Mita Stoicheva
On the 23rd of March 1909, in the first day of the spring, in Obedinenie was born one of the biggest folklore talents in Bulgaria - Mita Stoicheva.
She spent her childhood in a poor but happy family. They worked and sang a lot.
When Mita Stoicheva was young, she was listening to her mother's songs. She used to love the folklore music since her first days at school. She was a great singer and the music teacher offered her family to send her in a music school to continue her education. But the financial problems in the family were the obstacle of not having the chance to get to the music school. Like most of the girls at her age she got married too young at the age of 16.
But her dream to sing in a public place became true in 1939. She was one the singers from all over Bulgaria who joined the competition in Veliko Tarnovo. Mita Stoicheva was the winner. That was the beginning of her creative work.
In 1940 the record company "Microphone" invited Mita in Sofia to do a records of 30 folklore songs. Next two years, 1941 and 1942, she recorded more 60 songs for the same company.
Mita Stoicheva collected old songs from Obedinenie, learned them and then she knew more than 400 folklore songs.
In 1946 one of her songs was played on Radio "Sofia" for the first time.
In 1948 Mita Stoicheva went to Chechoslovakia for a music competition as a member of Bulgarian folklore band. They won the second prize there.
In 1949 she was employed in Radio "Sofia" as a singer. Mita impressed everybody with her clear voice and very good songs.
In 1954 Mita Stoicheva became a leader of the folklore band "Our song". In 1956 the band was on a 30 days tour in DDR (former East Germany). Next years they did many tours in all over Bulgaria and in Albania and Yugoslavia.
On her 50 years anniversary in 1959 Mita Stoicheva was awarded a medal from Bulgarian government.
For her 60 years anniversary The Bulgarian National Television made a film for Mita Stoicheva.
