Bulgarian folklore has long fascinated musicians from all over the world with its uniqueness and infinite possibilities. The collaboration between Daniel Verstappen and Nina Nikolina is another example of this. 

At his two upcoming concerts in Bulgaria, the Belgian pianist will present live his interpretation of the authentic folk song "Rayna", a creative partnership with singer Nina Nikolina. Daniel Verstappen explains how the idea of working with Nina came about:

"I fell in love with her voice when I saw her in the film The King of Belgium. Your folklore is magical! The depth, the richness of the voices, the compositions - they are incomparable. The lyrics are so interesting, full of legends and lore. I was "absorbed" in them and fortunately our meeting in absentia with Nina came in time for Bulgarian folklore to become part of the Bridge Between Cultures project, with which I am currently on a world tour. 

At every stop on his tour, on every continent, the pianist always plays a local, well-known and popular song. Shortly before the concerts, he tells us more about the process of working with the Bulgarian singer:

"My manager contacted Nina Nikolina, told her about the idea and luckily she responded. I set about creating the music and Nina, being one of the best folk music experts and a great performer, had to find the most evocative lyrics". 

Nina Nikolina adds: "Even in its raw form, the score Daniel gave me sounded so cosmopolitan that I immediately knew which Bulgarian song I had to weave in. I chose one of the so-called 'hard to perform songs' - the ones that singers graduate from the music academy with. It is from the Pazardzhik region, dedicated to Raina Knyaginya (Bulgarian teacher and revolutionary, born in Panagyurishte, famous for sewing the flag of the 1876 April Uprising) and made popular by the incomparable Nadka Karadzhova. Miraculously, the lyrics and melody "embrace" each other so synchronously - as if they were written at the same time. 

The final touches are added by Yavor Rusinov, who has been working for years with Bulgarian folklore in a modernised sound. The concert performances of "Rayna" will also feature guest musicians - Kalin Velyov on percussion, Damyan Yordanov on kaval, who also participated in the recording, and the choir The Magical Voices of Bulgaria.

In fact, "Rayna" will have a pre-premiere outside Bulgaria. Daniel Verstappen and Nina Nikolina will perform it on 26 May 2024 in Ghent, the cultural capital of Belgium. The concert will also feature the Bulgarian women's choir Bulgapeia from Brussels and the choir Futiosa from Ghent.