“Surrounded by TV, Radio and Internet, today we are taking a step further towards our ancestors’ folklore. I accepted the challenge to play the tambura (pandore), while creating my own style and composition. I like to write attractive, new and interesting music for myself and people”, professional tambura player, composer and arranger Valeri Dimchev says for Radio Bulgaria. We kick off today’s Timeout for Music with the piece Rachenitza from the album Bulgarian Tambura, produced by Ara Topouzian, Canada 2001.
Valeri Dimchev started playing the tambura at the age of 10. “My mother was strongly against me kicking a football in the backyard… I listened to her advice to play the tambura, and this instrument turned out to be my destiny”, Valeri recalls. He studied at the music school in the village of Shiroka Laka, in the Rhodopes, only to continue his education at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in the city of Plovdiv. “My studies in Plovdiv have played a most significant part in my life. For me, this city remains the hub of Bulgaria’s folk music”, Valeri goes on to say.
You have heard Byrzata / The Fast/ from the album Sooner or Later from the series Music without Frontiers by Volatile Records.
Valeri’s rare music talent and improvisation knack became visible during his student years. He played in various formations, making his first recordings in Radio Plovdiv, where he also recorded his own folk-based pieces. He started his soloist career in the town of Blagoevgrad in 1991. Later, the musician invited his wife, folklore singer Dessislava Dimcheva, to join his band, and they gave memorable performances in Europe, US and Asia. “At a world music festival in Malaysia we performed successfully in front of some 15 000 people. I am happy that people like and listen to my music with open hearts- this is a real pleasure for me”, Valeri says.
The music of Valeri Dimchev Quartet is complex and extremely powerful. One is touched by the diverse rhythm in the compositions. We offer you next Pirin’s Waters from the album Joy as a Teardrop.
For years on end Valeri Dimchev has been observing foreigners’ interest in Bulgarian folklore.
“Foreigners like Bulgarian folk music and many of them play Bulgarian music superbly. They seem to be connected with our folklore. I am proud that Bulgaria managed to preserve its traditional music. The music festivals in the town of Koprivshtitza and the Pirin Mountain, as well as the music schools in the town of Kotel and Shiroka Laka have bridged the gap between our ancestors’ folklore and present generations. There are countries that developed their economies at the expense of culture. Now they are trying to bring to live their traditions relying on museum exhibits. By contrast, Bulgarian folklore culture is alive and well-preserved, which is why foreigners are attracted to it”, Valeri Dimchev says in conclusion.
English version: Vyara Popova
