Under the name DesiSlava, she has managed to establish herself as one of the icons of Balkan music, famous with her great vocal abilities, stylistic diversity, her innovative approach and overall her universality. Recently Desislava patented the nickname DESS for her projects in pop music and the popular dance music.

Life and career

Desislava Ivanova Doneva was born on 7th of March in Radnevo, Bulgaria. Her musical stage performances began at an early age, when she began winning awards at festivals for children. Shortly afterwards, she became the main solo singer of orchestra "Radnevo". This allows her to be noticed by one of the most famous Bulgarian folklore singers of all time - Valkana Stoyanova, who takes her under her wing, studied her and declared Desislava as her only possible music heir among all of the students.

1998 - First album “Nyamam problemi” /“I have no problems”/ - When she was 18 years old, the biggest music company in Bulgaria "Payner Music" offered her a contract and she released her first solo album “Nyamam problemi”, where she is the author of 5 of 11 -songs.

1999 - Second album “Ezi-Tura” /“Heads-Tails”/ This is an album that puts her in the charts and all the sales make it the second gold disc in the history of Bulgarian music.

2001 - The third album “Zavinagi” /“Forever”/ - This is the time that one of the most popular songs “Beli Noshti” /“White nights”/ becomes a real hit and years later would be announced by the specialized media and public a super hit of the decade for Bulgaria.

2002 - Fourth album “Misteria” /“Mystery”/ - after a year spent in the U.S. is out the album "Mystery" where Desislava start to experiment with her voice but also with her vision.

2003 - key to the musical development of DesiSlava - In 2003, she left "Payner Music" because the company limited her musical and creative freedom. In early 2004, she founded her own company NewMusic Stars and released “Lyubovta e samo chuvstvo” /“Love is just a feeling”/. The album contains songs from different genres like popfolk, dance, r&b, hip-hop and elements of soul and Latin.

2004 - „Best of Desi Slava” and Seventh album "Together" - a project with Azis - one of the most outrageous and controversial figures of the Bulgarian pop-folk.

2005 - Eighth album “Goreshta sleda” /"Hot trail"/ - a controversial album with two very different parts - one modern, with influences from pop, dance, latino, club music in Bulgarian, English and Spanish and the other – emphases on the dawn of the folk music.

2006 - Ninth album “Sladki sanishta” /“Sweet dreams”/ - According to the critics that’s her best album. It is varied: there are folk, pop, R & B, reggaeton, rock songs, ballads and duets, songs on Bulgarian, Spanish and English, powerful lyrics.

2007 - following the established positions and image of a serious artist, in 2007 Desislava is in the center of a huge media interest.

•- Cover for FHM magazine, Bulgaria;

•- VIP version of the reality show "Vip Brother" in Bulgaria.

•- The national tour of "The Comedians". In addition to singing Desislava participated in the sketches of the actors and showed a lot of artistry.

•- Participation in the first MAD SECRET CONCERT. There Desislava sang songs from the repertoire of Sade, Lenny Kravitz, Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Aerosmit, Madonna, Rolling Stones, Bee Gees, Alan Miles, Belinda Carlisle, Kylie Minogue, Latin and Russian popular songs.

2007 album “Estoy aquн”– - unofficial album. Desislava dreamed to release an album in Spanish for Spain and Latin America for a long time. For two years, along with other projects, she prepares songs in Spanish, mostly in the pop style and with a slight Caribbean and reggae influence, but before the album is finished, mysteriously leaked in internet and she decided not to release it. However, some of the songs became a kind of Internet hits.

2009 - Album “Poslushai surtseto si” /“Listen to your heart”/very well received by the critics and musicians-it relies not on a commercial sound, but on a deeper emotion.

2009 - Single Agapi Mou / Loving you, (DesiSlava ft. Kostas Martakis) - dance-pop duet, created by "Symphonics" and produced by Desislava. In Greece, the song is officially released in the album of Kostas "Pio konta", published by Universal Music Greece.

2009/2010 - start of producing activity – Desislava is producing two young talents - Dzhemile /pop folk, Balkan music, folklore/ and Nadia /pop, R&B, dance, soul/.

