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FSC #142 - December 2020: The Show! [Etropole - Bulgaria] | RESULTS from page 3

Malagant

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Norway
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Welcome to Etropole - Bulgaria and to the 142nd edition of the Forum Song Contest (FSC).




Theme: ‘Bulgaria: The Magic of Christmas’


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Winner FSC November 2020
Congratulations! ^^

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The Host city for this FSC #142-edition is : Etropole - Bulgaria, a town in western Bulgaria, part of
Sofia Province. It is located 87 km north-east of Sofia and close to the northern slopes of the Balk
an Mountains (Stara Planina, a mountain range that is in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula)
in the valley of the Iskar River (a tributary of the Danube/Donau River, the longest river in Bulgaria)

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The area was first settled , by the Thracian tribe of the Triballi , in the 7th or 6th century BC due to
its position as an important crossroad connecting the Danube River with Macedonia, and Thrace
close to two key Balkan passes. The forces of Philip II of Macedon (339 BC), Alexander the Great
(335 BC) , the Celts and the Roman legions all passed through the Etropole valley in ancient days.

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The region developed as a centre of trade and economy, as evidenced by findings of Macedonian
and Greek coins, Greek ceramics, luxurious items and decorations. The ore ledges brought Saxon
miners to the town in the 16th century . They introduced the samokov hammer technology, & help
ed build the area as a centre of craftsmanship & mining , with gold, copper, silver & iron extracted.

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Handicrafts such as iron-, gold- & coppersmithing and cutlery prospered. The economic upsurge
of the settlement aided the development of culture and education in the nearby Etropole Monast
ery in the period, where biblical and liturgical books were copied in a specific original calligraphic
style (a trad. visual writing-art using a brush) , of which 76 hand-written volumes were preserved.

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A monastery school was established in 1613, and a public one (still monastery) followed in 1811
One of the first school buildings in Bulgaria was constructed in 1828-1830 by merchants and rich
craftsmen from Etropole. A revolutionary committee , part of Vasil Levski's Internal Revolutionary
Organization was founded in Etropole in 1870 to help the Bulgarian Liberation from Ottoman rule.

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The town was liberated in 1877 by Russian forces under Joseph Vladimirovich Gourko during the
Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 (a conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Eastern Orthodox
coalition) & served as a governing centre for the 40-day winter march of the Balkan Mountains of
the Imperial Russian Army (land force active from about 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917)

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Political unrest led to a Bulgarian dictatorship from 1918 . After WW2 in 1946 a one-party peoples
republic was instituted . It fell into the Soviet sphere of influence under the leadership of Georgi Di
mitrov. The Communist Party was forced to give up its political monopoly in 1989 under the influe
nce of the Revolutions of 1989 & Bulgaria embarked on a transition to a parliamentary democracy

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‘Bulgaria: The Magic of Christmas’
‘Christmas Traditions of Bulgaria’





Bulgaria has its Christmas traditions , & the many ways one can experience ‘The Magic of Christ
mas’ . In Bulgaria , Christmas is celebrated on 25th December , like in Anglo-American countries
( while other European countries often celebrate Christmas on 24th, Christmas Eve ) . Many cou
ntries in Eastern Europe do celebrate Christmas on 7th January, as most Orthodox Churches do
use old Julian Calendar , but the Bulgarian Orthodox Church uses the Gregorian calendar , so Ch
ristmas is on the 25th December. For many Bulgarians the preparations for Christmas start with
Advent ('coming of Christ') which lasts 40 days in the Orthodox Church , & starts 15th November

One Bulgarian legend is that Mary started her labour on 'Ignazhden', 20th December (St. Ignatius
of Antioch's Day) & she gave birth on Christmas Eve, but the birth of Jesus wasn't announced 'till
Christmas Day. The 20th is also the traditional new year in Bulgarian culture. It's traditional to eat
a special ring shaped cake called 'kolaks' on this day it's for many an essential part of the season

Christmas Eve (called 'Budni Vecher') is a very important day & the main Christmas meal is eaten
in the evening of Christmas Eve. The meal should traditionally have an odd number of dishes in it
(normally 7, 9 or 11) , & an odd number of people sitting around the table. (Salt, pepper and sugar
can count as separate dishes). There's a special round , decorated loaf of bread called pita which
has a coin baked in it. If you find it , you're meant to have good luck for the next year. The bread is
normally cut by the oldest person at the meal & they hand it around the table to everyone present.






