Lilyana Ivanova Petrova (born April 24, 1939), known professionally as Lili Ivanova, was a Bulgarian pop singer and music producer from Kubrat. Referred to as the “Prima of Bulgarian popular music”, Ivanova graduated from nursing school in 1959 before completing musical training in Sofia in 1961. She performed in Bucharest in 1963 and released her debut album, Amore Twist, that same year. Her recording of the song “Samstagabend” (1963) marked a significant early success. Ivanova received the Golden Key award in Bratislava in 1966. In 1968, she released the album Camino; the title track “Camino” sold over 15 million copies globally. Between 1981 and 1987, Ivanova was based in Germany, releasing albums including Warning (1981) and I Want You (1984). She performed over 11,000 concerts and recorded more than 1,000 songs in 20 languages. Ivanova received the Stara Planina medal in 1999 and performed at the Olympia in Paris in 2009. She received a special career award in 2023.
