“The nightingale of Dobrudja” – that’s how the great folk singer Verka Siderova is known, who turns 98 today /April 26, 2024/.
With her beautiful voice, she spread to the world the iconic songs of her native land “Are you a tulip, are you a hyacinth”; “The Moon Has Risen”; “Dewy, dewy, green dewy”, “Sitno se ‘oro zavi”, “Years, years, hard years”.
The singer, born in Dobrich, completed her primary education at a school in Romanian, and then at a classical school high school in Dobrich, where he studied Latin and ancient Greek. She was so good at Italian that she later translated for Philip Kutev in Italy. Then he studied French and English. Her languages were useful in the Ensemble’s travels around the world.
He inherited his singing talent from his mother and from his grandmother Elena, whose songs he learned as a child. He later performed them on world music stages, making them an invariable part of his repertoire. In 1952, in Sofia, he won his first prize for participating in the National Review of Artistic Self-Employment in the Army. After that, he auditioned personally with Filip Kutev and since then he has been part of the Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances, which today bears the name of the famous conductor and artistic director. Until 1983, she sang in the ensemble as a soloist. She gave concerts in over 29 countries around the world. “I love the Ensemble because it gave me my daily bread, it gave me so much, it also gave me the meaning in life. He was my whole life,” says Verka Siderova.
She is the winner of the grand prize “Nestinarka” – for a complete singing career at the International Folklore Festival in Burgas (2004), awarded with the title “Honorary Citizen of Dobrich” for her outstanding contribution and dedication in popularizing the Dobruja folk song in the country and around the world. (2004).
Throughout her career, Verka Siderova sang only Dobruja songs, the total number of which amounted to over 200 songs. In 2003, he released the album “Are you a tulip, are you a hyacinth” with the most famous Dobruja folk songs of the period 1960-2000.
On the occasion of her 85th anniversary, the singer published her author’s book “Are you a tulip, are you a hyacinth – my biography” and was awarded the “Stara Planina” order, 1st degree (2011).
In 2014, he received a statuette from the First “Annual Folklore Awards” dedicated to Boris Mashalov in the “Overall Contribution to Bulgarian Folklore” category.
The words of Verka Siderova are very deep and strong: “I am not important, the songs are important.” They are the eternal ones. They may forget me, but I want and bequeath that my songs will not be forgotten. That’s what’s important – if you’ve done something, let it stay in the generations. I think I have been useful to my native region. I’ve sung his songs, they’ve been on their feet for them. I cannot brag, let my songs be praised, let them be sung”… “And when I fall silent, I want to be there, in Dobrudja, where my mother, father and close people are. And to put a chick with an open beak, so that it sings to me! I know that both the grasses and the flowers above me will sing again.”
The team of the “State Archives” department – Dobrich, express their most sincere wishes on the occasion of the singer’s birthday and wish her wholeheartedly to celebrate her centenary with a Dobruja song.
BE ALIVE AND HEALTHY, MRS. SIDEROVA!
State Archive-Dobrich
