Bulgaria's jazz singer Maya Nova presented her latest album entitled DAYS. Its Bulgarian premiere was held on April 27 at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. Nearly one year ago Maya Nova already presented her new album in Singapore. In the middle of April she presented that album in New York, where she has been living for several years. DAYS consists of six author's pieces and four jazz songs arranged by Maya herself and John Di Martino, a renowned musician and pianist in the jazz formation that works most often with Maya.

Maya Nova and Jоhn Di Martino produced the DAYS album together. Petar Slavov Jr., who conquered the US jazz stage years ago, plays the double bass. Alexander Kautz (Brazil) is the band's drummer. “This is a very personal project, because it presents moment of my life”, says Maya, who wrote the music and the lyrics to her pieces.

Maya Nova was born in the town of Silistra (Northeastern Bulgaria) on the bank of Danube River. She started to study music at a very early age.

“Silistra is a small town, but I had a wonderful childhood there. My family always supported me. My parents were not professional musicians, but they helped me develop in that field. I was in a class for intensive study of music. I mainly played the classical guitar. However, I had a rich repertoire and often played the piano, too. I also used to sing in a country music band. I was only seventeen when I heard one of Luis Armstrong's albums. Then I decided that this was the type of music I wanted to sing. When I graduated from high school I moved to Sofia and joined the National Music Academy, majoring in Pop and Jazz. I was strongly influenced by the atmosphere at the academy. My fellow students and friends were celebrated musicians and today you can see them at the Bulgarian and the word music stages. Some of them play with the Big Band of the Bulgarian National Radio and others are part of popular jazz and pop formations. The first jazz club in Sofia appeared around 1991. It was a very small club, but was a venue of jazz music only. Later, several similar clubs opened doors in Sofia and I made my first appearance on stage there, together with some friends and fellow students.”

After she graduated from the National Music Academy Maya departed to Singapore.

“In fact, jazz is no commercial music, even in the USA, where jazz traditions are strongest. Singapore is the country where I shaped up my career as a singer and a music pedagogue. I lived there for nearly ten years and in 2012 I moved to New York, because I wanted to fulfill one of my dreams - to take master's degree at Queens College. However, I travel to Singapore at least once a year. I gained a lot as an artist since I moved to New York. That change can be noticed in my new album, although it is difficult for musicians to be impartial to their own performance. I recorded the DAYS album with some of the best musicians in New York. “

Maya Nova presented in studio 5 of the National Palace of Culture her songs of the new album together with Lubo Tsanev (piano), Boris Taslev (double bass) and Atanas Popov (drums). “Those musicians are old friends of mine. I have not performed in Sofia since 2011 and this will be a very special event, Maya Nova told Radio Bulgaria before the concert.”

English version: Kostadin Atanasov