Main points
- Herman Nyonov, creative producer of the Ukrainian National Selection for Eurovision 2026, expressed his own opinion on Bulgaria's victory with the song Bangaranga, noting that it aptly reflects the modern cultural context.
- He explained that the production is reminiscent of MTV EMA or Brit Awards performances and uses the latest technical solutions, including ALEXA film cameras, which made it fresh against the background of other performances.
Herman Nenov, Dara / Collage of Channel 24
The creative producer of the Ukrainian National Selection for Eurovision-2026, Herman Nyonov, spoke about Bulgaria's victory at the 70th Song Contest, which was recently held in Vienna.
Nyonov shared his own opinion about the song Bangaranga and the production in an interview with “Korotko pro”.
German Nenov noted that in order to win Eurovision, one needs to clearly feel the modern context and get into it, which is what the Bulgarian representative Dara managed to do.
And in this case, Bangaranga – both as a song, as a performance, and as an artistic charisma – absolutely hit the mark in this context and deservedly won,
– he thinks.
The creative producer said that the track and production of Bangaranga could be called a TikTok trend, but added that “it is also part of the contemporary cultural context.”
I do not consider this performance superficial, because in fact it contains no less meaning than many, at first glance, “serious” productions, and sometimes even more,
– shared Nenov.
Herman claims that Dara's number is about all of us.
Everyone can recognize themselves in it: we all have a little bit of a “nervous tic”, but at the same time we continue to dance and live this life. If you watch it several times, you can find many associative metaphors that work very precisely,
– added the creative producer.
Nenov explained that the number was created “not according to the classic Eurovision canons,” but “reminiscent of performances at the level of MTV EMA or Brit Awards.”
It had a partly clip-like structure combined with the first use of ALEXA cinema cameras in the television broadcast of the competition. This directorial decision, reinforced by the technical part, looked very fresh in terms of visual trends and was a breath of air in the nostalgic vinaigrette of the top ten performances,
– says Herman.
According to the creative producer, the performance was light and at the same time filled with a lot of meanings and visual triggers, in particular, at the beginning of the number, viewers saw an inverted picture.
It was because of the combination of such decisions that this number won. I think an important factor was the popularity of Balkan motifs in Europe. This sound resonates well with the audience, it often becomes the basis of tracks that gather dance floors. So, in addition to the conceptual and stage parts, there is, of course, also a musical basis,
– concluded Nenov.
Dara – Bangaranga: watch the video online
By the way, the MUZVAR portal previously reported that three Ukrainian artists, including Nicholas Chobb, worked on the Bulgarian representative's number. He was a creative advisor, meaning the production team turned to him for creative assessment and recommendations regarding the performance.
Participated in developing the appearance and functionality of the main decoration of the number together with the Ukrainian production designer, as well as in creating video content for LED screens,
– said Nicholas Chobb.
What is known about Dara?
Dara is one of Bulgaria's most successful pop singers. The singer shapes the image of modern Bulgarian pop music thanks to her unique voice, powerful stage energy, and bold mixing of genres.
The real name of the winner of Eurovision 2026 is Darina Nikolaeva Yotova. She became famous in 2015 when she reached the final of the Bulgarian talent show “X-Factor”, where she took third place.
Later, Dara signed a contract with the Virginia Records label, her debut song was called K'vo ne chu, which took first place in the Bulgarian charts a few days after its premiere.
The artist took third place in the final of the television show Kato dve kapki voda. Since 2021, she has been a coach on the show “The Voice of Bulgaria”, and in 2022, one of her wards won.
Dara's songs and videos have already garnered over 80 million streams and views. In 2025, she released the album ADHDARA, which became her most personal project.