"Alone with love" is the song with which the Bulgarian pop legend Margarita Hranova won the Listener's Award in the 51^st edition of the Bulgarian National Radio's competition for new Bulgarian pop and rock music "Spring 2020".

A favourite singer of several generations of Bulgarians, Margarita Hranova has had a recognizable presence on the Bulgarian pop scene for more than 45 years. Her talent was noticed as a student when she was chosen to sing in the vocal group of the popular youth ensemble "Mayakovsky". This gave her the "aspiration" to continue the natural course of her life, completely devoted to music. The beginning of Margarita Hranova's independent career is considered to be her participation in the International Pop Festival "Golden Orpheus" (held in the period 1965-1999). There, in 1982, she won second place with the song "Ustrem" (Yearning) by composer Nayden Andreev. The same song brought her the first prize for best performance at the festival in Sopot, Poland. From there onwards, her music path was full of recordings, albums, numerous participations in festivals and concerts at home and abroad.

"To be appreciated by the audience is the biggest reward for me", exclaimed the singer in an interview with the BNR after learning that listeners have chosen her song “Alone with love" for their favourite songs from Spring 2020.

"We do everything for our fans and when a huge audience, such as the one in the spring radio competition, shows recognition for your work, there is nothing more valuable than that. I always strive to approach my work professionally. Once a composer has given me the confidence to sing his or her song, I always want to do it in the best possible way. I have never tried to achieve things in my life at all costs. I have never aspired to awards, either. I do everything frankly. And maybe that's why people like my music. "

You can hear the song "Alone with Love", which won the listeners' vote in the Spring 2020 contest HERE. The lyrics are of Yavor Kirin, the music and the arrangement are of Milen Makedonski - both have worked and continue to create songs for the biggest names on the Bulgarian pop scene. How does a song become a hit and is this a purposefully sought result for Margarita Hranova?

"Yes, it is desirable to have a hit element in the song - not only in the music, but also in its lyrics. However, the song should not be simplistic. It must also be a musical, i.e. to have a good harmony, to be melodic. Of course, we strive to have something like that, but it doesn't always work out. I think "Alone with Love" is melodious and memorable. I hope it has reached the hearts of the listeners."

Margarita Hranova also admits the difficult moments she and her colleagues experienced during the Covid-19 lockdown.

"Our work is about people. We can't do concerts without them. And from now on, at least for a year or two, it will be difficult to have performances. People with free professions are very disadvantaged. We have been deprived of our spiritual expression. It is not the same to do online concerts - there is no contact with the audience, there is no satisfaction from the exchange of energies. The financial side is also a problem. This is not an insignificant issue, because we also have families to feed and have to live somehow”.

Still, Margarita Hranova continues to record songs and even has plans for a new album.

"Recently, I have been working with the young composer Ivan Krastev from Varna. I already have several successful songs with him. One of them is "Last Dance", winner of the Festival of Pop and Rock Music "Sofia 2019". We will record more songs with him and release them on an album. But all this is in a future perspective. I hope that things will get better and that we will enter the concert halls again where we can communicate with our audience. "