Bulgarika
| Status | Next show at Barbes in Brooklyn will be on Sunday August 23rd. |
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Bio
Nikolay Kolev is a famous gadulka virtuoso from the village Karavelovo in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria. After graduating from Shiroka Luka High School, he performed with the Sliven Ensemble. He founded the wedding band "Rozova Dolina" which became one of the most sought-after groups in Thrace. In 1992, he also founded "Balkanski Glasove"--the singing group which took first place at the Varna Festival in 1994 and 1995. Nikolay is also an accomplished composer and arranger of folk songs. Nikolay Kolev has taught at the EEFC Balkan Camps on both coasts, and has an adoring cadre of students. Nikolay Kolev was the first Bulgarian to be recognized by the Slavic Heritage Council of America for his outstanding contributions in music.
About
"Nikolay Kolev is in my opinion the finest Bulgarian gadulka (bowed fiddle) player of his generation. Traditional Bulgarian fiddling in the late 20th century is not some dusty village tradition of no artistic importance. After Word War II the Bulgarian state supported its national folk music somewhat we in the U.S. support classical music. The result has been the transformation of a folk tradition into a nearly classical tradition of almost unimaginable virtuosity and artistry, a brilliance recognized by the international "star" status of Bulgarian folk choirs."
Timothy Rice
Professor and Chair UCLA
