 ended, Seling received the "Best Female Singer" award at the Romanian Music Industry awards. She also released a video for the track "Serile verii" ("Summer evenings") from the Știi ce înseamnă... album, directed by Romanian director Andreea Păduraru, which won the awards for Best Artist in a Music Video and Best Music Video at the 2002 MTV Music Awards Romania 2002.[26]
At the Golden Stag Festival,[27][28] Seling performed two songs: "Noapte caldă" (Warm Night) and "That old devil called love".[29]
International Collaborations
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In 2002, Seling played herself in the TV documentary series Open House with Gloria Hunniford.[30] Producer, composer, director and writer Tony Hawks wanted to cast a documentary movie on the Discovery Channel, named "One Hit Wonderland",[31] in which Seling and Hawks recorded one of Hawks's compositions in his studio from London, which was then promoted by the city. They performed the song on Gloria Hunniford's show on Channel 5 in London.
In 2003 Seling signed a management agreement with a French producer, releasing the 17-track album Fara sfârșit ("Endless"). In 2004 she was nominated for an MTV Music Award as the best artist for the same song (Time). In 2005 she married Radu Bucura, and they opened a production studio, Unicorn Records. In 2006, they released an album entitled De sarbatori ("For Holidays"), featuring traditional Christmas carols and songs sacred to Seling.
In 207, Seling was the opening act for Michael Bolton in Brașov on 7 July and for Beyoncé in Cluj on 22 October.[citation needed]
Al Bano Collaboration
[edit]Seling and her team decided to make a "Best of" sort of a compilation with the most important songs of the 10 years of her musical career. It included 19 tracks, some of them with their original orchestration, some of them with a new production, remade in Unicorn Records studio. The album was called "1998–2008".
She won the 3rd place in the Selecția Națională Eurovision Final with the song "Seven Days".
2009
[edit]Her album Culeg Vise/Believe[32] was released in 2009. The first single from this album is "Believe" and it reached the top 40 of Romanian Top 100. She attended the 2009 Golden Stag Festival, in September, as a judge, where she met her collaborator Ovidiu Cernăuţeanu.
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Eurovision Song Contest 2010
[edit]Ovi called her back in November, inviting her to participate together at the 2010 Selectia Nationala. They re-recorded the original version of the song[which?] and signed up for pre-selection. They were selected as a finalist for the Romanian selection show on 27 January 2010[33][34] and won the competition on 6 March 2010.
Seling and Ovi performed "Playing with Fire" live in the second Eurovision Song Contest 2010 semi-final, in Oslo on 27 May 2010. They finished 4th in the semi-final and competed in the final on 29 May 2010, where they finished 3rd. This is the second time that Romania had achieved this, its highest placement in the Eurovision Song Contest.
2010: After Eurovision
[edit]In 2010, she joined a Romanian dance competition, "Dansez pentru tine" (the Romanian version of Dancing With the Stars), with her partner Tudor Moldoveanu. The pair came in 3rd in the competition. Seling was the co-host of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 Romanian national final, held on New Year's Eve night on TVR 1, along with Ovi and Marina Almasan-Socaciu.
New album and X Factor
[edit]
In early 2011, Seling released a new song entitled "I Feel Free". In April 2011, Romanian TV station Antena 1 (part of the Intact Media Group) announced that the British—concept reality/musical contest show X Factor will come to Romania as well. In early June, it was announced that Seling was to be one of three judges on the show.[35]
Seling recorded duets with Alexander Ryback, Ovi and Al Bano in late 2011 to be put together alongside "I Feel Free" and another at least eight songs on for a new album due in 2012. In February 2012, it was announced that Seling will be returning to Selectia Nationala 2012, in order to represent Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. Despite this, she said the song she prepared for the contest wasn't ready and promised a comeback for Eurovision Song Contest 2013.
She was the spokesperson for Romania and presented their votes during the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2012.[36] In 2013, she was selected to be the endorser for a Romanian moisturising cream, Gerovital.[37][38] The brand Loncolor,[39] ask Seling to become their brand ambassador in 2012,[40] representing LONCOLOR enVogue 535.[41]
In 2012, Selling was chosen by Walt Disney to record the song "My Spirit Flies" ("Chiar pot zbura"), for the Pixar Academy Award-winning animation Brave.[42]
In August 2012, she released a single called called I'll Show You[43] with Alexander Rybak.
Eurovision Song Contest 2014
[edit]
On 1 March 2014, Paula Seling and Ovi won the Romanian National Selection 2014 and were selected as the Romanian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen with the song "Miracle".[44]
Seling and Ovi performed "Miracle" live in the second Eurovision Song Contest 2014 semi-final, in Copenhagen, on 8 May 2014. They qualified from the semi-finals and competed in the finals on 10 May 2014 and finished 12th.
