Moldovan singer-songwriter Sasha Bognibov is best known for his annual entries in Moldova’s national selection O melodie pentru Europa (17 songs to date), but lately attention has been on him from another corner of Europe. Sasha recently auditioned for X-Factor Ukraine – and the judges weren’t too impressed with his performance of “My Lesbian Girl”.

The Moldovan artist was introduced with a video segment, including the controversy around his older songs, but Sasha also spoke of his admiration for Michael Jackson.

The Hard Kiss' Yulia Sanina: confused by the Lesbian Girl
The Hard Kiss’ Yulia Sanina: confused by the Lesbian Girl

The ‘Everlasting Boy’ walked on stage and immediately the three judges — Hardkiss singer Yulia Sanina, Quest Pistols singer Anton Savlepov and Ukraine’s national final producer Konstantin Meladze (fourth judge Andriy Danylko aka Verka Serduchka was absent) — didn’t seem impressed by him.

Sasha performed his song “My Lesbian Girl”, which had been his entry in Moldova’s O melodie pentru Europa in 2013. Sasha considers it to be a positive song in support of the LGBT community. During the performance the show cut to shots of the audience who seemed shocked by the tale of a man in love with a gay woman.

The judges weren’t happy, and wanted Sasha to leave the stage. He refused, resulting in judge Anton and two security guards escorting Sasha off. So much drama!

Was the audition really that bad?

Judge Anton took Sasha's microphone
Judge Anton Savlepov took Sasha’s microphone

We reached out to Sasha Bognibov to get his side of the story and discovered it was the usual case of an X-Factor audition tweaked for added drama. “Everything was cut in such a way that it differs from reality,” he told us.

Sasha also suspects that the direction of the audition had been determined before he even sang. He observed, “it was clear that they had sheets of paper with the instructions, and somebody talked to them before my appearance.”

Despite the shocked reaction shown on camera, Sasha says in reality the studio audience reacted well. After the episode screened, he received some criticism, but many people have been supportive and are defending him.

But the most important question is will Sasha participate in O melodie pentru Europa 2017? He says he will try to, and also has his sights set on Romania (well…) and other countries, where possible.

It doesn’t really feel like Eurovision season has started until we hear the new song from Sasha Bognibov, so let’s hope he gets creating soon.

Sasha Bognibov auditions on X-Factor Ukraine

Update:

Sasha Bognibov has given us more details of his X-Factor experience:

“I would like to add that before my performance I had been going to X-factor by bus for 11 hours, then it took me an hour and a half to reach the destination in Kiev, and I also spent about 6 hours waiting for the invitation to the stage. When I came to the stage, Yulia met me with the words “Oh, my God, horrible! Why are your eyes red?” I didn’t even manage to approach the X sign and say hello. But, as you can see, my eyes weren’t red. Of course, they cut everything. By the way, in that show the voice is recorded separately as well, so it’s very easy to make it sound better or worse. And they made me sound worse besides all the dirty tricks.”

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pinzdesign
pinzdesign
7 years ago

+Sasha Bognibov
you sound bad even on your own records on youtube, and trying to get attention with lgbt oppresion is just getting old, noone is biting on it anymore.

pinzdesign
pinzdesign
7 years ago

+Robyn Gallagher

It would be radical move 30 years ago. Trying to push through cheap, cheasy, cringe-inducing trash with repressed lgbt rights is getting old too by now.

The audition was somewhat pre-staged i agree, like f.ex. they just went straight ahead with provocating questions, but it’s just for not wasting time on him.

pinzdesign
pinzdesign
7 years ago

Are you kidding me so much flame around a cheap pretender o.o

His “singing” is atrocious, he’s unbelievably obnoxious and tries to ride out repressed minorities wave

lalala
lalala
7 years ago

This song is awful, this guy is talentless, why people must pretend they like it? Just because this horrible song is about lesbian girl?? Nobody hates gay people in Ukraine, we absolutely don’t care about someone’s personal life, and all people here have same rights. Some talentless gay treated same way as some talentless straight would, what is the problem here?