2010 - DSTV - Desislava launches her own independent music TV channel, called DSTV, which gives opportunity for expression of the new Bulgarian artists to show their products. A year and a half later, she sold the television channel so she could pay more attention to her music career.

2011 - Single "Kalino mome" (Boy George, Marc Vedo ft. DesiSlava) - progressive house style with ethno vocals. The music is by Boy George, lyrics and vocals by Desislava and arrangement - by the world famous DJ Marc Vedo.

2011 - Album "Slavatronica" - an "experiment" - a combination of electronic music and folklore. The core of this band is the musicians from London - Vancho Manoilovich and Matt Cooper from “Incognito” and the Bulgarian musicians Vladimir Velichkov from "Kanarite", Atanas Slavov - Mravcho and Turaman. The album is distributed only electronically - in the Amazon, Spotify, MySpace, Medianet, eMusic, Nokia and others ...

2011 - DESS, single "I Like" - Desi started close cooperation with Romanian team, which made for her the single "I like". Consequently, she decided to change her name for the dance projects to DESS. "I like" is a summer hit, taking all first places in pop charts. This provides DESS the recognition by her colleagues from the pop industry.

June 2011 Desislava sold her TV channel DSTV to continue her development as a singer.

2012 - "Love is alive" – the song with which Desislava appeared on the Bulgarian Eurovision. On the semifinal Dess was selected as number 1 by a jury and audience. At the final, she remained second. The music of "Love is alive" was made by Desislava and her colleagues from "SYMPHONICS" Borislav Milanov and Sebastian Arman, and the text is again by Borislav Milanov.

2012 - the performers Desislava and Toni Storaro officially presented their new duet, "I do not want without you"/”Ne iskam bez teb”/

2012 - "Only one" – - the second single of Dess. The song is the work of the Romanian DJ Matias Endoor. The video was made by the director Stanislav Hristov and was amongst the most popular summer videos. After "Only one" Desislava became the only singer nominated for pop folk awards /Nov folk/ and pop awards /BG Radio/.

2012 - Desislava won the prestigious "Radnevo Award" for 2012. The Mayor Dr. Julian Iltchev gave the award at a ceremony on the Day of the city. The award is given to individuals who have a real and significant contribution to the development and prosperity of the city Radnevo.

2012 - "It ain't over" – Desislava’s first duet with the talented model, singer and composer Alek Sandar. The video was shot in Berlin, and the song is the beginning of joint projects between Dess and Alek Sandar.

2013 - "Baby" – the pop single created by Alek Sandar and Boyplay. Desislava presented the song on a charity concert.

Awards/Achievements

Major international events:

- 2007 - Desislava is the first Bulgarian singer gave a concert at London's prestigious Jazz Club Soho Revue. The show is titled "Cabaret Desislava" and on the stage with her were Vanco Manojlovic (played with Pink Floyd and The Who) and Matt Cooper of "Incognito"

- 2008 - MAD Video Music Awards 2008 in Greece. Desislava was the first Bulgarian singer who sang on a stage at Mad Video Music Awards with the Greek sex symbol Kostas Martakis.

- 2008 single "Never end" - dance single, released by Universal Music Spain in the best-selling dance summer compilation - Disco Estrella. Also in 2008 she participated in "Let’s Duet" - reality show where she had the opportunity to show the audience her amazing performances across genres: Bulgarian folklore, Macedonian songs, disco, rock, metal, r & b, opera, movie music, folk, Greek, Bulgarian and Russian traditional songs.

- 2009 single "My Pleasure, My Pain" - Recorded and produced in London by the great producer John Themis / worked with Spice Girls, Shugarbabes, Rod Stewart, Boy George, Kylie Minogue, George Michael, etc. /, who is also the author of the song. The style of the ballad is a British rock. "My Pleasure, My Pain" was broadcasted on MTV.

- 2010 – When the great Turkish pop star Mustafa Sandal was in Bulgaria, he chose to invite precisely Desislava to sing with him on his concert in Bulgaria.

- 2012 – Desislava was the only performer from Bulgaria, invited to sing on the most prestigious Balkan Awards - Media Music Awards. There, she performed on one stage with the best Romanian stars.

