The European Music Festival continues on April 12 with a concert of Pim-Pam Children’s Choir. The event is to feature favorite songs composed by Boris Karadimchev (1933-2014), long-standing head of the choir. At the beginning the children’s choir was one of the formations of the Pioneer’s Palace (a youth cultural institution for school-goers of the 4-8 grades, functioning during the socialist regime). It became popular with the name of Pim-Pam after a participation in the International Pop-music Festival “The Golden Orpheus”, when the young singers had to perform a song dedicated to the first Bulgarian astronaut Georgi Ivanov. Irena Hristova, current art director of the choir brings more:

“Vocal Group with the Pioneer’s Palace was rather long for a name. So Boris Karadimchev thought of another one. Seeking for words describing children’s voices, it sprang to him that they are like bells ringing – hence the combination “pim-pam”. After the political changes of 1989 the choir became a private one. Nowadays the youngest singers are 4 years old and stay with us until they fell like singing. It is well-known fact that the Pim-Pam was the vocal laboratory of Boris Karadimchev. As the author of great pop hits, he also composed wonderful tunes in the sphere of children’s songs. The lyrics are very nice and the music is fresh – we love that repertoire.”

In Bulgaria Hall the kids will mark the 40^th anniversary of the vocal formation together with the Classic Foreign Minister Radio and conductor Grigor Palikarov. Actress Gergana Stoyanova will be hosting the concert.

“This concert is the first one of the choir, when all songs will be accompanied by a symphony orchestra. Such honor does not happen often, so we are very happy. Some of the orchestrations are made by Boris Karadimchev himself, for various participations years ago. The rest are the work of Valeri Kostov. We have always had in our repertoire songs which the kids sing with professional actors and singers as soloists: Todor Kolev, Maya Novoselska, Vassil Naydenov, Margarita Hranova, to mention but a few. We have included in the concert also pop-hits like “Our Town”, “White Silence”, “People and Streets”. We have invited for these new versions of the songs soloists Vessela Delcheva and Vladi Mihaylov, know to the audience from the Bulgarian version of the “Mamma Mia!” Musical.  Special guest to the show will be popular actor Georgi Mamalev. We have always used advice from choreographers and stage directors to guide our stage performance”, Irena Hristova continues.

Part of the team is also one now grownup Pim-Pam-girl – young actress Anna Simova, who is in charge of the stage conduct of the kids.

“I started singing in Pim-Pam in 1997 and I am among the first kids to have stayed with the group after 14”, Anna Simova says. “I felt I belonged there and I didn’t want to leave, despite of the rules at that time. I kind of set a new beginning, as now some stay with the group until 18-19. I graduated the National Academy for Theater and Film Art a few years ago and currently I am a freelancer. I like extreme sports and I also work as guide in Sofia. But the best part is the work with the kids. When I had to leave the group, Papa, as we used to call Boris Karadimchev, suggested I take up helping the older singers once a week. Then I gradually started teaching the youngsters as well. His idea was to make some sort of academy where the kids would have separate classes in acting, dancing, playing music instruments. Actually, we made his dream come true – a couple of years ago we made the musical “Casting”. There the kids were true singing actors. For me Boris Karadimchev was not only a tutor, but something as a second father. He is the person who directed me towards developing my acting talent. Thanks to him I have a different viewpoint on life. The very fact that he taught us to listen to the Beatles at such an early age made up our way of thinking as grown-ups.”

Pim-Pam will also have a concert within the frame of “Plovdiv – European Capital of Culture 2019” on April 15. In that concert the kids will sing together with the famous Choir of Plovdiv Boys, conducted by Milka Toledova.

English version: Iva Letnikova