Sofia Rol
Sofia Rol will represent Ukraine in the 2016 Junior Eurovision Song Contest with the song Planet Craves for Love.Sofia was born on 13th August 2002 in Kyiv, Ukraine. When she was four Sofia started attending the Ukrainian Song and Dance Ensemble, Zerniatko. The following year she attended the Sunflower Show Group, Soniakh, at the Kids and Youth Creativity House in Ukraine.
In 2008 she started working over her first album, Sofia Rol – for the Children of Ukraine which featured songs written by Iryna Kyrylina. The album also included karaoke versions of the songs and was released internationally in November 2009 and became popular with the Ukrainian diaspora.
Despite her young age Sofia already has a wealth of experience at performing at concerts and festivals and has won many prizes. In 2008 she won an award at Sim-Sim Festival in Kyiv and in December that year and in May 2009 she won the Sim-Sim Grand Prize. In June 2009 she won two awards, Popular Vocals and most popular Ukrainian Song at the Zorianyi Symeiiz (Starry Symeiiz) Festival in Yalta. She also won the audience choice award. In 2013 Sofia participated in the same festival, Zorianyi Symeiiz, winning first prize.
In October 2009 Sofia won the Grand Prize at the XIII all-Ukrainian Art Festival of Children and Youth called Funny Autumn Holidays – 2009 held in Kyiv. In 2010 Sofia took part in the television contests Krok Do Zirok (Step to the Stars), Nashchadky (Future Generations) Kumyry Ta Kumyrchyky (Big and Little Idols), Pisennyi Vernisazh (Song Vernissage).
In 2014 Sofia finished first in the Kyiv Art Time Contest and also participated in the Ukrainian national selection for Junior Eurovision. In 2015 she represented Ukraine at the Junior Sanremo Music Festival.
In addition to singing Sofia enjoys swimming, dance and acting classes and spending time with her friends and family. She especially loves the Ukrainian Carpathian region and enjoys visiting this part of her country on religious holidays when the whole family gets together. Sofia is proud of her cultural heritage and Ukrainian language and literature are her favourite subjects at school.
About the composers
Ruslan Kvinta is a Ukrainian composer and music producer. He has written several hits for Ukrainian artists and has written more than 800 songs in total. Outside of the world of music he has a follower of Eastern spiritual practices and is also a parachute jumper having made 968 jumps to date!
Working closely with Vitalii Kurovskyi, Ruslan has written almost 30 songs from Ukrainian singer Sofia Rotaru, as well as jointly composed songs for Iryna Bilyk, Nikolai Baskov, Mika Newton and Ani Lorak. He wrote Ukraine's entry in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest, Angel, performed by Mika Newton which finished fourth.
Ruslan also composes music for advertisements. films and TV series such as Zhizn vrasplokh (Life Unawares), Kadetstvo (Cadetship), and A Lechu (I Fly). In 2015, he took part in the Ukrainian YUNA Music Awards and took first place in the nomination of best composer.
Vitalii Kurovkyi is a Ukrainian poet and producer. He has collaborated with artists such as Alla Pugachova, Sofia Rotaru, Nikolai Baskov, Taiisiia Povalii and Iryna Bilyk. He is the lyricist of Ukraine's entry in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest, Angel, performed by Mika Newton. Working closely with Ruslan Kvinta, his popular works include Odna Kalyna (A Snowball Tree) performed by Sofia Rotaru and Liubov – yad (Love is a Poison) performed by Iryna Bilyk. Over 60 music videos have been his songs.
Apart from writing poems, Vitalii is a football fan and even plays for a team of the Ukrainian show-business celebrities.
Sandra Bjurman is a well-known Swedish vocalist and an internationally successful songwriter. She has written for artists like Rob’n’Raz, Rednex, Nightwish, Maverick as well as Azerbaijan’s participant at the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest,Safura. The song Drip Drop, co-written with Sandra’s close partners Stefan Цrn and Anders Bagge finished in fifth place.
Sandra's greatest success so far is the song Running Scared performed by the duo Ell and Nikki, written together with Stefan Orn and Iain Farquharson which won the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest for Azerbaijan.