Mariana Popova

Mariana Popova was born on 6 June 1978 in Sofia, Bulgaria. She showed an early talent for music, studying singing from the age of 11 and also training in modern and jazz ballet. Popova attended a specialized music high school and later earned a degree in Pop and Jazz Singing from New Bulgarian University in Sofia. In the late 1990s, she began her career as the lead vocalist of the band Cocomania (1996–2000), which gained popularity with songs like “Ti ne doide” (“You Didn’t Come”). As a solo artist, Popova released a string of singles such as “You Didn’t Come,” “I Said,” “We Can Do It Again,” and “There Isn’t Anything” in the early 2000s. She also achieved recognition on the Bulgarian festival circuit: her duet songs “After” and “Dream About Me” (with composer Dani Milev) won top prizes at the Burgas and the Sea music festival in 2004 and 2005. These early successes established Popova as a rising figure in Bulgaria’s pop scene. In 2005, she participated in the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Az Znam”, along with Vasil Naidenov, Roberta and Orlin Goranov.

In early 2006, Popova entered Bulgaria’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. She triumphed in the competition with the power ballad “Let Me Cry,” written by Elina Gavrilova and composed by Dani Milev. This victory earned Popova the chance to represent Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens. She performed “Let Me Cry” during the semi-final on 18 May 2006, accompanied on stage by renowned Bulgarian pop-folk singer Azis as a backing vocalist. Despite a strong performance, the entry did not advance to the final. 

After Eurovision, Popova continued to record and perform. In 2008, she released her debut solo album, “New Religion,” featuring 11 tracks that blended pop with diverse musical influences.The album included a cover of Pasha Hristova’s classic “Ostani,” a Latin-inspired duet with Orlin Goranov (featuring Spanish percussionist Pablo Cruz), and the English ballad “Let Me Cry”. Popova also experimented with world music elements, singing a fado-style song and performing a duet with Miro from the duo Karizma that mixed Bulgarian and Hebrew lyrics. The following year, she attempted to return to Eurovision: Popova competed in the Bulgarian national selection of 2009 with an upbeat song titled “Crazy,” finishing in third place in the final.

In 2011, Popova released a second studio album, “Preday natatък” (meaning “Pass It On”), which consisted entirely of duets with other artists. The album showcased her versatility and collaborative spirit, featuring songs with some of Bulgaria’s best-known singers, including Orlin Goranov (their duet “Chui me”/“Listen to Me” earned acclaim) and pop veterans like Vasil Naydenov, Doni, Miro, Iskren Petsov, and Vasil Petrov.That same year, Popova joined the television talent show The Voice of Bulgaria as one of the coaches on its first season. Her mentorship proved successful – the winner of the 2011 season, Steliyana Hristova, was a contestant on Popova’s team. 

Popova remained active in the entertainment industry throughout the 2010s. In September 2012, she became a participant on VIP Brother, the celebrity edition of the Big Brother reality show in Bulgaria. After the show, Popova largely focused on her music and family life, occasionally releasing new singles.

In August 2021, after a brief hiatus from album projects, she released her third studio album titled “Istina” (“Truth”). This album marked her return to the recording studio and included contemporary pop songs, as well as a duet with actor Veselin Plachkov (Popova’s partner) on the track “V nyakoy drug zhivot”. The following year, in 2022, Popova took part in the 10th season of the Bulgarian TV show “Kato dve kapki voda” (“Like Two Drops of Water”), a popular celebrity singing impersonation contest. 

Throughout her career, Mariana Popova has been recognized for her soulful voice and stage presence. She has collaborated with many prominent Bulgarian musicians and has been nominated multiple times for Bulgarian music awards.