Darina Nikolaeva Yotova (, born 9 September 1998), better known by her stage name Dara (), is a Bulgarian pop singer, who rose to fame in late 2015 after reaching the final in the Bulgarian edition of The X Factor. She is currently signed to Virginia Records, and in 2016 she released her debut single "K'vo ne chu" under the label.
Career
2015–16: The X Factor
Born in Varna, in 2015 Yotova participated in the Bulgarian version of the reality show The X Factor where she finished third, with Bulgarian rapper Krisko being her mentor.
2016–present: Early career
Following her departure from The X Factor, Yotova signed a record deal with Bulgarian music label Virginia Records and adopted the stage name Dara. In the summer of 2016, she released her debut single "K'vo ne chu", accompanied by a music video. A few weeks later, the single peaked the Bulgarian charts and a subsequent English version of the song by the name of "Onto You" was released on 29 September, directed towards an international audience.
On 12 March 2017, Dara released her second single entitled "Rodena takava", also accompanied by a music video. A few months later, on 21 July, she made her first guest appearance on a single named "Nyama da si tragnesh s drug" by labelmates Plamen & Ivo alongside Bulgarian hip-hop duo Pavell and Venci Venc'. On 29 September, Dara's third single "Nedei" was released on YouTube with an official music video. On 20 June 2018, Dara released her fourth single entitled "Vse na men", along with a music video.
In early 2020, Dara starred in the TV show Kato dve kapki voda, the Bulgarian version of Your Face Sounds Familiar.
Since 2021, Dara has been a coach on The Voice of Bulgaria. In 2022, on the ninth season, Jacklyn Tarrakci, a member of Team Dara, won the competition. This made Dara the winning coach.
On 7 March 2022, Dara announced her debut album Rodena takava set to be released on 20 April 2022, accompanied with a live concert showcasing the album in Joy Station, Sofia.
In March 2023, Kai released "Rover", a remake of Dara's original "Mr. Rover", with his solo album Rover.
Discography
Singles
As lead artist
As featured artist
Music videos
References
1998 births
Living people
X Factor (Bulgarian TV series) Musicians from Varna, Bulgaria