{{Short description|Bulgarian-born singer (1928–2022)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Nora Nova | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = Anihora Kumanova | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1928|5|8}} | birth_place = [[Sofia]], [[Tsardom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)|Bulgaria]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2022|2|9|1928|5|8}} | genre = | occupation = Singer | instrument = | years_active = 1960-1965 | label = [[Ariola]], [[Electrola]] | website = | current_members = }}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} '''Ahinora Kumanova''' ({{langx|bg|Ахинора Куманова}}; 8 May 1928 – 9 February 2022), better known by the stage name of '''Nora Nova''', was a Bulgarian and German singer. She was the first Bulgarian to participate in the [[Eurovision Song Contest]]. She represented {{esccnty|Germany|y=1964|t=West Germany}} in {{escyr|1964}}.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Carter|first=William|date=2022-02-10|title=R.I.P. Nora Nova: Germany's 1964 Entrant Dies at Age 93|url=http://www.escunited.com/r-i-p-nora-nova-germanys-1964-entrant-dies-at-age-93/|access-date=2022-02-10|website=ESCUnited|language=EN-US}}</ref> {{esccnty|Bulgaria}} itself first participated only in 2005.

Her father was an official of [[Tsar]] [[Boris III]] of [[Kingdom of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]] and she reported that she was raised a [[monarchism|monarchist]].<ref name=sega/> After the [[Bulgarian coup d'état of 1944|regime change]] in the end of [[World War II]], some of her relatives were sent to the [[Belene concentration camp]] or sentenced to death by the [[People's Court (Bulgaria)|People's Court]].<ref name=sega> {{cite web |url=http://www.segabg.com/online/article.asp?issueid=620&sectionid=5&id=00002 |title=Нора Нова: Уморих се в България да движим въздуха. November 11th 2005. |publisher=segabg.com |access-date=16 October 2008}}</ref>

In 1959, Ahinora left [[People's Republic of Bulgaria|Communist Bulgaria]] by contracting a marriage in name only with a German national. After she came to [[West Germany]] in 1960, she won a singing contest called {{lang|de|Die große Chance}} ("The Great Chance") organized by [[Electrola]], a West German [[recording company]]. After scoring a number of hits in the West German and Swiss charts, in 1964, she was chosen to represent West Germany at the [[Copenhagen]] Eurovision Song Contest finals.<ref> {{cite web |url=http://eurovision.ndr.de/index.html?/rueckblick/60er/1964_national.html |title=Das Erste: Eurovision Song Contest- Eurovision Song Contest 2008 |publisher=eurovision.ndr.de |access-date=16 October 2008 }} </ref> Her song, "{{lang|de|[[Man gewöhnt sich so schnell an das Schöne]]|i=no}}", had the longest name in Eurovision Song Contest history alongside [[C'est le dernier qui a parlé qui a raison]] which represented [[France in the Eurovision Song Contest|France]] in [[Eurovision Song Contest 1991|1991]], until both were succeeded by [[The Social Network Song|The Social Network Song (Oh Oh - Uh - Oh Oh)]] which represented [[San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest|San Marino]] in [[Eurovision Song Contest 2012|2012]]. With it she had another record&nbsp;— ''[[nul points]]'' for West Germany, and hence 13th (last) place.<ref> {{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/euro_2004/bulgaria/3704999.stm |title= The alternative guide to Bulgaria |publisher=BBC |access-date=16 October 2008 | date=21 May 2004}}</ref>

Kumanova returned to Bulgaria after the [[People's Republic of Bulgaria#End of the People's Republic|1989 democratic changes]]. She opened a fashion [[boutique]] shop in [[Sofia]]. In 2001, she became one of the founders of the [[NDSV]] political party led by the former Bulgarian [[Tsar]] [[Simeon Sakskoburggotski]]. She had explained that action with her [[monarchism|monarchist]] convictions (which she states were the reason for her to leave Bulgaria during Communist rule) and with her belief in the personal integrity of [[Tsar Simeon II]], whom she referred to as "the tsar" and described as "pure" and an "[[Cultural icon|icon]]" with a unique aura.<ref name=sega/>

==Death==

She died on 9 February 2022, at the age of 93.<ref>[http://m.novinite.bg/articles/212906/Pochina-legendata-Nora-Nova Почина легендата Нора Нова] {{in lang|bg}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links==

* {{discogs artist|Nora Nova}} * {{imdb name|1489880}}

{{s-start}} {{succession box | before=[[Heidi Brühl]]<br>with ''[[Marcel (song)|Marcel]]'' | title=[[Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest]] | years=1964 | after=[[Ulla Wiesner]]<br>with ''[[Paradies, wo bist du?]]'' | }} {{s-end}}

{{Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest|state=collapsed}} {{Eurovision Song Contest 1964|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nova, Nora}} [[Category:1928 births]] [[Category:2022 deaths]] [[Category:Bulgarian monarchists]] [[Category:Bulgarian emigrants to Germany]] [[Category:German pop singers]] [[Category:German women pop singers]] [[Category:Bulgarian pop singers]] [[Category:Bulgarian women pop singers]] [[Category:German-language Bulgarian singers]] [[Category:Bulgarian-language singers]] [[Category:Eurovision Song Contest entrants]] [[Category:Bulgarian expatriates in Germany]]