Drummer Borislav Petrov is well known to music fans in Bulgaria with his participation in various pop and jazz bands, but for the first time he has presented a completely original project. He recorded an album with a band called Jazzanitza and the album also has this name.

More from Boris Petrov:

"I am a jazz drummer, one of the first Bulgarian jazz graduates from the Netherlands. I had lecturers from the US; most were from New York and I received priceless education. Before that, when I was 19, I was part of the Slang. We recorded the first album of the popular band. I wrote the lyrics to the song "Moi Svyat," which became a big hit. I started dealing with jazz because of my work with the "Brainstorm” band. There I met Dimitar Liolev - incredible saxophone player and a good friend of mine, and later we were studying together in the Netherlands. Because of him I started to be more interested in Bulgarian folklore, too.  Previously my ears were shut to this music. With the Brainstorm we played fusion music, but Dimitar always managed to incorporate folk melodies. He started showing me how to play folk music on saxophone. I realized that this was a very complex instrumental language and that I should learn more about the traditions. I became very interested and started to look for contacts with folk musicians. In the album now one can see the influence. A number of musicians use elements of folklore so I decided that I also have something to say about that.”

Boris Petrov performed the music included in Jazzanitsa in his usual company.

"For this album I invited good friends with whom we share similar views in music. Mitko Liolev and Vladimir Karparov play the saxophone. Another important person for me is guitarist Ludmil Krumov with whom we studied together in the Netherlands. Pianist is Lubo Tsanev, who lived in the United States until 2013. Bassist is Boris Taslev. It is interesting that I actually wrote the music for them. The name of the band was given by a friend of mine from New Zealand. Because of me she got acquainted with Bulgarian culture and the Bulgarian words that made strong impression to her ended in -itsa, like ‘lyutenitsa,’ ‘krienitsa,’ ‘rachenitsa’… When I told her that I could not find a suitable name for the project she came up with this wonderful word comprised of "jazz" and her favourite Bulgarian word-ending. "

There is interesting story behind every song name in "Jazzanitza."

"There is a song in the album called - Our Table (Says Cheers To Your Table). The title is written in English, but this is actually a popular Bulgarian expression. It was born during big feasts when people were so many that they said "cheers" to each other from afar. The melody has the rhythm of traditional rachenitsa dance but it is a bit of “drunken rachenitsa.” The piece ‘Gagarin’ is not named after the cosmonaut, as most people might think, but after a folk musician, a saxophonist. I do not even know his real name, but he is a true virtuoso. He always starts with ascending melody from the lowest to the highest register, just like taking off. That is why people call him Gagarin. There is a piece dedicated to my „drum hero" in Bulgaria - Stoyan Yankulov – Stundzhi. "Cultural differences" is dedicated to Theodosius Spassov. He has brought me much inspiration over the years. In one conversation he told me something that I would never forget: ‘Bulgarian folklore has an interesting property – it cannot be tamed.’ Whatever you do with folklore, there is part of it that must remain authentic. Our folk music is very different. I have met musicians for whom it is simply incomprehensible. Yes, they might listen to vocal music but it is very difficult for them to comprehend instrumental music. I think it is the Balkan soul that will always feel most deeply the music born in these lands."

The audio contains the following tracks:

.  Gagarin

.  Our Table

.  Cultural Differences

English: Alexander Markov