The music of the original master of the Bulgarian chain dance music Diko Iliev (1898 - 1984) is symbolic not only for the Northern Bulgarian music tradition but for Bulgarian culture as a whole. There is hardly a holiday on the public calendar that is not celebrated with his famous chain dance melodies. Hardly ever a Bulgarian heart has remained untouched by their great beats.

Acknowledgement came late in the life of the self-taught musician born in the village of Karloukovo, Lovech region in Central Northern Bulgaria. Still, during his lifetime he enjoyed the love and respect of thousands of Bulgarians. For quite some time, Diko Iliev's chain dance melodies were disseminated as anonymous works - just like folklore. While still very young Diko Iliev was off to the battles of the First and the Second world wars and he wrote 17 marches. For a short time he worked for the orchestra of the Military School in Sofia, for the Sofia Opera House Symphony Orchestra but he was the most productive while he lived and worked in Oryahovo where in 1931 he joined the orchestra of the 36th infantry regiment of Kozloduy. He was later its conductor and founder of a music school for children. Diko Iliev spent close to 50 years of his life in the beautiful Danube town and there he wrote his best chain dance tunes: Danube Chain Dance, May Flower, Alexandriika and Our Pride. They are part of his legacy: 42 chain dance tunes, 17 marches, 7 poplar medleys, the rhapsody The Dance of Women Reapers, waltzes, tangos, rumbas etc. Apart from his creative work he was also a foremost conductor and pedagogue in Northwestern Bulgaria.

There is good news coming from Oryahovo. On 30 and 31 July a team from the Bulgarian National Radio led by producer Vanya Moneva  and the town's Brass band with conductor Kuzman Kuzmanov recorded unknown works by the great Diko Iliev. Here is more from Mrs Hrizantema Rasheva, secretary of Nadezhda 1871 community center in the town of Oryahovo:

„It has turned out that in every town or village where Diko Iliev led brass bands he wrote music for them for free. In the last 15 years we searched for and found some works and with the support of the Bulgarian National Radio we made recordings with the brass band in our town on three CDs. The CDs' names come from the works by Diko Iliev - Memories, Boisterous Chain Dance. The latest CD is entitled The Pride of Bulgaria. This is the name of a medley with melodies composed by Diko Iliev. Not everything is preserved and there are fewer people alive from among those who have worked with Diko Ileiv. In the new CD The Pride of Bulgaria there is a chain dance melody Merry Ivancho that we could not find for a long time. But we finally recovered it from the village of Rogozen. All the works that we have released in the recent years will remain forever in Bulgaria's music treasury. I hope we still stand chances of finding unpublished works by Diko Iliev.”

Hrizantema Rasheva has accepted the work of Diko Iliev as her mission. At her initiative unknown chain dance tunes and The Dance of Women Reapers have been recorded for the BNR Archives.  She has also supported the release of the volume of features, articles, memories and letters collected under the motto “Glory to Diko Iliev”.

„Diko Iliev's works are deeply rooted in folklore. His best waltz is entitled Above Bukiovtsi. He used to live in the village of Bukiovtsi, not far from Oryahovo. This is the waltz of youth for all Oryahovo people. I knew Diko Iliev and I am proud. He is the emblem of Oryahovo. There is a tradition to organize annual days of brass orchestras to celebrate him and his legacy. This year the 20th Days commemorating Diko Iliev are due on 19, 20 and 21 August. Every night starting from 7 pm anybody is welcome to Oryahovo to listen to bands from Bulgaria and abroad and enjoy Diko Iliev works.”  

English Daniela Konstantinova 

Music: works by Diko Iliev (1898 - 1984)

1. Medley of Songs in the rendition of the Diko Iliev brass band from the town of Oryahovo, conductor Kuzman Kuzmanov

2. Merry Ivancho in the rendition of the Diko Iliev brass band from the town of Oryahovo, conductor Kuzman Kuzmanov

3. The Pride of Bulgaria