00:00Whether in his native Bulgaria or at this concert in Belgrade, Serbia, Aziz, a Romani
00:13ethnic and an openly gay singer, is a superstar, cheered on by millions of fans.
00:19But how did he make it in a society where sexual and ethnic minorities are still widely
00:25discriminated against?
00:28Nature is a gift, but definitely my heights touch me, and my feeling for what a person
00:38likes, what he can dance to and what he can cry to.
00:43Vasil Bojanov, Aziz's real name, was born in a women's prison in 1978.
00:49But his rough start in life and people's prejudice against Roma haven't stopped him from following
00:55his dream.
00:56They don't see gypsies in us, they see the people who sang the best songs.
01:01And Aziz's songs have got millions of views on social media, despite this music genre
01:07with oriental influences, called Calga in Bulgaria or Turbofolk in Serbia, being largely
01:14criticized for its explicit lyrics and eccentric videos.
01:18Back in Bulgaria, studio shooting for the official video of a new song.
01:28Aziz opened up about his sexuality early in his career.
01:32Since then, he has been advocating for sexual and ethnic minorities.
01:49And still, he's everywhere.
01:52On TV shows, on the internet and on big stages at home and abroad.
01:57During a break from shooting the new video, Aziz remembers the words of his grandmother.
02:09But for Aziz, fame is not enough.
02:12He wishes he lived in a more open society, where people are not judged based on ethnicity
02:18or sexual identity.
02:43In the meantime, the new video has been released.
03:08Over two million views within just a few days.
03:11Through his music, Aziz hopes to prove again and again that being Roma and non-binary
03:18doesn't have to be an obstacle to success.
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