The impressive body of work that the great composer Dimitar Valchev created for the Bulgarian stage, film, television and popular music has long been recognised as part of the country's classical cultural heritage. His unforgettable song hits were born from a deeply personal creative joy, and among them, one has risen above all to become an unofficial national anthem over the decades: A Bulgarian Rose.

The lyrics were written by Nayden Valchev, a law graduate who enjoyed a successful career in journalism and literary translation from the 1950s onwards.

A Bulgarian Rose was entered into Bulgaria's most prestigious popular music competition at the time: the Golden Orpheus. When Nayden Valchev asked the composer who should perform the song, he replied simply, ‘A young girl.’ That young girl — 24-year-old Pasha Hristova — would soon become a legend.

However, at the 1970 Golden Orpheus Festival, she did not win the Grand Prize for Performance, nor did she receive honours in the international competition, even though the two songs she performed became instant hits. The first one, ‘Povey, vetre’ by Yosif Tsankov and Dimitar Vasilev, won the Grand Prize for Bulgarian Song. A Bulgarian Rose, by Dimitar and Nayden Valchev, received First Prize.

To this day, many music experts and fans still find it puzzling that Valchev’s song did not receive the Grand Prize. This was probably due to the specific circumstances of the time.

In 2000, A Bulgarian Rose was declared Bulgaria's Song of the Century.

• Pasha Hristova was just 25 when she was killed in an airplane crash

Editor: Desislava Semkovska

Posted in English by E. Radkova

Photos: BGNES, Personal archive