Balkan Pop is a mixture of traditional east European folk music and western dance music.

See also[link]

• Chalga
• Laïko
• Manele
• Turbo-Folk
• Arabesque

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Elena
Elena Gheorghe in Moscow, Russia in May, 2009
Background information
Birth name	Elena Gheorghe
Also known as	Elena
Born	(1985-07-30) July 30, 1985 (age 26)
Origin	Bucharest, Romania
Genres	Pop, Latino
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	vocal
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Cat Music, Major
Associated acts	Mandinga, Laurentiu Duta, Dony
Website	http://elenagheorghe.ro/
Notable instruments
Vocals

Elena Gheorghe (born July 30, 1985; Romanian pronunciation: [eˈle.na ˈɡe̯orɡe]) is a Romanian singer of Aromanian descent. She was born to a Priest and and his wife in the village of Clinceni next to Bucharest. She started her musical career as part of a duo along with Adela Popescu. In the first half of the 2000s she joined latin group Mandinga with whom she released a couple of albums and a few hit singles. In 2006 she separated from the group and pursued her solo career. She released two albums and scored a top ten in the Romanian Top 100 with the debut single "Vocea ta" (Your Voice). After an internal selection, Gheorghe was elected to represent Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "The Balkan Girls" wrote by Laurentiu Duta. She came the second in the voting result, but as the jury voted for her, she won the National Final. At Eurovision, in Moscow she qualified for the Grand Final where she came the nineteenth after accumulating a total of 40 points (12 points from Moldova). After Eurovision she became more famous Europe-wide and released her signature song "Disco Romancing" which was a smash hit in Romania as well as a top-ten in Hungary and a mild success in Czech Republic, Netherlands, Poland or Slovakia. The following single "Midnight Sun" was a top-ten success in the Dutch Top 40 and in the Romanian Top 100. In 2011 she collaborated with Dony and released the single "Hot Girls" which once again charted troughout Europe. The same year she had her first European tour, getting to Germany, Spain or Greece. In the summer she got engaged with her producer and before Christmas she gave birth to a boy named Nicolas. Her latest single is called "Your Captain Tonight".

Early life and career beginnings[link]

Elena Gheorghe was born on July 30, 1985 in the village of Clinceni next to Bucharest, the capital city of Bucharest in the family of priest Gheorghe Gheorghe. Many of her ancestors were Orthodox priests. Elena has a sister, Ana, who is a journalist and her brother, Costin, plays football for Sportul Studenţesc. Her mother, Mărioara Gheorghe is a folk artist. Elena debuted on the folk music scene with her when just three years of age with the song Sus în Deal în Poieniţă.

At age 11 she joined the Children's National Palace where she took singing lessons. In 2000 she won the gold trophy Little Bear (in Baia Mare) with One Moment In Time by Whitney Houston. In 2001 she participated in the Mamaia Festival. Elena Gheorghe is of both Romanian and Macedonian Aromanian background.^[1][2]

Career[link]

2002—05: Career as part of Mandinga[link]

Elena started singing with Mandinga, a very successful band in the 'Latino'genre in early 2003. In June that year, Mandinga released their first album – ...De Corazón. Mandinga was placed 4th in the Romanian National Eurovision Selection in March 2005 with the song My Sun which was awarded a golden disc one year later. In January 2006, she opened her own dance school called Passitos and a month later ended the collaboration with Mandinga, starting her solo career with the help of musical producer Laurenţiu Duţă.

2006—08: Solo career beginnings[link]

In June 2006 Elena released her first solo album, entitled Your Voice.In March 2007 Elena won the prize Radio România Actualitaţi for best performing act in 2006 and was nominated for the Best Song of 2006 section with the song Your Voice. In August 2007 at the Romanian Top Hit Music Awards, Elena won the award for Best Song of 2007, with the song Your Brown Eyes. Some of her songs are sung in aromanian language as Ma ţi s-adar, Lilicea Vreariei, and others.

2009: Eurovision Song Contest[link]

Elena attending a meeting in Moscow after the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 semi-final.

In late 2008, songwriter Laurentiu Duta offered Elena a song to submit in the Romanian pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. Right after New Year's Eve 2009 it was announced that Gheorghe was one of 24 semi-finalists. She competed in the semi-final and then passed to the National Final on January 31, 2009. There she came second after televoting but the jury helped her win the selection thus representing Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song "The Balkan Girls". She started a promo tour allover Europe from February to May. Meanwhile, the song was already setting records as in became the first Eurovision song to be a number-one in the Romanian Top 100 and Elena's first number-one there. The song was performed in the second half of the first semi-final on May 12 in Moscow, Russia where it was in the first top ten positions, at number-nine with 67 points. She preceded towards the Grand Final of May 16. Then it was performed the twenty-second song of the evening and Gheorghe presented a concept show about wooden fairies called Iele in Romania. She came the nineteenth that night gaining forty points including 12 points from Moldova, 7 points from Spain, five from Turkey and Macedonia, etc.^[3]

2010—present: European recognition and motherhood[link]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 2006 Vocea Ta
• 2008 Lilicea Vreariei
• 2008 Te Ador
• TBA Midnight Sun

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Official hi5 profile
• Official Youtube Channel

Ioan Pop

Personal information
Born	(1954-10-24) 24 October 1954 (age 57) Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Sport
Sport	Fencing
Medal record Mens' fencing Competitor for  Romania Olympic Games Bronze 1976 Montréal Sabre, team Bronze 1984 Los Angeles Sabre, team

Ioan Pop (born 24 October 1954) is a Romanian fencer. He won a bronze medal in the team sabre events at the 1976 and 1984 Summer Olympics.^[1][2]

References[link]

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