Following the Christmas Eve meal some people will go to a Midnight Mass service . You might al
so hear Koledari ( carol singers ), which are normally young men who go carol singing dressed in
traditional clothing. The singing can only start after midnight. The singers often go round singing
all night , so the sun never catches them . When they reach a house they do sing 'the house song'
praising & 'wishing the house' well. Having the Koledari visit your home is meant to be good luck.

The songs are often in two parts with half of the singers singing the song and then the other half
repeating it back . After the singing , the head of the house'll give the Koledari food to thank them
for singing. The special foods include 'Koledni gevreci' (round buns) and 'banitsa' (cheese-pastry)

Christmas Trees are popular in Bulgaria , & towns are decorated with Christmas lights like we oft
en see in WesternEuropean countries. Some people will still have a traditional Yule Log (normally
from an oak, elm or pear tree) known as a 'badnik' or 'budnik' , which is brought into the house on
Christmas Eve . Santa Claus (Father Christmas) is known as 'Dyado Koleda' , which means Grand
-father Christmas . And in Bulgarian the Christmas greeting , Merry Christmas , is 'Vesela Koleda'.



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Etropole as a town has occupied a significant place in the history of many events in the region ov
er the years , also in the liberation of the Bulgarian people during the Renaissance. The people of
the region subsequently also took part in the Serbo-Bulgarian War, the Balkan Wars, the First and
Second World Wars. As a result , then Etropole region has many historical sites and monuments.

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Etropole of today is a charming little town that is welcoming and hospitable with amenities for to
urists and locals alike. There are shops, hotels, restaurants and cafes. For those who wish for big
city leisure Sofia is not that far away. The valley (with altitude 550 m) where the town sits , is surr
ounded by majestic mountain peaks ; Zvezdets , Shindarnika, Athanasius, Mara Gigya and others.

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Places worth seeing in Etropole: the clockwork tower of Etropole built in 1710 is one of the oldest
in Bulgaria. It originally served as a defensive structure until in 1821 a master builder by the name
of Dido reconstructed it as a clock tower. With its height at about 20 metres it stands above most
of the buildings in the small town. The clockwork tower is one of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria

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The Etropole Monastery, also known as Varovitets, is located 5 km (3 mi) from the town. It is a Bu
lgarian Orthodox monastery , that was founded in the 12th or 13th century. The monastery is also
the home of the spectacular Etropole Waterfall “Varovitets”. The History Museum in Etropole laun
ched its first exibition in 1958. 10 years later (1968) the 2nd exibition of the museum was opened

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The Museum of Etropole , is still housed in its restored building . The building was constructed in
the period 1853-1870. This is the second public building in Etropole after the Clock Tower (1710)
that has survived to this day . The 10 halls of the museum tell about the past of the Etropole Regi
on. The village of Lopyan is located in the Etropole Municipality near the slopes of the mountains

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It is one of the oldest villages in the region and its story began at the time of the Thracians, when
the territory was inhabited by the tribe Luposi , from where name of the village most likely origins
Three kilometres from Lopyan, are the remains of the Thracian fortress Chertigrad (built in 4th or
3rd Centuries BC and probably functioned until the 6th century AD), now declared an historic ruin

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Also worth seeing are: the waterfall, the Eagle stone , Grohotaka , Kozi Dol, Belikasha, Bachiyshte,
Crow water , and Dolls. Buried in soft and pleasant greenery , and among beautiful meadows and
mountains, refreshed by the clear sparkling streams, the Etropole area provides wonderful places
for recreation , relaxation & visitor enjoyment , all amidst a welcoming & generous local populace.

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Etropole, furthermore, celebrates traditional holidays, and also festivals of which the yearly youth
festival MOGA FEST (see more details further below) is one of the most popular and famous.The
town is also one of sport with FC Chavdar, its local Bulgarian football club founded in 1922. They
currently compete , in the 3rd tier of Bulgarian football. Their home stadium , is Chavdar Stadium.

