The Bulgarian pop singer DARA became the hero of the Hungarian television show “Sztárban Sztár“, the local version of the format “Like Two Drops of Water“. In the second live broadcast of the show, the Hungarian singer Adam Sofi entered the image of Darina Yotova and performed the song “Banagaranga“.
The imitation turned out to be one of the great moments of the evening. Adam Sofi received the maximum 40 points from the jury, and after the end of the performance, the four evaluators applauded her on their feet. Ultimately, it was her portrayal of DARA that brought the singer victory in the episode and a direct qualification for the next show.
The Hungarian media paid special attention to the performance. Index described the performance as impressive not only vocally, but also because of the way Adam Sofi recreated the stage behavior, facial expressions and choreography of the Bulgarian star.
The jury also emphasized the difficulty of the task. According to actress and TV presenter Claudia Liptai, Sofi had to simultaneously cope with the more lyrical vocal moments and the more playful side of the character, without the performance turning into a parody. Musician Sabi Pap, for his part, notes the characteristic ease, expressions and movements with which the singer has recreated DARA.
Adam Sofi trained specifically for the DARA song
Preparing for “Bagaranga“ proved to be a serious physical challenge. Even before the show, Adam Sofi admits that the number requires good endurance and breath control due to the combination of singing and dynamic choreography.
The Hungarian singer even started running while talking on the phone to improve her endurance. She also cut down on smoking and stopped drinking alcohol completely during the preparation period for “Sztárban Sztár“.
For Adam Sofi, winning with the image of DARA is her second consecutive strong performance on the show. In the first live show, she transformed into British singer Amy Winehouse and again received the maximum 40 points from the jury.
Adam Sofi has been known to the Hungarian audience since her teenage years. At the age of 14, she participated in the local “X-Faktor“, and later developed a musical career under the stage name Sofi.
The participation of the image of DARA in “Sztárban Sztár“ is also interesting for another reason. Darina Yotova herself has experience with this television format. The Bulgarian singer took part in “Like Two Drops of Water“, where she had to transform into various world-class performers.
This time the roles were reversed: DARA became the star that another artist had to study and recreate on stage. And the result in Hungary was a maximum score from the jury, a standing ovation and a victory for the evening.