Bio

{:en}Desi Dobreva{:}{:bg}Деси Добрева{:}

Desi Dobreva is a well-known singer and a TV host in Bulgaria with multiple concerts in Bulgaria and abroad. Desi graduated from the National School of Arts “Dobri Hristov” in Varna, Major: Classical Piano. In 2005 she graduated from the National Academy of Music “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov”, Sofia, with two Master’s Degrees – Pop and Jazz Singing and Musical Pedagogy. In 2007 Desi graduated from Berklee College of Music, Boston, USA, as a Bachelor in Voice Performance. As an excellent student her name was entered in the annual almanac of the USA: The National Dean’s List 2006.

Desi became famous with her participation as a lead singer in the nightly TV show “Slavi’s Show” and as an author and a TV host of the Bulgarian National TV’s show “Night Flight”. Being a lead singer of Ku-Ku Band and Slavi’s Show, she sang along with such stars as Manhattan Transfer, Dream Theater, Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath), David Coverdale (Whitesnake, Deep Purple), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow), BOND, Philipp Kirkorov, Joseph Kobzon, Incognito, Zuccero, Al Bano, Yuri Bashmet, Nana Mouskouri, Wu-Tang Clan, Goran Bregović, Touch & Go, Ishtar, Army of Lovers, Lou Bega, Moloko, Stereo MC’s, Kurt Hauenstein (Supermax) to name a few. Among the guests on the show were also the likes of the Nobel laureate Lech Walesa, Former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev (whom Desi brought to tears with her rendition of a Russian song!), the politicians Shimon Peres, Yurii Louzhkov (Mayor of Moscow), Bob Miller (Governor of Nevada), Boris Nemtsov, Hollywood’s actors Jean-Claude Van Dame, Ray Liotta, Stephen Baldwin, Tomas Arana, John Rees Davis, Billy Zane, Lorenzo Lamas, the athletes Alberto Tomba, Carl Lewis, Franz Beckenbauer, the film directors Andrey Konchalovskiy, Nikita Mikhalkov, and others.

Dobreva has participated in multiple projects such as: “The Legend” of Lili Ignatova, “The Comics” (bTV), the “National Guards Orchestra” and the Bulgarian National Radio”, “BalkanSky” with Theodosii Spasov, “Bulgaria’s got talent”, “Kato dve kapki voda” (Original show – “Tu cara me suena”), the spectacles “The Mistery of Enyovden” and “The Circus” with “National Art”, Desi’s author project “Ludo Mlado”, presenting Bulgarian forlklore in a new modern vision; and others. She has worked with such talents as the cosmic voice Valya Balkanska, Ivo Papazov – Ibryam, Neshka Robeva, Slavi Trifonov & Ku-Ku Bend, Ishtar, The Mistery of the Bulgarian Voices, “Filip Kutev” Ensemble and many others.

Desi has performed at such prestigious stages as the legendary Royal Albert Hall and Astoria Hall (London, UK), as well as at the so-famous jazz-club Blue Note (New York, USA), Mann Auditorium (Tel Aviv, Israel), Copernicus Theater (Chicago, USA), Harvard University, Regent Theatre and Berklee Performing Center (Boston, USA), National Palace of Culture (Sofia, Bulgaria), Arena Armeetz (Sofia, Bulgaria), National Stadium “Vasil Levski(Sofia, Bulgaria). She has sang also in Russia, Italy, Slovakia, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Turkey, Malta, Belarus, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Romania, Macedonia, China, as well as yearly tours in the USA and Canada. She has worked as a vocal teacher in the National Academy of Music “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov” and many times has been a jury member of musical contests. Desi has also taken part in Varna’s Drama Theatre “Stoyan Bachvarov” as an actress and vocalist. Dobreva, together with associate professor Valya Manolova, is an author of a music manual for kindergarten (2013). In 2021 Desi wrote her book “Personal & Tasty” containing 87 author’s recipes, along with 87 personal stories.

