The “melodist” of Bulgarian popular music – that is how Boris Karadimchev has come to be remembered. The composer was born on 30 March exactly 90 years ago – in 1933. He is author of hundreds of songs, film and pop music, and was professor at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts, and leader of the children’s choir Pim-Pam for many years.

Boris Karadimchev started writing popular music in the 1950s, when he was working with a formation called “Jazz for the young”, and his first songs date back to the 60s. And even though his work spread to areas like classical music (symphony, chamber etc.), it is the music he wrote for films – more than 40 feature films and 120 cartoons – and his children’s music and pop songs, that are loved most by generations of audiences in the country.

A colourful character with a colourful history, Boris Karadimchev gave an interview for Radio Bulgaria on his 80^th birthday.

• Composer Boris Karadimchev turns 80

Boris Karadimchev passed away in 2014 but the melodies he wrote are still all around us. Many of his songs have withstood the test of time – including his most iconic “White silence”, performed by Georgi Minchev and the legendary band Shturtsite. “White silence”, with lyrics by Bogomil Gudev, won the Melody of the Year TV contest in 1967. That same year it also won first prize at the Golden Orpheus pop song festival. The song has multiple cover versions, but it is the original that has captured the spirit of the late 1960s in Bulgaria best, but also Boris Karadimchev’s inimitable style.