The world is not a particularly welcoming place today - we live in the midst of wars, tension and polarization. Where do you draw energy from and how do you store it?
Mila Robert: I draw energy from good people, from animals and from nature. There is so much love against the backdrop of all the ugliness. It's strange to me how people who are thirsty for power don't have this love in themselves. I am very interested in this imbalance - it even inspires me in some way.
You know hatred and experienced it after last year's Pride. How do you overcome that and what went through your mind when you went out on the same stage again this year?
Mila Robert: I was scared, of course, mostly by the thought of someone physically attacking me or my loved ones. Otherwise, verbal insults are easier to swallow. For me, physical aggression is the scariest thing.
Last year, my boyfriend inspired me to continue making music, but besides that, I simply have no other job. I have nothing else to do. The SRCE album was 70% ready when this happened. I don't like not finishing what I started. It's good that I have people by my side who believe in me and didn't give up. This inspires - love and kindness.
What is the last song you wrote for the album?
Mila Robert: It's called "Divine sofa".
Why her?
Mila Robert: I wrote it that summer. I needed a boost and motivation - "you know, you have a hundred lives, you won't run out of time (…) You know I don't care who, why and how curses you. Your heart is honest, it's not easy". I needed a friend to tell me that. I was that friend.
Your song with Azis is extremely beautiful, but there will always be someone with prejudices who will say that it's no use. Are you still paying attention?
Mila Robert: Let him say he doesn't like it and is a scoundrel. But there are people who insult him because of his origin, and they call me "travers" and whatnot. This is so immature. But this incident last year taught me not to take anything on the Internet seriously, because dogs that bark a lot don't bite - that's my hope at least, that there won't be any physical fights. Let at least those of us who aren't in war zones save ourselves the wounds.
What do you take seriously? What scares you?
Mila Robert: It scares me how while we are well in our bubbles, some people decide for us - unprofitable politicians are put in detention, others are released. The mafia worries me and the impossibility of even starting to fight it. It's been tried so many times and it doesn't get anywhere. In the end, you choose to just look at your own life and continue without exercising control. That scares me - that at some point they might surprise us.
Is the lack of protests and reaction in such cases the result of disappointment alone or also of a comfort that seems very convenient - I look at my own life and close my eyes to serious things?
Mila Robert: Something in between is for sure. There are many empathetic people in Bulgaria, but there are also those who are happy that they are doing well and they care about others. "Unity makes strength", but I don't see us being very united. We are in groups, we are not one.
Do artists have a place in these processes or do they just have to entertain the audience and not pay attention?
Mila Robert: We are probably some of the quietest artists in general. I listen to people from all kinds of countries and watch how they communicate. I put myself in this box. Even if I try sometimes, it is very difficult and very scary. In Bulgaria, everything is one person away - if you say the wrong thing, they may immediately not take you to any participation. When you are raising a family, this is not an option. The same is if you have a small business that depends on the municipalities, for example. In my opinion, this shuts the mouths of many people who avoid publicly expressing the opinion that they otherwise defend.
The curse of small countries of the Shura-Badjan type… Do you sometimes feel cramped in Bulgaria in this regard?
Mila Robert: Very often, but at the same time I tell myself - I can't be a singer, I can be just a person, pick grapes and live in the countryside. And then I won't feel cramped. But since I want to build some kind of career in art, experiment, be brave, I will definitely feel cramped. And I often dream of development and greater horizons. But this is God's work, I do what I know, the rest we'll see. However, I've reached the point where I don't feel like emigrating. For many years I thought that this would happen, now I just know that I will go and live in Varna.
With our roads, it's like emigration.
Mila Robert: That's right! But of course, if I have to, I will really emigrate.
What could make you do it?
Mila Robert: If Bulgaria goes back and Putin's Russia dictates things in our country, I wouldn't live here.
Is there still progress? Do you have any impressions of marginalized communities - for example, LGBTI.
Mila Robert: The people from the community who have chosen to live here have grown a thick skin. They are used to living with the thought that someone can beat them up. And yet, I think there are many people who are not bound by propaganda and believe that everyone has the right to choose and to live. These people bring comfort. They may not be the loudest, but they are there.
What's next for Mila Robert?
Mila Robert: I work, I don't do anything else. It's God's work. My songs are sent from above, I am a conduit for that thing I call God. Many people immediately associate God with religion, which in my opinion is a trauma. God is in everything and everyone and without religions.
What kind of Bulgaria do you dream of?
Mila Robert: I dream of a Bulgaria with transparent politics, led by politicians who walk the street without security and whom you can meet in the supermarket. I dream of a Bulgaria that is integrated both in Europe and in the world. Bulgaria that is hospitable, and its villages are developed, not deserted. Bulgaria that takes care of its nature and does not allow garbage on the beach and in the forests. I dream of a Bulgaria with responsible people in power who cultivate a responsible society. I dream of having 1-2 reality shows on television, not 20. I dream of conscientious drivers, police officers and smooth roads. I dream of more funds for culture that are not received only if "you have a person". And most of all I dream of Bulgaria, where you feel safe.
Author: Alexander Detev