Kamelia Vladimirova Veskova, known professionally as Kamelia, is a Bulgarian pop-folk singer, actress, and television presenter. A leading Chalga performer, she became known for albums including Ogyn Momiche, Zlatna Ribka, and Neshto Goreshto, while also hosting television programs and serving as a mentor on The Voice of Bulgaria.
Background
Kamelia was born on January 10, 1971, in Chiprovtsi, a historic town in northwestern Bulgaria known for its mining, textile, and artistic traditions. She completed her secondary education in Chiprovtsi before moving to Sofia, where she studied fashion design at a technical school specializing in leather products.
She began performing publicly as a child and later sang at weddings and baptisms in northwestern Bulgaria. In 1994, she won the Miss Chiprovtsi and Miss Montana beauty contests and placed among the six finalists in the Miss Bulgaria competition. These appearances brought public attention while she was developing her work as a singer.
Education
Kamelia completed secondary education in Chiprovtsi and later studied fashion design at a Sofia technical school specializing in leather products. Her education preceded her professional transition into music and television and is distinct from the later development of her performing career.
Her professional formation took place within Bulgaria's post-socialist pop-folk environment. Payner, founded in 1990, became one of the country's major companies for modern folk music, combining recording, artist management, television promotion through Planeta, and large-scale concert events.
Career
Kamelia began her professional musical career in the mid-1990s and signed with Payner Studio in 1997 after being discovered by the company. Her debut album, Ogyn Momiche, appeared in 1998, followed by Zlatna Ribka in 1999. The latter became one of the best-selling Bulgarian pop-folk albums of its period and helped establish her as a major performer in the Chalga scene.
Her breakthrough continued with the song Kade si ti, whose video was the first music video broadcast by Planeta TV when the channel began experimental programming in 2001. Her third album, Neshto Goreshto, was released in 2002 and included the widely recognized songs Zalezut i zorata and Iskash da se vurna, a duet with Greek singer Sakis Coucos. She participated in the Planeta Derby national tours from 2004 through 2009 and released further projects including Ima Lyubov, the compilation Single & The Best Selection, and the multimedia project Proekt 13.
Alongside music, Kamelia developed a television career. In 2009, she hosted Goliamata Usta, a program associated with VIP Brother on Nova TV, and in 2010 she began hosting Spodeleno s Kamelia on TV7. She later presented Mars i Venera on Nova TV and appeared as a mentor on the Bulgarian edition of The Voice, beginning with its fourth season in 2017 and returning in subsequent seasons. Her screen work also includes a role in the 2021 Bulgarian comedy film The Naked Truth About Zhiguli.
