| Maria | |
| Native Name: | Мария |
| Native Name Lang: | bg |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Mariya Panayotova Kirova |
| Birth Date: | 13 January 1982 |
| Birth Place: | Stara Zagora, Bulgaria |
| Genre: | Pop-folk |
| Occupation: | Singer |
| Associated Acts: | Avi Benedi, Anelia, Emilia, Gamzata, Ani Hoang, Sonya Nemska, Galena, Tzvetelina Janeva |
Mariya Panayotova Kirova (Bulgarian: Мария Панайотова Кирова; born 13 January 1979), better known mononymously as Maria (Bulgarian: Мария), is a former Bulgarian pop-folk singer.
Maria made her debut on a children's show for young talents, where she sang a Lili Ivanova's song Detelini (Clovers). Her first media appearance is at the annual concert of Payner in Plovdiv in 2000. She released the albums "Спомен" and "Първа Луна" in 2000 and 2001. Her third album, "Истинска" (True to herself), was released in 2003, and the song "Обичай ме така" won the Golden Hit Fresh Award in the same year. At the 2003 Planeta TV Music Awards, Maria wins a special award to the general sponsors of the most engaging videos for the songs "Всичко си ти" and "Обичай ме така". Following are the albums "Maria - 2004", "Осъдена душа" (Damned Soul) and "Единствен" (The only one) in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, respectively. The video clip "Твоят град" (Your City) won the award for Best Video at the 2004 Awards of "Planeta", and the song "I Do not Love You" won the 2006 Convert to the annual New Folk Music Awards.
She has been successful since then and has had many popular hits, including:
In 2006 she married Dimitar Andonov. On 28 July 2008 gave birth to their daughter Maraya. In 2011 they divorced.[1] [2]
In 2015 she married Hristian Gushterov. In 2017 they divorced.[3]
In 2021 she married Miroslav Sokolov.[4]
Maria performed at Planeta Derby in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2014.
In 2004, Maria featured in a 30-second television commercial for the beer Ariana (Bulgarian: Ариана) in which she appears to open a bottle with her breasts, but then reveals a bottle opener on a necklace.[5] That won her the nickname Mara Otvarachkata (in Bulgarian otvarachka means bottle opener, and Mara is a short for Maria).