Bebi Dol

Dragana Todorović (née Šarić; Serbian Cyrillic: Драгана Шарић, [drǎɡana ʃǎːritɕ] or [ʃâritɕ]), known under the stage name Bebi Dol (Serbian Cyrillic: Беби Дол, [bêbi dôːl]), is a Serbian singer-songwriter and actress. She is recognised as one of the most prominent artists in the 1980s and is best known for representing SFR Yugoslavia on the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Brazil'.

Early and personal life

Dragana Šarić was born 2 October 1964 in Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia to father Milisav, military jazz musician, and mother Magdalena, who worked at the Television Belgrade. Due to her father's job, they moved to Copenhagen, Denmark when Dragana was only three months old, but eventually settled back in Belgrade during her school years. Under her father's influence, Šarić started playing piano from a young age and later gained early admission to Mokranjac Music School. She also graduate from a regular gymnasium and attended Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Belgrade.

During the 1980s, Šarić dated Croatian singer Massimo Savić, with whom she recorded duet 'Sunce sja, trava miriše' (Sun Shines, Grass Smells).

In 2015, she married American-born Serbian professor of philology and Russian language Aleks Todorović and has allegedly changed her name to Danica Todorović.

Career

Bebi Dol started her professional career as a member of the less-known band Trakus in the late seventies.

She made her first studio recordings as a guest vocalist on the album Vrt svetlosti (Garden of Light) by Igra Staklenih Perli, released in 1980. The following year Bebi formed short-lived band Annoda Rouge with her boyfriend Goran Vejvoda and guitarist Ivan Vdović, and also released her solo debut Oriental music-inspired single 'Mustafa', which she composed together with Saša Habić. In 1983, Šarić released her first solo album, Ruže i krv (Roses and Blood) under PGP-RTB. During the same year, Bebi also released the 12" single 'Rudi', which beside the title track (referring to Rudolph Valentino), also featured a cover of The Supremes song 'Baby Love'. She then spent two years performing in Sheraton hotel located in Cairo, Egypt. After returning to Yugoslavia, in 1986, Bebi released the 12" single 'How Good Not to Love'. She won the eminent MESAM music festival with 'Inšalah' (Insha'Allah), a satire on the position of women in Islam, which was later released on a split 7" single together with Zana Nimani's 'Ruža na dlanu' (Rose on the Palm). Šarić portrayed Ophelia in Hamlet played during 1987 in Titograd National Theatre. She also appeared on the 1988 MESAM Festival, performing 'Slatke suze ljubavi' (Sweet Tears of Love), and on the 1989 MESAM with 'Kad sreća odlazi' (When Happiness is Leaving), winning the Best Interpretation Award. In 1989, Bebi also performed at the Gold Malaysian Festival in Kuala Lumpur and collaborated with Neil Rolnick.

In 1991, after several previous attempts, she was finally chosen as the Yugoslavian entry for the Eurovision with the song 'Brazil' (Brasil). Bebi infamously took only one point for the evening and also became the very last artist to represent SFR Yugoslavia at the contest, as the country de facto ceased to exist later that year. Despite the results, the song acquired great popularity. Bebi also received invitation to perform at the Sanremo Music Festival, but was unable to attend due to political situation in Yugoslavia. After a four-year hiatus, she released her second album, Ritam srca (Rhythm of the Heart) in 1995. Bebi performed 'Ruža' (Rose) at the 1999 "Child of Tomorrow" charity concert held in Helsinki, alongside other musicians from around the world.

In 2002, Bebi Dol released her comeback album Ljuta sam... (I'm Angry...), dedicated to all the people she lost in her life. In December 2006, she dropped a cover album in English, titled Čovek rado izvan sebe živi (Man Gladly Lives outside Himself) through Mascom Records. In 2007, she released her first live album, Veče u pozorištu (An Evening in the Theatre), recorded on the concert held in February 2007 in Terazije Theatre. The album, beside the songs from her last album, features covers by Lenny Kravitz, Simon & Garfunkel, Pink Floyd, Louis Armstrong and Michael Jackson. In 2008, Šarić released compilation album '...Pokloni se...' (Take a Bow) and held a concert in November in Belgrade's Sava Centar.

In 2009, she appeared in the reality television show Farma and returned for its 2013 and 2015 seasons. In 2017, Bebi was a contestant in the fourth Serbian season of Your Face Sounds Familiar, winning the first episode as Emeli Sandé. The following year, she briefly participated in yet another reality series Zadruga and in November performed at 'Volim 80-te' (Love the 80s) concert in Sava Centar, alongside other popular performers from that decade.

Discography

Sources

• Janjatović, Petar. EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960–2006; ISBN 978-86-905317-1-4