“Come a little closer, come look inside this heart. What do you see? Do you see me?”

So begins Free, the deeply personal new album from Bulgarian–Canadian jazz vocalist, poet, and songwriter Gergana Velinova — her seventh release and most intimate artistic statement to date.

Gergana (Gair-GAH-nah) extends an invitation to experience Free as a complete journey — each song unfolding a distinct emotional and musical landscape. From complex, odd rhythms that pay homage to her Bulgarian roots, to sensual Bossa novas, blues reflections, and lyrical ballads adorned with soaring classical violin solos, the album traverses a wide stylistic spectrum. Every composition tells a different story.

For Gergana, Free carries layered meaning. It reflects the fleeting, almost out-of-body sensation of rising above life's challenges through melody — those rare moments when music allows the spirit to lift beyond gravity. And it marks a deeply personal milestone: after years of navigating life between countries and artistic communities, she received Canadian citizenship in July 2025 — a long-awaited affirmation of belonging that reshaped the emotional center of her writing.

The album also marks a significant professional milestone. Free is released on Canada's premier jazz label, Cellar Live Music Group, a defining step forward from independent artistry to a record deal that affirms Gergana's growing presence in the international jazz landscape.

At the heart of the project is a profound artistic reunion. Free is produced in collaboration with platinum-winning multi-instrumentalist Kristian Alexandrov — a longtime friend and fellow alumnus of the Sofia Academy of Music. Having known each other since their teenage years, the two Bulgarians share a deep creative trust rooted in shared beginnings. Alexandrov's expansive musicianship and production vision elevate the album's rich textures while preserving the intimacy at its core.

Written over eight transformative years, Free was born during a season when Gergana stepped almost entirely away from the stage. Devoted to motherhood — caring for a young child whose health required her full presence — and later navigating the stillness of the global pandemic, she found herself writing not for concert halls, but for one small listener at home. What emerged was not a collection of singles, but a body of work.

Carried by what the Toronto Sun has called her “honey-voiced” tone, Gergana's compositions move guided not by genre, but by story. On Free, melody leads. Each line is shaped to be sung, remembered, and lived with.

While her previous albums established her as an accomplished international jazz vocalist — reaching the Top 10 on the U.S. CMJ Top 40, Roots Music, and both U.S. and Canadian Earshot Jazz Charts — Free reveals a defining artistic chapter: a songwriter stepping forward with clarity, depth, and quiet authority.

With Free, Gergana Velinova does not simply release another album. She invites the listener inside — to travel fully, to listen deeply, and to witness a body of work shaped by years of devotion, identity, and earned belonging.