Ludmilla Diakovska
Encyclopedia
Ludmilla "Lucy" Diakovska (born 2 April 1976) is a Bulgarian singer-songwriter
, music producer, dancer, stage actress and television personality, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female
pop band No Angels
, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date
," according to the German media
.
After a series of commercially successful releases with the group, Diakovska released two singles and her solo album Lucylicious under her same-titled stage name in 2005. In 2008, she became part of the jury on reality shows Music Idol
and Starmania
, the Bulgarian and Austrian version of the Idol series
respectively.
At the age of six she got her first stage performance at a local opera house and in the following years she trained herself in singing and dancing. After her high school graduation in 1994 Diakovska decided to move to Germany to get trained at the Stage School of Music, Dance and Drama in Hamburg
. At the same time she worked as a dancer for the musical "Buddy
", where she even got hold of a recurring role a little later.
. She entered the competition with thousands of other women, and the judges, Simone Angel
, Rainer Moslener and Mario M. Mendryzcki, were impressed with her performance in Hamburg
. She earned a position in the top thirty finalists and immediately travelled to Majorca, Spain
to join her competitors for a workshop there. In the end Diakovska made it to the final ten on the show, and during a special episode in November 2000, jury member Moslener disclosed that she was chosen to become part of the final girl group No Angels.
With the final five members of the band in place, Popstars continued tracking the development and struggles of the group who left homes to move into a shared flat near Munich
, Bavaria
. However, it took another four months until the band released their debut single "Daylight in Your Eyes
," which would subsequently appear on the band's debut album Elle'ments
(2001). Both the single and the album became an unexpected but record-breaking success, when both instantly entered the top position on the Austrian, German and Swiss Media Control
singles, albums and airplay charts, making the No Angels one of the most successful debuts in years.
In the following years the No Angels released another two number-one studio albums, Now ... Us!
and Pure
, a live album and a successful swing
album branded When the Angels Swing
, totalling twelve singles altogether - including four-number one singles. Eventually selling more than five million singles and albums worldwide, the No Angels became the best-selling German girl band
to date and the most successful girl group of Continental Europe
between the years of 2001 and 2003. On 5 September 2003, the four remaining members of the band (Jessica Wahls
had left the band following the birth of her first child in February 2003) announced that they would no longer be performing together after three years of continual touring and increasing cases of illness. The release of The Best of No Angels
in November of the same year marked the end of the band, with each member going their separate ways in early 2004.
Lucy joined again No Angels who made a powerful revival. In March 2008 they were selected to represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
finals in Belgrade
in May. This is an honour for Lucy. She, however, was not the first Bulgarian to represent Germany in the Eurovision finals. In 1964 this was done by Nora Nova
.
and Jekyll & Hyde
once again. In meantime, she founded her own label Schmanky Records and released three singles and the album The Other Side under her pseudonym Lucylicious. Since then she has been guest in several music and game shows on TV, including a recurring function as a member of the jury in the karaoke
show Shibuya.
In 2008, Lucy was on the jury of the Bulgarian Music Idol
.
contestant Juliette Schoppmann
, and although she dodged media questions about her sexual orientation and the relationship during this period, a short relationship with a Berlin
model called Marie confirmed foregone rumors in 2007.
In 2008, Diakovska ended her relationship with Bulgarian fashion design
er Bojidara Bakalova.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, music producer, dancer, stage actress and television personality, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
pop band No Angels
No Angels
The No Angels are an all-female pop trio from Germany, consisting of band members Lucy Diakovska, Sandy Mölling, and Jessica Wahls. Critically acclaimed, the band has won dozen of awards and prizes since their establishment in the early 2000s, including three ECHOs, a World Music Awards, a NRJ...
, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
," according to the German media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
.
After a series of commercially successful releases with the group, Diakovska released two singles and her solo album Lucylicious under her same-titled stage name in 2005. In 2008, she became part of the jury on reality shows Music Idol
Music Idol
Music Idol is the Bulgarian version of the British television hit show Pop Idol. It is a talent contest to determine the superior pop performer and its first season was aired on bTV from February 26 until June 7, 2007. During its third season, the show went international and auditions took place in...
and Starmania
Starmania (TV series)
Starmania is an Austrian casting show, a talent show for would-be pop stars. It is broadcast on the Austrian TV channel "ORF 1".Despite striking similarities, Starmania is not a licensed version of the Idols format distributed by FremantleMedia. Attempts to export the format to Germany failed due...
, the Bulgarian and Austrian version of the Idol series
Idol series
The British talent search television series Pop Idol has spawned spin-offs in 42 territories, in what is now referred to as the "Idols" format, as described by FremantleMedia...
respectively.
Early life
Diakovska is the oldest child of Lubomir Diakovski, an opera singer, and Rositza Diakovska, a pianist. Her younger brother named Alexander (b. 1982) is a professional basketball player. Her grandfather is a famous Bulgarian folk composer.At the age of six she got her first stage performance at a local opera house and in the following years she trained herself in singing and dancing. After her high school graduation in 1994 Diakovska decided to move to Germany to get trained at the Stage School of Music, Dance and Drama in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. At the same time she worked as a dancer for the musical "Buddy
Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story
Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is a jukebox musical in two acts with a book written by Alan Janes, and music and lyrics by a variety of songwriters. Based on the life and career of early rock and roller Buddy Holly, the musical hews closer to Holly's actual life story than the 1978 film version...
", where she even got hold of a recurring role a little later.
No Angels
Encouraged to chance her luck in the professional music business, Diakovska decided to audition for the 2000 debut of the German reality television program PopstarsPopstars
Popstars is an international reality television franchise and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
. She entered the competition with thousands of other women, and the judges, Simone Angel
Simone Angel
Simone Angel is a Dutch TV host.-MTV:Born in Woerden, Angel moved from there to London, England when she was 18. Here she was hired by MTV Europe, becoming the youngest VJ and, after working for nine years, she also became one of the longest serving VJs for MTV...
