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VIENNA (AP) — Bulgarian singer Dara won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday with her infectious party anthem “Bangaranga,” giving the southeast European country its first-ever victory in the competition.
Israeli competitor Noam Bettan came second after a contest in Vienna clouded by protests and a boycott over the country’s participation.
Dara beat 24 other competitors during Saturday’s grand final of the sequin-drenched pop music competition. The song’s infectious beats and tightly choreographed dance routine proved a hit with both national juries in participating countries and viewers around the world, whose votes together decide the winner.
“This is unbelievable,” Dara said at a post-show news conference. “I don’t even know what’s going on right now.”
She thanked “everyone who felt the bangaranga and felt connected to the force.”
The 27-year-old performer is an established name in her homeland and a mentor on “The Voice Bulgaria,” but had not been among the favorites to win. Still, “Bangaranga” is the sort of pop banger that Eurovision does so well, with its irresistible exhortation: “Surrender to the blindin...
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