Bulgarian singer hits high with record-breaking vocals

STAROSEL : Smilyana Zaharieva knew she had a gift when she saw her audience tremble or cry during her performances.

Now an official Guinness world record confirms that the Bulgarian singer has one of the most powerful voices on the planet, which can stay pitch perfect despite being as loud as a rock concert.

Zaharieva says she burst into tears when she received the official Guinness world record certificate last month, confirming she had achieved the loudest mezzo-soprano vocal note.

“When I saw the monitor reading 113.8 decibels, it surprised me,” the 48-year-old told AFP of her record-setting attempt last September.

Tough requirements

Irish teacher Annalisa Flanagan holds the world’s loudest shouting record with 121 decibels (dB), but there was no previous singing record.

The lively Bulgarian from the southern city of Plovdiv faced a series of tough requirements.

Zaharieva had to sing in a quiet studio and go over 110 dB, the average human discomfort threshold, with the sound meter placed 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) away from her while also holding the note for a minimum of five seconds.

According to popular noise level charts Zaharieva’s achievement of 113.8 dB roughly amounts to the same loudness you would hear at a rock concert, a symphony orchestra or an emergency vehicle siren.

“The Bulgarian folklore voice is characterised by its power,” says Dora Hristova, the longtime choir master of the world-famous The Mystery Of The Bulgarian Voices.

“Folk singers are born with this physiology, with this natural voice.”