Top of the Pops
Galina Vicheva Genchea, better known by her stage name Galena, is a force to be reckoned with. Over the past decade the vocal powerhouse has built a name for herself in her native Bulgaria thanks to her genre blending sound – something between pop, dance and folk music. Equally as impressive are the artist’s style credentials. Respected for her bold fashion-forward look, both on and off stage, Galena is regarded as one of the best-dressed women in the Balkan nation.
I think that it’s [online shopping] an alternative solution for working women, such as myself
You have achieved a lot, in your career, in your life, it seems to us that you have everything, what more would you like to achieve?
I don’t like to set very high goals and dreams for myself. I target things that I can achieve in the near future. Once I have achieved them I set new goals. I think that to reach a certain level of achievement you need to put in the necessary efforts, so everything that I want to achieve is in a way a small dream of mine come true and slowly piece by piece I make my dreams come true. The music was such a dream for me, I have wanted to do this since I was a little girl, I studied folklore singing, then I started singing in clubs, step by step my professional career began and I can say that I have gone a very long way to make my dream come true and I am sure I have an ever longer way to go. After every small victory, I am confident that me and my team we will go very far.
So, what’s it really like to be Galena?
What is it like to be a mother, what is it like to be a performer, what is it like to be a wife and a role model for a big part of the younger generation. What I would like to say is that when you believe in what you are doing and it comes naturally to you, it’s not that hard. I manage to combine all of those “jobs” if I can call them that. But really when you are doing something from the heart, it does not require too much effort.
How would you describe your approach to fashion?
I have many favorite designers, I find more and more with every season. I am not “addicted” to any particular designer, I just find the one that I like the most for the season. But yes, there are some to which I pay particular attention like Valentino, Balmain, Saint Laurent, McQueen, these are the classics as we say. Especially for my profession, Balmain is the brand that offers the most stage outfits.
Your secret to success?
I believe that the secret for success is to be different. One of the slogans on my posters last year was “I have no time to be the same” so I think that the winning strategy is to be different, this is what I expect from myself and I think that my fans also expect from me.
What inspires you?
As a person who has found my vocation, I can say that my love for music, my love for my friends, my passion for everything that surrounds me, are the factors that inspire me. Meeting my fans and travelling abroad represent a big part of the inspiration for my projects. Overall, my love and passion for the things I love most are the special ingredient that makes a person very good at their job.
Special thanks to Galena
This interview has been edited and condensed.