Sasha Bognibov
7 years ago

The song “I Love the Girls of 13 Years Old” wasn’t disqualified. I wrote the song when I was 14. It is dedicated to all the teenage girls (not only 13-year-old girls) and all the kind people who want to remain forever young. I chose 13, because it is considered to be the beginning of adolescence, and my artistic role is Everlasting Boy- a teenage boy who remains forever young. This song is not about pedophilia or having sex with 13-year-old girls. Please, don’t treat it like that and try to reflect deeper on its real meaning!?

tylos
tylos
7 years ago

Pollaski: “0:55 “I Love The Girl of 13 Years Old” Someone PLEASE tell me that’s just a very very bad translation of something…”
Nope. It is as bad as it sounds. Once the EBU heard about it, the song was disqualified. The creep belongs at the bottom of a lake.

Charles
Charles
7 years ago

If only he actually had any talent and if that song was actually any good … what is the point of trying to send a LGBT message during a TV show, raise eyebrows that leave many disturbed, be part of this whole TV staged drama … if what you have to offer shows no true talent nor musiccraft? What are we really supporting here? The LGBT part of the whole thing? Or the musician that clearly he is not? A shock value fame-hunting kinda of person?

mocosuburbian
mocosuburbian
7 years ago

uh yeah i wouldn’t cheer this just because it’s somehow a pro-lgbt moment
it’s just not good enough to warrant that

esc1234
esc1234
7 years ago

@anescfan ohh yes, but thats not the case definitely :p

an esc fan
an esc fan
7 years ago

I hate talent shows because sometimes, the participants are more talented than the jury, and is true that the jury feels envy. Even if many participants don’t have talent, the jury is obnoxious, jurors really don’t like to see somebody younger and more talented than them. I would respect talent shows if the jurors were real professors from conservatory, persons without ambitions to be stars. But, of course we will not see that, because is a show, and jurors must say things to make the audience laugh or cry. It is not really about music.

Pollaski
Pollaski
7 years ago

0:55 “I Love The Girl of 13 Years Old”

Someone PLEASE tell me that’s just a very very bad translation of something…

As for the performance, it was irritating and heavy handed. It does nothing for LGBT rights in Ukraine, simply gives this ‘singer’ a shock-value pop and more time in the spotlight than someone of his questionable talent deserves.

Sasha Bognibov
7 years ago

Don’t forget that before my performance I had been going to X-factor by bus for 11 hours, then it took me an hour and a half to reach the destination in Kiev, and I also spent about 6 hours waiting for the invitation to the stage. When I came to the stage, Yulia met me with the words “Oh, my God, horrible! Why are your eyes red?” I didn’t even manage to approach the X sign and say hello. But, as you can see, my eyes weren’t red. Of course, they cut everything. By the way, in that show the… Read more »

Alex M
Alex M
7 years ago

This guys is crazy. You need to speak russian to be able to understand how crazy he is.
“He (the judge) got angry because he saw me as a serious competitor. Also I’m a lot cuter that he is.”

esc1234
esc1234
7 years ago

well he is creepy and his voice is bad, so even if he was on the british x factor he would deserve the same treatment. Also, a man being in love with a crazy lesbian, is a funny song title. Pleease…

The Erised
The Erised
7 years ago
LGBT
LGBT
7 years ago

He wasn’t good. His voice is weak and he made me feel ashamed of who i am. He isn’t good representer. I’m feeling sad..

an esc fan
an esc fan
7 years ago

If he is not talented, you tell him NO, you don’t escort him off.
Similar situation at X Factor Romania.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgMbqJZ8uw0

Asslf
Asslf
7 years ago

Evaluated terrible vocals and voice, in addition, Yulia says, “I have nothing against gays, lesbians, everyone chooses how to live. You do not talk about equality, you’re just in the song raped poor lesbian” When he began to compare their song and Yulia songs. Then Julia spoke about his song “I Love the Girls of 13 Years Old”, and Konstantin said they were for any tolerance, except that which is contrary to the Criminal Code

Polegend Godgarina
Polegend Godgarina
7 years ago

Whew @ the people in the comments LASHING those unprofessional jurors. If they don’t want LGBT propaganda (or, as they call it, a “violent song”) they might as well move to their neighbor country that they pretend to hate.

khm
khm
7 years ago

You couldn’t even listen the perfomance because he sung terrible! If I were a member of that jury, I would’ve say NO.