Personal life
[edit]Seling has been married to Radu Bucura since 2005, a friend from her teenage years and the drummer in Dana Nalbaru's band.[45] She is a Romanian Orthodox and is also anti-abortion. She attended the March for Life, in Bucharest, in March 2016.[46]
Seling speaks, writes, and performs in French, English, and Romanian; she also performs in Italian.[citation needed] She also provided the Romanian voice in Cars 2, for Holley Shiftwell.[47]
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Type | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Golden Stag Festival | Golden Stag Trophy | Won |
| Romanian Musical Industry Awards | Best Female | Won | |
| MTV Romania Music Awards | Best Music Video | Won | |
| "Avantaje" Magazine | Woman of the Year | Won | |
| 2000s | Fildorf Festival | Various Awards | Won |
| 2010 | Selectia nationala | Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest | Won |
| RRA Awards | Best Pop Album | Won | |
| Best Pop Song | Won | ||
| Eurovision Song Contest | Semi-Final | Qualified | |
| Final | 3rd Place | ||
| 2011 | "Successful Women Awards" | Young Talents | Won |
| "RRA Awards 2011" | "Artist of the Year" | Won | |
| "Female Performance of the Year" | Nominated | ||
| "Best Pop Song" (Playing With Fire) | Won | ||
| 2014 | Selecția Națională | Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest | Won |
| Eurovision Song Contest | Semi-Final | Qualified | |
| Final | 12th place |
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1998 | Only Love
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Ştiu că Exist
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Colinde şi cântece sfinte
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| 1999 | De Dragoste
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| 2001 | Mă Voi Întoarce
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Ştii ce înseamnă
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Prima Selectie
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| 2002 | Albumul de Craciun
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| 2003 | Fără Sfârşit
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| 2006 | De Sărbători
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| 2009 | Culeg Vise
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Believe
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| 2010 | Playing with Fire
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| 2013 | One Mile of Words
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Singles
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak Chart Positions | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM | SWE | BUL | RUS | NOR | FIN | IRE | SWI | UK | |||
| "Ploaie în Luna lui Marte" | 1998 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Ştiu că exist |
| "Te iubesc" (featuring Talisman) |
88 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 | |
| "Lânga mine" (featuring Direcṭia 5) |
2001 | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Mă Voi Întoarce |
| "Un băiat şi o fată" (featuring Parlament) |
41 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Prima Selecţie | |
| "Promit" | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Stii ce inseamna | |
| "Serile Verii" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Timpul" | 2003 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ...fara sfarsit |
| "Chip de Inger" | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Culeg Vise" | 2009 | 98 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Culeg Vise |
| "Believe" | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Believe | |
| "Playing with Fire" (featuring Ovi) |
2010 | 65 | 29 | 44 | 112 | 12 | 28 | — | 51 | 200 | Playing with Fire |
| "Counting Down" (featuring Ovi) |
2011 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Calling You (Hello, Hello)" (featuring Ovi) |
66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I Feel Free" (featuring Plan D) |
10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 100 | Non-album single | |
| "Pansament" | 2013 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | One Mile of Words |
| "Miracle" (featuring Ovi) |
2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 88 | — | 174 | Non-album single |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released. | |||||||||||
Dubbing
[edit]| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Cars 2 | Holley Shiftwell | Romanian voice-dub |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Paula Seling ★ Starcount". Starcount.com. Archived from the original on 2013-07-13.
- ^ "Paula and Ovi – Playing With Fire – Music Charts". Acharts.us. 2 January 2010. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-05. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Paula Seling & Ovi – Playing With Fire (Romania 2010) | Participant Profile | Eurovision Song Contest – Malmö 2013". Eurovision.tv. Archived from the original on 2010-04-04. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ^ Bloggs, Wiwi (23 October 2010). "Romania's Paula Seling Competes on 'Dancing with the Stars'". WiwiBloggs.Com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ "Music – Paula Seling". BBC. Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
- ^ "ROMANIA 2010 – Paula Seling & Ovi Martin – Playing with Fire – Page 144". Escunited.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "Ella si Octavian Strunila, marii castigatori de la "Dansez pentru tine" (Poze)". Apropo.ro. 2 December 2010. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ "X Factor – Galerie Foto – site-ul oficial Antena 1". Sezonul1.xfactor.a1.ro. Archived from the original on 2013-10-26. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "PAULA SELING & OVI > Biography". Youzeek.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-07. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ a b "Biography". Paulaseling.wordpress.com. 7 May 2010. Archived from the original on 16 September 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ^ "Centrul Cultural Reduta – paula, reduta, concert, trupa". Centrulculturalreduta.ro. 5 June 2013. Archived from the original on 13 July 2013.
