About Grafa

VISIT http://www.bulgarianmusic.net http://pushmemulio.blog.com Name: Vladimir Ampov Artistic pseudonim: Grafa (The Count) Date of birth: 21st July 1978 Star sign: Cancer Debute in music: In 1988 with the song I`ve Been on This World for Whole Ten Years Now, followed by the hit Tangerines with which Grafa stays for more than six months in the National Television Chart "Music Wonderbox" Debute album: Small Rubber People - released on 29th November 1993 First vinyl maxi-single: Alright, Baby - released in the end of 1993 Second vinyl maxi-single: Jump in the river - released in the summer of 1994 by the Italian company "New Meal Power" and put into sales in Bulgaria and Italy On 21st July 1995 wins the Grand Prix at the festival "The Blue Pearl of Rovinj" in Croatia In 1996 he is invited as a starring guest at the festival in Croatia and again he wins an award for best stage performance Second album: "Fool`s Errand" - released in 1996 Third maxi-single: Emotion - released in 1997 and including four remixes of the song Fourth maxi-single: Hunger - released in 1998 Third album: Six is Better - including the hit Pachanga In 1999 he writes the music for the first Bulgarian electronic musical "Electric Shock" - a soundtrack is released Fifth maxi-single: Head - released in June 2000 and including the songs Head, The White Doves and The White Doves (boa mix) Fourth album: I Give Everything for You - released in November 2001, edited and co-produced by Joker Media. In December 2001 at the Annual Awards of the program MeloTVMania (Bulgarian National Television) Grafa wins the prize for Best Lyrics of the song I Give Everything for You At the Annual Awards of BG Radio (3rd March 2001) he is nominated in three categories - for Best Performer, Album (I Give Everything for You) and Lyrics, so he wins the prize for Best Lyrics Another recognition for his talent is the nomination for Best Performer at the 2001 edition of the Annual Music Awards of MM Television The song You Have Got stayed for three weeks at the first place in the Bulgarian Top 100 Chart In 2002 the single Sex for Money is released and it stays at the top of the Bulgarian Top 100 Chart for two weeks in a row. It also brings Grafa another nomination for Best Performer at the Annual Music Awards of MM Television In April 2003 the single I Want You is released and it stays at the top of the Bulgarian Top 100 for eight weeks in a row. In June 2003 the fifth multimedia album of Vladi Ampov-Grafa I Want You is released at the Bulgarian music market. The title song I Want You stays at the top of the Bulgarian Top 100 for seven weeks in a row. It also wins the prize for Bulgarian Song Lyrics and Grafa is awarded Best Bulgarian Performer at the 2003 edition of the Annual Awards of BG Radio. I Want You is awarded Album of the Year according to the music TV channel MM TV. Grafa is author of the music, arrangements and the lyrics of the title song in which he has used unique samples and beats made in his own studio. For the fans of the more vivid music he created a special remix-version of I Want You. The album also includes the hit Sex for Money and its remix featuring the rap-singer SLIM, as well as remix-versions of the hit You Have Got and the new song Until the End. In this album Grafa sings in English for the first time after a long break - the song I Donвt Love You is one of the strongest in the multimedia album. This song is the second single from I Want You and it`s featuring the rap-singer Spens who shares the starring role in Grafa`s video. The third single from I Want You is called Even If You Forgive. The tender ballade won the audience`s attention with the impressive black-and-white video based totally upon computer effects and animation In December 2004 the album If There`s Paradise is released. Besides the title song (which stays at the top of the national chart Bulgarian Top 100 for 14 weeks), it also includes 2 more new songs - Stolen Love - a duet of Grafa with Maria Ilieva, as well as the song I Love featuring Teodosi Spasov in the style of World Music. And especially for his fans Grafa has included in the album a bonus track with a black coffee mix version of the song If There`s Paradise. As usually the music, lyrics and arrangements of almost all the songs are made by Vladi Ampov, except for three songs (Loving Tears, Stolen Love and Sin) whose lyrics are written together with his famous father Kiril Ampov. For Grafa this album is the result of almost 10 years of work. Sin,the oldest ballade in the album, dates back to 1996. The album If There`s Paradise also includes: Even If You Forgive (2003), I Give Everything for You (2001), I Love (2004 - feat. Teodosi Spasov), You`re Going Away (new version - 2004), I Want You (2003), Loving Tears (1998), The White Doves (2000), Poisonous Arrows, As If You Were Besides Me (2003). The album If There`s Paradise and its title song brought Grafa the awards for Best Performer and Best Popsong at the 2004 edition of the Annual Music Awards of MM Television, as well as the awards for Best Lyrics and Best Album at the Annual Music Awards of BG Radio. In December 2004 A Sun in Your Eyes is released - the soundtrack of Magurdich Halvadjyan`s series "Sea-salt" broadcasted by Nova TV. February 2005 - premiere of the play "Rugby" by John Godber at the National Theatre, directed by Sunny Sunninsky and starring some of the most popular Bulgarian actors. Vladimir Ampov-Grafa is author of the music for this play. May 2005 - A Sun in Your Eyes is в1 at the Bulgarian Top 100 for the third week in a row In May 2005 the duet song of Grafa and Maria Ilieva is released. It is called Stolen Love and has got also an English version. The music and arrangement are made by Vladimir Ampov-Grafa and the lyrics - by Kiril Ampov. The video is directed by Valery Milev. This song will be included also in Maria Ilieva`s second album. Grafa writes songs for some of the most popular Bulgarian artists like Rushi Videnliev (the song Two-star Hotel which became в1 in the Bulgarian Top 100), Savina (Unique), Sophia (Lost Heart), Maria Ilieva (You`re Coming Towards Me).