For the last time she spreads her wings. For the last time she cleaves the skies.

Farewell, she says to her meadows, her hills, farewell she says to her sky!

This is part of a poem by Damyan Damyanov, which together with music composed by Toncho Roussev was to be made into a song sung by Lili Ivanova in 1972. Bird is dedicated to one of the foremost names in popular music in Bulgaria – singer Pasha Hristova. Just weeks earlier, the music had world lost one of its most powerful and memorable voices. Pasha Hristova was just 25 when she was killed in an airplane crash at Sofia airport. Her career lasted but 5 years, but in that time she recorded over 40 songs at the Bulgarian National Radio and a total of 60 for the Radio, TV and Balkanton record company audio archives fund.

The song A Bulgarian Rose, music Dimitar Vulchev and lyrics Naiden Vulchev performed by Pasha Hristova won first prize at the 1970 Golden Orpheus pop song contest and Melody of the Year in 1972; in 2000 it was declared song of the century. With her inimitable stage performance, indisputable talent and her wide vocal range she captivated audiences at the very start. The first song she recorded in 1966, together with Studio 5 was composed by Zornitsa Popova. Some time before that she had found her way to the radio where she studied at the newly established Pop Singers Studio. But before her big break, she worked as draughtswoman at the Lift Truck Institute. It was only after she joined the Construction Troops Ensemble that her first successes came. At the music festival in Sochi, Russia in 1968 she won a gold medal and first prize for her song Stop Time, composed by Alexander Yossifov. With every passing year the singer’s talent became more and more vivid and her repertoire – more and more diverse. In 1968, together with Boris Gudjunov she joined one of the most popular Bulgarian groups in its day – the Sofia Orchestra.

In 1970 Pasha Hristova was awarded third prize at the Golden Deer festival in Braşov, Romania. Her participation in the Golden Orpheus festival brought her and the authors of the songs she performed - A Bulgarian Rose and Wind Blowing – first prize and the grand prix. The singer also won first prize at the festival in Sopot in Poland with Czesław Niemen’s song This is a strange world.

Her whirlwind career was cut short on 21 December 1971. Just before midnight after a long flight delay, the 25 year old singer and the whole of the Sofia Orchestra boarded the plane for Algiers. The soviet machine was taxiing for takeoff when a strong cross wind appeared and the aircraft careened. When the wing hit the tarmac the body of the plane broke in two, the engine was ripped off and the plane went up in flames. Out of the 73 people on board 32 were killed, among them the 6-member crew. The passengers in the rear, among them pop singer Boris Gudjunov, singer-songwriter Maria Neikova and folk singer Yanka Rupkina survived the crash but were seriously wounded.

Pasha Hristova received her last award posthumously for White Song, composed by Dimitar Vulchev, lyrics Petar Karaangov which was declared Melody of the Year.

Pasha Hristova’s numerous fans said their last goodbyes to her on 23 December 1971. Her enormous talent and exceptional voice have made her a symbol of the glorious days of Bulgarian popular music, a role model for generations of Bulgarian performers.

English version: Milena Daynova