Cinema appearances:

- 2005 - Desislava’s song “Luzha” /"Lie"/ becomes part of the soundtrack and the plot of the Bulgarian film "Lady Z", which received many Balkan awards.

- 2010 - the French television channel "M6" made a documentary about the phenomenon "pop folk" and devoted a great part of it to Desislava.

- 2011 - Desislava took part in the Bulgarian sound of 3D "Rio" for 20th Century Fox.

- 2011 – A major role in the film "Small - Large", directed by Yassen Grigorov, in partnership with the great photographer Temelko Temelkov. The film was awarded with a "Golden Rose".

- 2012 – A major role in the TV series “Stolichani v poveche”

Others:

- 2007/2009 - Desislava was thecommercial face of the world's largest internet bookmaker Sportingbet. When she signed a contract with "Sportingbet" in 2007, the company's website was blocked for a short time. The reason was a poker game with Desislava, which caused unprecedented interest.

- 2010 - Desislava was the only pop folk singer in Bulgaria who was invited to sing with Ruse’ Philharmonic Orchestra and Burgas’ Philharmonic Orchestra. At the end of the year, she was a part of a „FAN TV” tour, which purpose was to unite the pop and pop folk genre. The singer performed songs from both styles.

1994

First prize at the Folklore Festival "Slaveyche" Radio "Stara Zagora"

1995

First prize at the folk festival "Petko Zaharieva"

1996

Grand Prix of Folk Festival "Valkana Stoyanova"

1999

Award for live performance at the festival "Golden Mustang"

2000

Award of the "World Arts Festival" in Hollywood (USA) in the section on pop music

Award for the hit of the year – “Muzhete vsichko iskat” /"Men want everything"/

Award of the Audience at the festival "Trakia Folk" - “Beli noshti” /‘White Nights’/

Award of the Jury at the festival "Trakia Folk" - “Beli noshti” /‘White Nights’/

Annual awards of Hit Cocktail - Singer of the year

Annual awards of Hit Cocktail – “Ezi Tura” - Album of the year

Annual awards of Hit Cocktail – “Mila moia, mili moi” Hit of the year

Annual awards of ‘Nov Folk’ magazine – “Ezi Tura” - Album of the year

Annual awards of ‘Nov Folk’ magazine - Best hit singer of the year

Annual awards of ‘Nov Folk’ magazine – “Beli noshti” /‘White Nights’/ Song of the year

2002

The audience chart of ‘Planet TV’ – Singer of the year

Annual music awards of ‘Planet TV’ – Best singer

Annual awards of ‘Nov Folk’ magazine - Singer of the year

Annual awards of ‘Nov Folk’ magazine “Misteria” /‘Mystery’/ – Album of the year

Annual awards of ‘Nov Folk’ magazine-“Dve surtza” /‘Two Hearts’/ Best Video clip

2004

Annual awards of ‘Nov Folk’ magazine – “Zhaduvam” /‘I Crave’/ – the best video clip of the year

Annual awards of Melo TV Mania–“Budi dobro momche” /‘Be A Good Boy’/ video clip of the year

2005

Annual awards of ‘Nov Folk’ magazine – Best duo for “Kazvash che me obichash” /“Say you love me”/

Annual awards of ‘Nov Folk’ magazine – Best clip

2006

‘Nov Folk’ magazine – Music Video of the year – “Nyakoi den”/„Some day”/

Annual awards of ‘Bliasuk’ magazine – Body of Bliasuk

2007

‘FHM’ magazine – The sexiest Bulgarian woman

Nov Folk Magazine Award for best live performance

2008

Radio Romantica Award for best ballad “Nyakoi den”/„Some day”/

2009

Nov Folk Magazine Award for song of the decade for “Beli noshti” /„White nights”/ (1998-2008)

Award for successful missions to the Red Cross charity

2011

Radio Romantica Award for Eternal ballad “Zabravi za men” /“Forget about me”/

2012

Radio Romantica Award for Best voice of radio Romantica

Award for Best cover of the magazine “Mr. Big