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Malagant

FSC Admin
Staff member
Joined
October 3, 2009
Posts
11,775
Location
Norway




The Host venue for FSC #142 December 2020 is : the Monument Meadow , which is situat
ed above the town of Etropole Bulgaria . It's the site where traditionally at the end of August each
year the popular MOGA FEST will be held. This festival combines various entertainment and educ
ational activities- sports, art, concerts and ecology. During the three festival days, sports tournam
ents, bicycle tours, eco presentations, art workshops, paintball, open-air puppet theater and many
more will take place. In the evenings Bulgarian artists will perform in different musical styles. Our
Bulgarian hosts are proud to host this evening’s edition of the Forum Song Contest , here beneath
the stars and beautiful night sky , with the Balkan Mountains in the horizion, & next to the famous
local Etropole landmark , the Monument ( Pametnika ) to Alyosha , the Legendary Russian Soldier



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Our lovely Hosts this evening are:

Sofi Marinova , Milenita and Martina "Marta" Vachkova


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Sofiya Marinova Kamenova better known as Sofi Marinova (raised by family in Etropole Bulgaria)
is a popular Bulgarian pop-folk / ethno-pop singer of Romani descent, famous for her impressive
vocal range. She has won multiple music awards & contests , & has also done much charity work
She represented Bulgaria in ESC ( Baku ) 2012. She is proud to co-host this evening’s FSC-edition

Milenita, born Milena Nikolova , is a Bulgarian pop & jazz singer. She gained popularity in Bulgaria
with her 2003single "Monogamni" In 2005 Milenita released her debut album. She has composed
film music and also had an acting career. She has also performed at the MOGA fest in Etropole, &
was host, during the Bulgarian ESC NF in 2012 . She is proud to co-host this evening’s FSC-edition

Martina "Marta" Vachkova , is a Bulgarian actress & TV presenter. She helped popularise the town
through an info-video , & visits Etropole regularly. She has worked with Drama and Puppet theater
for many years. She has also worked extensively in television , in tv shows / series and hosting tv
shows . She has received awards for her work . She is proud to co-host this evening’s FSC-edition





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And we are now pleased to announce

The Opening Act

an exclusive International Guest Appearance
by the Finnish/Greek/Hungarian Metal band

Beast In Black

performing a popular song
taken from their 2017 album

’Blind And Frozen’





Once again, welcome to the 142nd edition of the Forum Song Contest.

Let the Show begin!


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THE-
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-SONGS













































We are pleased to announce

The Interval Acts


a Special National Artist Performance
in a collaboration by Bulgarian singers

Azis & Sofi Marinova

performing one of
their popular songs

’Edin jivot ne stiga’





-and-



a Special National Artist Performance
by Bulgarian pop and jazz music singer

Milenita

performing one of
her popular songs

’Brak’

















































We are pleased to announce

The Closing Act

an exclusive International Guest Appearance
by the famous Romanian singer of ESC-fame

Paula Seling

performing a beautiful &
peaceful Christmas hymn

’Asa vorbeste Domnul slavei’







Thank You - and Good Night - from Etropole - Bulgaria!

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7 day Evaluation Period
The Evaluation Period is 7 days from the beginning of the contest. If you find any songs that
you believe may break the FSC Rules , please contact the FSC Mods via PM (off the boards)



Voting deadline
28th December, 23:59 CET

Vote Collector (PM)
aardvark

OR Use your FSC Private Forum


Keep in mind, that only votes submitted in your FSC Private Forum, or sent to the FSC Mod Vote
Collector, after the Evaluation Period is finished - and within the voting deadline - will be counted



Enjoy! - and Good Luck To All Entries!

Merry Christmas!

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Malagant

FSC Admin
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Joined
October 3, 2009
Posts
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Location
Norway
Welcome, everyone to beautiful Etropole, Bulgaria! xcheer

In the tradition of the FSC Shows I host/create, the opening and closing acts are International acts specifically invited to this event for your entertainment and enjoyment, to supplement the National acts (the 2 Bulgarian interval acts selected by the Bulgaria jury + the previous month’s Bulgarian winner) that are also part of the FSC Show presentation.

In addition, there are 7 selected Bulgarian ‘Bonus’ music videos hidden/linked beneath (also some smaller) pictures/flags in the presentation (most of them chosen by the Bulgaria jury), so check well and make sure you don’t miss any of the songs!

This edition’s theme is: ‘Bulgaria: The Magic of Christmas’ in view of the Christmas season we are entering now in December. The beautiful and evocative banners reflect the winter season and this theme. We also get to learn a little about Bulgarian Christmas traditions and celebrations as we are all joined to celebrate in peace and joy with family and friends at the end of a difficult (pandemic) year 2020.