- ^ "Paula Seling". Paula Seling. 1 June 2006. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013.
- ^ "Cerbul de Aur – The Golden Stag Festival, Brașov 2002". monitorulexpres.ro. Archived from the original on 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "Paula Seling & Ovi – Playing With Fire (Romania 2010) | Participant Profile | Eurovision Song Contest – Malmö 2013". Eurovision.tv. Archived from the original on 2013-06-06.
- ^ a b c "Paula Seling". Paula Seling. Archived from the original on 2013-09-05.
- ^ "Only Love – Paula Seling". Playalbums.net. 26 March 2010. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ "Paula Seling și Talisman – Te iubesc- Eurovizion 1998". www.trilulilu.ro. Archived from the original on 2014-05-09. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "Talisman | Paula Seling". Paulaseling.wordpress.com. Archived from the original on 2014-05-08. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "SoundClick artist: Paula Seling – Paula Seling, Singer Songwriter, Pianist". www.soundclick.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-06. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "Paula Seling – De Dragoste (10 Cantece De Nicu Alifantis) (Cassette, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "PAULA SELING & OVI > Biography". Youzeek.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-07. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "Paula Seling – De dragoste – Muzică – Trilulilu". Trilulilu.ro. Archived from the original on 2013-10-06. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "Paula Seling – Mă voi intoarce – Muzica – Neatza cu Răzvan si Dani". Neatza.a1.ro. Archived from the original on 2012-03-31.
- ^ "Poze – Paula Seling vs Directia 5 | Paula Seling". Paulaseling.wordpress.com. 31 July 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ "MTV Music Awards in varianta dimboviteana: Premii muzicale cu aluzii sexuale". EVZ.ro. Archived from the original on 2013-10-05.
- ^ Brumberg, Bernard. "Paula Seling". Bucovine.Com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "Romania heating up the competition: Exclusive interview with Paula Seling". ESC Radio. 12 May 2010. Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ "Cerbul de Aur | Paula Seling". Paulaseling.wordpress.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-29. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ ""Open House" Episode dated 20 February 2002 (TV Episode 2002) – IMDb". IMDb. Archived from the original on 3 May 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
- ^ Seling, Paula. "Versuri Paula Seling – When All Is Said and Done". Songonlyrics.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-28. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ Hung, Steffen. "Paula Seling – Believe". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "Interview with Paula Seling & Ovi from Romania | Video | Eurovision Song Contest – Malmö 2013". Eurovision.tv. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "Arena - cotidian online călărăşean de politică, administraţie, economie, sport şi publicitate". Arenamedia.ro. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
- ^ "Alexander Rybak & Paula Seling interview on Belgian TV. 13.8.12". YouTube. 13 August 2012. Archived from the original on 29 May 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ "Running order for the voting tonight". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012. Due to an as-yet unknown reason, Georgia did not reveal their votes, leaving only 41 countries voting in total.
- ^ "Paula Seling este endorser pentru gama Gerovital Plant cu extract de floare de colt in campania realizata de Cupid Advertising alaturi de Cocoon Bucharest". Ecomunicate.ro. 15 March 2011. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ "Revista Gerovital" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-03-25. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "Loncolor". Loncolor.ro. Archived from the original on 2013-08-15. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "Loncolor 20 de ani". YouTube. 4 July 2013. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ "SpotON. Paula Seling, Imaginea Loncolor. Florin De La Hi-Q Promovează Hyperion. | Pagina de media – Petrişor Obae". Paginademedia.ro. 1 July 2013. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013.
- ^ "Paula Seling lansează videoclipul melodiei "Chiar pot zbura" din coloana sonoră a filmului Brave". www.infomusic.ro. 6 August 2012. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- ^ "Alexander Rybak and Paula Seling in European tour | News | Eurovision Song Contest – Malmö 2013". Eurovision.tv. Archived from the original on 2012-11-11. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
- ^ "Paula and Ovi to represent Romania!". Eurovision.tv. 1 March 2014. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
- ^ "Paula Seling s-a maritat la secret". 9am.ro. Archived from the original on 2012-02-03. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
- ^ "March for Life in Bucharest (English)". Archived from the original on 2016-12-03. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
- ^ "VIDEO! Paula Seling da glas unui personaj din Cars 2". Archived from the original on 2015-04-03. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
External links
[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1978 births
- Living people
- People from Baia Mare
- Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2010
- Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2014
- Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church
- Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Romania
- Romanian women pop singers
- Romanian anti-abortion activists
- English-language singers from Romania
- French-language singers
- Italian-language singers
- 21st-century Romanian singers
- 21st-century Romanian women singers
- Golden Stag winners