| A VICTORY FOR COSTEL BUSUIOC 13/03/2008 |
| (2008-03-13) |
| Last updated: 2008-03-14 15:23 EET |
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After having provided Spain with cheap workforce for years, on Wednesday Romania delivered the country with a superstar.
Romanian Costel Busuioc, aged 33, won the final of the music contest “Hijos de Babel”, “The children of Babel”, organised by the Spanish public television for immigrants in Spain. After 8 weeks of artistic battle, in which Costel always ranked first, he qualified, along another two contenders, for the final, where he sang a fragment from “Traviata” by Verdi, and “Nesun Dorma”, by Puccini. With the help of the audience, which gave him a 10, the Spanish jury had no choice but declare Costel the winner of the contest. Following this victory, the young man, whom the Romanian media already calls Don Costel, announced he would like to settle in Spain for good, as a token of gratitude to the country that helped him so much.
As winner of the final, Costel will get a record deal with the label SONY BMG, which will produce and promote his first album. He’ll also have the chance to work with some of Spain’s best voice coaches. Previously, the famous label had signed a pre-contract with Costel, thus acknowledging his extraordinary talent. Rather belatedly, the National Music University in Bucharest also recognised Costel’s talent, offering him a scholarship. Previously, Costel Busuioc had turned down another offer, to study at the Vienna Opera. Why? Because he didn’t have the money to provide for his wife and children. “My family comes first”, said Costel at the end of the show. As a young man in Romania, “the Pavarotti from Banat”, as his friends call him, used to tend sheep and wash train carriages; he then went to Spain to work to obtain a decent standard of living for his family. There he worked on a construction site, until his friends, fascinated by his voice, convinced him to participate in the contest organised by RTVE, which eventually made him famous.
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2025-04-03
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