Ovidiu Cernăuțeanu

Ovidiu " Ovi " Cernăuţeanu ( born August 23, 1974 in Botosani ) known also under the name Ovi Martin, Ovidiu Jacobsen, or Bill Martin, is a Romanian- Norwegian singer and composer. In 2010 he took together with singer Paula Seling for Romania part of the 55th Euro Vision Song Contest, where both occupied a third place.

Biography

Ovidiu Cernăuţeanu was born in the north- eastern Romania. As a child he liked the music and won at the age of 14 years, the Romanian singing competition Florile Dragostei. Then he gained experience in various bands, among other things together with his father and his former music teacher.

Early 1990s suggested illegal entry into Germany with a friend fails, with the Cernăuţeanu a demo tape was recorded. At the age of 18, he then traveled with his bandmates to Tokyo. After a year in Japan, he accepted a job offer to Norway, where he married and received the Norwegian nationality under the name Ovidiu Jacobsen. Inspired by Billy Joel he earned under the stage name Bill Martin a long time as a piano player in Norwegian and Danish bars his livelihood.

Later Cernăuţeanu published in Greenland together with the Danish music producer Morten Stjernholm with Nanu Disco a dance album. In 2006 he took the stage name Ovi Martin in the Norwegian preselection for the Euro Vision Song Contest in Athens in part, the Melodi Grand Prix. With the written English language song of Even Olsen The Better Side of Me but he dropped out in the preliminary round. In the same year, battered by his own admission a collaboration with the U.S. record producer Preston Glass.

Early February 2009, published Cernăuţeanu with This Gig Almost Got Me Killed his first album. A few weeks later he took part in a second time at the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix. With the texted and composed by Simone Larsen contribution Seven Seconds (the one with the same name worldwide hit 7 Seconds by Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry 1994 has nothing to do ) he got to the finals, but could in the victory of the later ESC winner Alexander Rybak not place in the top four. After another defeat at the Norwegian ESC decider Cernăuţeanu traveled to his native Romania, where he most well-known music festival " Goldener Hirsch " in Braşov participated in September 2009. There he took a third place and won the audience award. In Braşov Cernăuţeanu also met the Romanian singer Paula Seling, who acted as a judge at the event and had even participated several times in the past without success in the Romanian ESC preliminary decision. From acquaintance to a joint collaboration that resulted in the song Playing With Fire developed. With the written and composed by Cernăuţeanu English piano and singing number and he Seling occurred early March 2010 as a duo Paula Seling & Ovi the Romanian finals for the Euro Vision Song Contest in which Selecţia Naţională. The two were both decided by the jury and televoting for themselves and prevailed against 15 other candidates. Thus, they represented Romania at the 55th Euro Vision Song Contest on May 27, 2010 in Oslo in the second semi-final. They made ​​their way into the two days later held the final, where they finished behind Lena from Germany and the Turkish band maNga third place.

After winning the Romanian decider Cernăuţeanu and Seling began in late March 2010, a promotional tour that will both lead up to their ESC performance in Oslo including by Moldova, Belgium, Austria, Portugal and Greece. The music video for Playing With Fire originated in large part in the Romanian region of Transylvania.

2014 he is again represented along with Paula Seling Romania at ESC, this time with the song Miracle.

Ovidiu Cernăuţeanu is the father of two sons.

Discography

Albums

• This Gig Almost Got Me Killed (2009)