The LaText is an exception on the Bulgarian alternative music scene. On February 29, 2012 literature and music fell in love forever. The wedding took place in front of three witnesses and their musical instruments - Peter Chuhov (guitar), Ivan Vulev (bass) and Grisha Manikatov (drums). Later they were joined by Elena Peneva (vocals) who made the newly-formed band complete. LaText are immersed in poetry and music.

The style of LaText makes the band different from anything heard before.

"Initially, we gave priority to poetry and verse but gradually things became equivalent. Recently, we even have compositions that consist entirely of singing. The first we recorded is among the nominees in this year's contest of the Bulgarian National Radio - "Golden Spring." This is proof that we are on the right track,” Petar adds.

We asked Ivan what comes first - music or poetry? “There is no universal formula. There are poems that we want to write music for, because the text creates a certain type of atmosphere that turns into music. Sometimes we find out that a poem combines greatly with music we have already composed. We also have some of our songs recorded in English.”

How do listeners react? 
“Our performances usually take place at various poetic forums and people accept us well. It is more interesting when we perform at a truly music stage and see how the initial surprise turns into enthusiasm. People who pay attention to lyrics and who think words are no less important than music like us.”

“One of our interesting performances was during a festival in October 2012, commemorating Dimitar Voev. Nobody knew us then but the audience accepted us well. This was one of our most successful performances. There is a specific audience who find our ideas attractive and acceptable,” Petar says.

Due to the non-traditional date of creation of the band - February 29, the musicians from LaText do not wait for a leap year in order to celebrate their anniversary. Friends, music and poetry are required for a good celebration and the date is not so important. This year LaText have been getting ready for a special concert at which they are to present their first EP, which has collected just a part of their compositions. They playfully invite us to join, asking "Are you free tonight?"

English version: Alexander Markov