- Jani Yankov is making a real splash in the Serbian music show and is one of the contenders for the first place
- Even as a baby, he sang children’s songs and commercials, and a kindergarten teacher discovered his talent
He is known as the Bulgarian who best performs Serbian music, and currently 26-year-old Yani Yankov from Pernik is considered one of the contenders for the first place in the popular music format “Zvezde Granda” in Serbia. He makes a real sensation and impresses not only the jury, but also all the people who watch the show.
He is participating for the second time in the show, because in 2020
drops out of the race
in the third round because of COVID-19.
“The casting for this season was in June last year, and it was done with several preliminary rounds, which were in different Serbian cities, not only in Belgrade – Yani Yankov told “24 hours – 168 stories”. – Thousands of people showed up. When the audition was taking place, the head of the production, Sasha Popovich, recognized me immediately, probably because I was the only Bulgarian auditioning. Then they did not give us an answer if we were accepted, but told us that if we were approved, they would call us on the phone in September. They called me and that’s how the shooting started.”
The curious thing is that from a very young age Yani Yankov showed his talent, which was not inherited. There is no musician among his relatives. According to his parents, he still couldn’t speak well, but he sang TV commercials and nursery rhymes.
“After that, in kindergarten, a teacher told my mother and father that I sing very well and they should enroll me in lessons with Guna Ivanova – he recalls. – I have always had great support from my parents and they have never I was almost 6 years old when I started training with Guna Ivanova. She helped me a lot in my development as a performer.
I’ve even won “Who’s the best.”
Then in my teenage years, as my voice mutated, she recommended that I stop singing so I wouldn’t ruin my voice data. Later I started listening to a lot of Serbian music, I’m a fan of their complex songs. I was learning the most difficult pieces of Shaban Šaulić, who is my favorite artist. And even then I reoriented myself. Even when I started singing in a bar in Sofia, my first job as a professional singer, I only had a Serbian repertoire, but that was a problem.
It was difficult for me to enter a class and perform modern commercial pieces, but that was the policy of the establishment.
After the 7th grade, I submitted my documents for the music school “Lyubomir Pipkov” in Sofia. I took solfège and accordion lessons to prepare for the entrance exams. Along with that, I also practiced soccer. However, my parents did not let me go to a boarding school. I calculated that I would have to get up very early to travel from Pernik to the school, then come right back for training, and it seemed impossible. That’s why I gave up. I enrolled in hotel management in Pernik.”
However, the performer continues to build on his talent. In “Zvezde Granda” he initially competed against 140 people.
“Back in 2009, when I was 13 years old, I fell in love with this show and told myself that one day, if there was an opportunity, I would participate in it – he points out. – I just didn’t know if a Bulgarian could appear. The first time, in 2020, I fell ill with covid. That’s why I tried again. This year, there were 10 rounds in the last one new regulation, they bring in contestants from past seasons and it’s a little different. That way they want to eliminate the best 16 people – 8 men and 8 women. In each round, two men and two women were eliminated on each show .Then they started waving 1 man and 1 woman.The fact is that
there is very strong competition
There are very good performers and it is very difficult. The jury, which includes stars Dragan Koic-Keba, Maria Sherifovic, Ceca Velickovic and others, decide who goes directly to the next round. After the regulation duels are over, those who lost line up on stage and the production manager decides which two people to leave. This is what they call a barrage. In the last few rounds, he admits that it’s extremely difficult for him and he can’t decide who to drop.”
In the TV show, Jani Yankov impresses with the performances of songs by the late Serbian legend Shaban Šaulić, who died in an accident in Germany in 2019.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to know him personally – admits the 26-year-old man. – Years ago, Shaban was a judge in the show. I have been listening and singing such music for so long, and I can say that no one can perform a song in such a complex way like him. He is simply the god of Serbian music. There is no other person who comes close to his vocal qualities.”
Not only here, but also in Serbia, it is claimed that the Bulgarian artist is one of the contenders for the first place, and there are thousands of his favorites on social networks.
“From the very beginning, I didn’t have ambitions for the top places – Yankov points out. – This time it so happened that people recognize me in “Zvezde Granda”. I drive round after round. I take it as a check of the clock and a school lesson, because our ideas for performing Serbian music has nothing to do with real singing. I know a lot of colleagues who sing such music, and it is really different from the original. I want to see how far I can go among these stars. That is a unique emotion and I enjoy everything that happens to me. I have a mentor for each show. I can’t go to rehearsals together. because I’m in Bulgaria, that’s why I send clips by phone with a recording of my performance. When the episode has to be filmed, I go to rehearsals the day before, we smooth things out and then I go on stage.”
However, in the last broadcast round, one of the jury members did not vote for Yankov and sent him to eliminations. Fortunately, he was chosen to stay and fight for the grand prize.
“Maria Sharipovic in the last two rounds had claims about the songs I perform – says the 26-year-old singer. – We sing two at a time. One is always by Shaban Šaulić. She tells me that I have a great voice and I can sing something by another However, I didn’t and she didn’t vote for me. My mentor and I are of the opinion that it’s better to be safe. The only thing that what helps me is the love for Shaulic’s songs and his work. I think I play his repertoire one idea better than the rest of the hits. In the end, I don’t want to run away from myself, because I probably won’t go into it anymore show and so I have to make the most of it and show the best.”
Except with Serbian pieces,
Yankov won over the jury and the audience by singing some of the greatest Bulgarian folk songs
“Even in the first round, they asked me to sing an Azis song, because he is very popular there, or in general some faster pop-folk – says the 26-year-old man. – However, I explained to them that in our music there is not so much ornamentation as in theirs. We have commented that the simpler a song is, the faster it sticks in people’s heads. That is why it is not appropriate for me to perform such a song, given that my opponent sings I won’t be able to answer him at all. However, I sang folk songs in 4 consecutive rounds. The first time I sang “Izlel e haidutin”. that the whole time she stood on edge, she didn’t understand what was being sung in the song itself. In the last rounds, I started to perform another type, because now the show is in an advanced stage, and it is good that the jury knows the song itself and evaluates whether it is sung correctly , because I can sing beautifully one of our folk songs, but they don’t know in the original whether it is so or not.”
Usually, Yani Yankov does not have stage fright, but there he worries before every performance. The only motivation that makes him give his best is his daughter because he thinks that as she watches his performance, she should be proud of her father.
In addition to commercial music, the 26-year-old from Pernica sings Serbian, folk and pop-folk songs, and has two of his own. So far, he has not participated in other similar formats, not even ours.
“Voice of Bulgaria” has asked me several times to appear in different seasons – he notes. – Things are very different there, they focus on a different type of music. Balkan music is not accepted, regardless of whether it is Serbian or Greek. , ours. For me, this is not ok. For example, in “Zvezde Granda” songs from the 80’s and 90’s do not get old us every song that comes out, even if it becomes a total hit, it’s for exactly 3 months and then it stops being listened to.
The market is flooded, there is not so much quality music,
and at the same time there are no formats that support it. I’ve noticed that people who openly say they don’t like Balkan music, I’ve actually seen them in establishments that play it.”
In his free time, Yani Yankov continues to play football. He also likes to renovate and decorate the yard of his house. However, all his energy is focused on his daughter, who is his dream come true. He wishes to be healthy and to live in a more peaceful time. And how far he will go in “Zvezde Granda” remains to be seen.