Enjoy this FSC December Show from the beautiful western Bulgarian town of Etropole by the picturesque Balkan mountains
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xcheer

Ps. As mentioned before, due to technical restrictions here in this forum on max amount of images pr post I have been forced to divide my huge, detailed and intricate Show-presentation into 2 parts/posts (not ideal but necessary in the circumstances). I have made the division at a natural point in the Show, about half-way. It should not take away from the enjoyment of the presentation, but I mention it in case anyone wondered xup
 

Gera11

WorldVision Mod
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București
Wow Paula seling closing the show and Sofi being an interval act xheat

I've been through Bulgaria last year, travelling the roads and highways from Ruse to Kulata on my way to Greece and I have to say, it's such a beautiful and pristine country. There were some rundown half-abandoned villages on the way but we have those too lol. Loved the mountains especially, you have some serious tunnels there. Sofia is also hot from what I could see from afar. I will definitely visit it again when the pandemic is over. I want to see Varna, Dobrich and many other cities.

Lovely show & good luck everyone! xcheer
 

WhoKnows

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Joined
May 8, 2011
Posts
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I was today years old when I learned Annie is Norwegian. I meant to suggest that song (or anything from the new album tbh) but I had assumed she was British.
 

Zorjan

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March 2, 2013
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Guatemala
What an amazing show !
I thought we'd be going to the Black Sea, but being December it makes perfect sense to head for mountains and snow :D
I've been to all the neighboring countries several times, but never to Bulgaria :cry: But when the borders open again, and I've got time, I definitely will go!
 

94ayd

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Joined
October 1, 2009
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Location
Bulgaria / Bulgarie / България
Many thanks to @Malagant for producing this intricate show that really blew my mind. The EBU would be lucky to have you on board for creating Eurovision shows, IMO.
As for why I chose the location, this is my boyfriend and Sofi Marinova's hometown and actually realised I, myself, spent last Christmas there, where I met my boyfriend's father for the first time and his mother for the second. And even though it ranks about 77th in terms of population, it really has a lot to offer nature- and culturewise.
 

Malagant

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FYI: Gabor is sadly leaving the FSC after this December-edition he has informed. His post has been moved to the FSC Member Roster thread where it belongs among other jury information and can be viewed there.
 

Malagant

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Thank you for your kind words, everyone - as always it gladdens me to see that my FSC Shows, which I put a lot of time and effort into, are appreciated and enjoyed by you all! xhug
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xlove
 

Malagant

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:no: For December 2020 Norway goes for cool and chill Synthwave rhythms! xup Performer of “American Cars”, and returning to the FSC for Norway after 7 years (and many years hiatus from music), is the talented and popular Norwegian Electro-pop artist, songwriter and DJ Annie. For more information and promotion of the entry (including lyrics in English) please check out the FSC Norway-thread and/or the FSC Promotions-thread! Hope you’ll enjoy it!

Good luck to all entries this month - Merry Christmas, everyone - and remember as always, stay healthy and safe!
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aardvark

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Johannesburg, South Africa
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The Evaluation period has passed, and you may now submit your votes; either by posting them in your Private Forums, or by sending them to me by PM.

Please be sure to do so before the Voting Deadline:

Monday, 28 December @23:59 CET

No late votes will be accepted after the deadline has expired.

Confirmed Votes:
 
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hawadharma

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Joined
March 1, 2010
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Location
Malaysia
Amazing show by @Malagant as usual xcheer
And the songs quality is incredible xlove everybody is saving the best for the last I guess :lol:
 

A-lister

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Joined
December 28, 2009
Posts
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This is the weirdest edition I have experienced in a very long time. Everybody decided at the same time to relax, take it eeeeeasy. Mika is proud of all of you. Only Netherlands did not get the memo.

Haha that is so funny and true, I was saying this during the LL that everything is so chilled in this edition.
 

Journalist

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September 19, 2017
Posts
2,056
Random TOP 21 by :ba: Bosnia and Herzegovina

  1. Malaysia
  2. Romania
  3. The Netherlands
  4. Sweden
  5. Turkey
  6. South Africa
  7. Denmark
  8. Austria
  9. Mexico
  10. Portugal
  11. Cyprus
  12. Norway
  13. UK
  14. Israel
  15. Lithuania
  16. Italy
  17. Latvia
  18. Ukraine
  19. Morocco
  20. Azerbaijan
  21. Serbia
Well done for all of you! This month is so good - great way to close this year! xrose
If someone has an advice how to vote and pick 10 songs from 21, contact my manager please. :unsure: :nervous:

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