, Rainer Moslener and Mario M. Mendryzcki, were impressed with her performance in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. She earned a position in the top thirty finalists and immediately travelled to Majorca, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to join her competitors for a workshop there. In the end Diakovska made it to the final ten on the show, and during a special episode in November 2000, jury member Moslener disclosed that she was chosen to become part of the final girl group No Angels.
With the final five members of the band in place, Popstars continued tracking the development and struggles of the group who left homes to move into a shared flat near Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. However, it took another four months until the band released their debut single "Daylight in Your Eyes
Daylight in Your Eyes
"Daylight in Your Eyes" is a dance-pop song written by American musicians Tony Bruno and Tommy Byrnes. Originally composed for Colombian singer Victoria Faiella's debut album Drama , it was re-recorded by German pop band No Angels' for their 2001 first studio album Elle'ments, following their...
," which would subsequently appear on the band's debut album Elle'ments
Elle'ments
Special Winter Edition-Credits and personnel:* Laszlo Bencker - various* Thorsten Brötzmann - keyboards* Nico Fintzen - keyboards* Stefan Hansen - keyboards* Tony Laketos - sax* Ralf Lübke - guitar* Lesli Mandoki - various* Ossi Schaller - guitar...
(2001). Both the single and the album became an unexpected but record-breaking success, when both instantly entered the top position on the Austrian, German and Swiss Media Control
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
singles, albums and airplay charts, making the No Angels one of the most successful debuts in years.
In the following years the No Angels released another two number-one studio albums, Now ... Us!
Now ... Us!
Now ... Us! is the second studio album by German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor subsidiary Cheyenne Records on June 24, 2002 in German speaking Europe...
and Pure
Pure (No Angels album)
Limited edition bonus CD-Credits and personnel:* Thomas Blug - guitar* Thorsten Brötzmann - keyboards* Alan Darby - acoustic guitar, electric guitar* Flo Daunber - drums* Stefan Hansen - keyboards* Clemens Heger - bass* Jeo - keyboards...
, a live album and a successful swing
Swing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
album branded When the Angels Swing
When the Angels Swing
When the Angels Swing is a swing album by German pop group No Angels, released by Polydor's sublabel Cheyenne Recordson on November 29, 2002. While the album failed to chart on the Swiss albums chart, it managed to peaked at number 9 in Germany and number 22 in Austria. Primarily produced and...
, totalling twelve singles altogether - including four-number one singles. Eventually selling more than five million singles and albums worldwide, the No Angels became the best-selling German girl band
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
to date and the most successful girl group of Continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
between the years of 2001 and 2003. On 5 September 2003, the four remaining members of the band (Jessica Wahls
Jessica Wahls
Jessica Martina Wahls , also known under her nickname Jess, is a German pop singer, songwriter and television host, who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the successful all-female pop band No Angels, the "biggest-selling German girlband to date," according to the German media.-Early...
had left the band following the birth of her first child in February 2003) announced that they would no longer be performing together after three years of continual touring and increasing cases of illness. The release of The Best of No Angels
The Best of No Angels
- Charts :...
in November of the same year marked the end of the band, with each member going their separate ways in early 2004.
Lucy joined again No Angels who made a powerful revival. In March 2008 they were selected to represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
finals in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
in May. This is an honour for Lucy. She, however, was not the first Bulgarian to represent Germany in the Eurovision finals. In 1964 this was done by Nora Nova
Nora Nova
Nora Nova is a Bulgarian-born singer. She was the first Bulgarian to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 1964, although she then represented West Germany....
.
Solo music artist
Following the disbandment Diakovska returned to musical stages, performing in CatsCats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
and Jekyll & Hyde
Jekyll & Hyde (musical)
Jekyll & Hyde is a musical based on the novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The original stage conception was by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn. The music is by Wildhorn and the lyrics and book are by Leslie Bricusse.The musical ran on Broadway for 1,543...
once again. In meantime, she founded her own label Schmanky Records and released three singles and the album The Other Side under her pseudonym Lucylicious. Since then she has been guest in several music and game shows on TV, including a recurring function as a member of the jury in the karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
show Shibuya.
In 2008, Lucy was on the jury of the Bulgarian Music Idol
Music Idol
Music Idol is the Bulgarian version of the British television hit show Pop Idol. It is a talent contest to determine the superior pop performer and its first season was aired on bTV from February 26 until June 7, 2007. During its third season, the show went international and auditions took place in...
.
Personal life
Diakovska is bisexual. From 2005 to 2006, she dated singer and former Deutschland sucht den SuperstarDeutschland sucht den Superstar
Deutschland sucht den Superstar is a German reality talent show, also commonly known by its initials DSDS. Part of the Idol franchise, it was created by English media mogul Simon Fuller as a spin-off from the British show Pop Idol, of which two series were broadcast between the years of 2001 and...
contestant Juliette Schoppmann
Juliette Schoppmann
Juliette Schoppmann is a German singer, who came to fame as the runner-up of the first season of the television show Deutschland sucht den SuperStar, the German version of American/Pop Idol....
, and although she dodged media questions about her sexual orientation and the relationship during this period, a short relationship with a Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
model called Marie confirmed foregone rumors in 2007.
In 2008, Diakovska ended her relationship with Bulgarian fashion design
Fashion design
Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories....
er Bojidara Bakalova.
Singles
- 2004: "Where" #60 GER
- 2005: "The Other Side" #68 GER
- 2005: "Misunderstood" (digital release)