Desi Dobreva has received many awards both at Bulgarian and international contests, among which are:

For singing:

  • Grand Prize at Evrofest 2014 – Macedonia, 2014
  • Performer of The Year for BG Radio – Bulgaria, 2010
  • Second Prize at the 11th Asia New Singer Competition – China, 2010
  • First Prize at Golden Voices – Moldova, 2010
  • Varna Award in the field of Music – Bulgaria, 2009
  • Grand Prize at Kemervision – Turkey, 2009
  • Performer of The Year for Fan TV – Bulgaria, 2008
  • Award from The Great American Song Contest – USA, 2006
  • Two awards from The Billboard World Song Contest – USA, 2006
  • Top song in the Indie 104 iRadio LA – USA, 2005
  • Audience Prize of Discovery ’99 – Bulgaria, 1999
  • The Special Prize of FIDOF – Lithuania, 1999
  • Awards from Universertalent – Chech Republic (1999), Malta International TV Song Festival – Malta (1999), Golden Shlyager – Беларус (1999), Discovery ’98 – Bulgaria (1998)

For piano playing:

  • Grand Prize at the National Contest for performance of Czech music, 1999
  • First Prize at the 3rd National contest for accompanists, 1997
  • First Prize at the National Contest for performance of Czech music, 1997

Desi is the first official Good Will Ambassador of the campaign “Bulgarian Youth Delegate” 2010/2011 to the UN. As a representative of the Bulgarian Cultural Center in USA and throughout her career as a musician, Desi has been actively promoting Bulgarian culture across Europe and USA. As a socially committed person, Desi is an active supporter of social causes such as UNICEF’s initiative for Bulgarian orphans The Magnificent Six; The Avon Walk Around the World for Breast Cancer and Tomorrow for everyone; The Bulgarian Christmas, an initiative of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria; Pampers & UNICEF “1 pack = 1 vaccine”. Desi also supports social projects of The International Art of Living Foundation for a healthy lifestyle and environmental care and doing positive changes in Bulgaria and wider.

Discography:

  • Ludo Mlado – 2 CD album (2019)
  • Participation in the album Prikazka Srebarnobyala (Silver White Fairytale) – Studio DA (2017)
  • Participation in the album Songs of Our ChildrenDimitar Argirov (2016)
  • In the Light with David Young (2016)
  • Desi Dobreva (2015)
  • Participation in the album Pirin Folk Sandanski 2014 (2014)
  • Participation in the album Slantcheva Daga (Sunny Rainbow) – Studio DA (2013)
  • Dostoynstvo, Dalg & Chest – Joint album with National Guards Orchestra (2013)
  • Participation in the album Bits oF Humanity  BFH (2013)
  • Participation in the album Taj MahalaRomaNeno Project (2013)
  • Dorogoy Dlinnoyou (A Long Trip) – (2009)
  • Participation in the album “Alo, Slantchitze” (“Hallo, Sunny”) – Studio DA (2009)
  • Tya E! (It’s HER!) – (2008)
  • Anelim – music for fashion show (2004)
  • Prima Patriot with Slavi Trifonov & Ku-Ku Band (2004)
  • Vox Populi with Slavi Trifonov & Ku-Ku Band (2003)
  • The Best of Slavi Trifonov with Slavi Trifonov & Ku-Ku Band (2002)
  • Novite Varvari (New Barbarians) with Slavi Trifonov & Ku-Ku Band (2001)

Singles:

  • “MARIKU” (2022)
  • Dvama (2021)
  • RADA (2021)
  • Gizdava – from the soundtrack of Marius Kurkinski’s movie Twisted world (2020)
  • ELA (2020)
  • Tapan Rege (2019)
  • Pesen na Chervenata Shaptchitza (2019)
  • DOS (2018)
  • Tazi Nosht (2017)
  • Zvezdna Nestinarka (2014)
  • Change with Chronics (2014)
  • I Believe in You & Me (2013)
  • Kade si Vyarna, Ti Lubov Narodna, “Lale li si” (2012)
  • Petlite Peyat with Dimitar Argirov (2012)
  • Ludo Mlado RMX, Fly Away (2009)
  • StronG (2008)
  • So Many Times, RED (2005)
  • Sinyo (Blue) – (1999)
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