Bulgarians cheer ‘Bangaranga’ and the country’s first Eurovision win
SOFIA, May 17 (Reuters) – Bulgarians celebrated their country’s surprise first win in the Eurovision Song Contest on Sunday by inviting Dara to their homes, who triumphed with the catchy, crowd-pleasing, upbeat dance number “Bangaranga”.
“This victory means a lot to me,” Dara said upon arriving at Sofia airport on Sunday evening. Here a crowd of cheering fans, including children, greeted him with flowers, waved Bulgarian flags and chanted “Dara” and “Bangaranga”.
Addressing his young fans, the 27-year-old actor said, “Anything is possible.” “It doesn’t mean anything if you’re from a small country, because we can turn the whole world upside down with our hard work, our dreams, our daily efforts.”
Eurovision fans had gathered in Sofia on Saturday night to watch the broadcast of this year’s contest, which was held in Vienna and was overshadowed by a five-nation boycott over the Gaza war.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev congratulated Dara on Facebook. He said that Bulgaria awaits Europe and the world as the expected host of the 71st Eurovision Song Contest next year.
Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova said in X that the pop musician was Bulgaria’s greatest young ambassador and his victory proved that “talent, courage and hard work” can help achieve any goal.
“We are all extremely proud. He won for all of us, for the whole country,” financial expert Petar Stefanov told Reuters.
Bulgaria, a member of the European Union, is emerging from years of political instability and achieved another milestone by becoming a member of the euro zone at the beginning of this year.
As the world grapples with uncertainty, war and rising inflation, Dara said “Bangaranga” represents “a quiet belief that everything will be okay.”
“No one believed that we could win and that Bangaranga could win… It feels like a dream. I don’t know if I’m sleeping or if it’s real?” he spoke at a press conference after his victory.
(Reporting by Stoyan Nenov in Sofia and Renee Maltezou in Athens; Editing by Barbara Lewis and Aidan Lewis)
