Tag Archives: Bulgaria

Live Review: Fondatsiata and Shturcite at The Regent Theatre

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Fondatsiata at The Regent Theatre

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Fondatsiata (The Foundation)

with Shturcite (The Crickets)

The Regent Theatre, Arlington, MA

October 13, 2017

Last night’s concert at The Regent Theatre in Arlington, promoted locally by Face Bulgaria and the Bulgarian American Cultural Center Madara, was a big-time rock ‘n roll event for the Boston area Bulgarian community. Bulgarian supergroup Fondatsiata (The Foundation) performed along with special guests Valdi Totev and Georgi Markov from Shturcite (The Crickets), a legendary Bulgarian rock group formed in 1967 and popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s, sometimes referred to as Bulgaria’s Beatles.

Fondatsiata at The Regent Theatre

photo by Geoff Wilbur

With spelling assistance from the Facebook event post, Fondatsiata is comprised of Kiril Marichkov (also from Shturcite), Ivan Lechev (from FCB), Donny Vekilov (from Donny and Momchil), Slavcho Nikolov (from B.T.R.), and Venko Poromanski (from “TE”).

I, of course, don’t know any of the songs, so I’ll be brief – no song titles or song-by-song rundown of the evening – but I’ll share plenty of photos instead. The crowd in attendance, however, knew most of the songs.

Fondatsiata at The Regent Theatre

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Fondatsiata opened the evening with several songs, showing the skills one might expect from a “supergroup.” Slavcho Nikolov unleashed some serious guitar wizardry; Venko Poromanski displayed top-notch drumming that included an engaging solo; Ivan Lechev rocked the axe but brought something especially dazzling to the mix when he switched to electric violin; Donny Vekilov brought energy and an impressive voice to the bunch; and bandleader/bassist Kiril Marichkov has clearly discovered the fountain of youth.

Fondatsiata at The Regent Theatre

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Valdi Totev joined the band for a few songs, and then he was joined by Georgi Markov for Shturcite’s portion of the performance. For those of us unfamiliar with the band, Shturcite’s last line-up change occurred in 1976 (thank you, Wikipedia), when Valdi joined the group, and the line-up remained unchanged until guitarist Petsi Gyuzelev’s passing in 2013. Ivan and Slavcho remained onstage to join Shturcite during their segment of the show.

Shturcite at The Regent Theatre

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Indeed, as much as the crowd loved the Fondatsiata performance, thinks kicked up a notch when Shturcite took the stage to perform several old favorites. Boston’s Bulgarian community was standing, singing, and dancing in the aisles, even more than during the first portion of Fondatsiata’s performance.

Shturcite at The Regent Theatre

photo by Geoff Wilbur

When Venko and Donny returned, the party atmosphere continued at a fever pitch, as Fondatsiata played several more songs.

Shturcite at The Regent Theatre

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Then came time for the encore. Three encores, to be exact. Before an appreciate crowd, the seven musicians of Fondatsiata and Shturcite regaled their fans with more favorite songs, and a two-plus hour concert experience came to a close.

Fondatsiata at The Regent Theatre

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Indeed, it would have helped if I had known even a couple of the songs so I could sing along. And, unlike new English-language performers, I wasn’t able to learn the songs partway through. But it was a pleasure to be there for such a high-energy performance. And even without the enthusiastic audience all around me, I’d’ve enjoyed the exceptional musicianship on display. I mean, I did enjoy it. Obviously.

Fondatsiata at The Regent Theatre

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Stylistically, the music was classic rock, largely rooted in ’60s, ’70s and ’80s rock styles (though more ’60s and ’70s), with hints of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Doors in places, and even an occasional nod to progressive rock, generally packaged in a middle-of-the-rock ‘n roll-road, mainstream style that could be played across a variety of pop and rock radio stations and easily reaches a broad demographic. Not unlike the Beatles and the Stones in that respect. This music plays directly to my personal musical tastes; indeed, if only I could understand enough to sing along, I’d probably have a few of the songs still stuck in my head today.

Fondatsiata and Shturcite at The Regent Theatre

photo by Geoff Wilbur

As I’ve said before, when a famous performer from any country is performing – as I experienced at Belgian star Milow’s show in New York last fall and during performances by Bulgarian stars here in the Boston area (like Theodosii Spassov or Vasko Krupkata) – it’s always worth seeing one of the best musicians from anywhere perform, even when you don’t know the songs. And, of course, if you’re a Bulgarian in America, you’ll be scanning the other five tour dates on the schedule below to see if you can make it to see Fondatsiata and Shturcite during their U.S. concerts this weekend or next…

Looking Ahead

Yes, the two-weekend U.S. tour continues, per the band’s website, tonight (October 14th) at the Botev Academy near Washington, DC and tomorrow, October 15th, at the Copernicus Center in Chicago. On Friday, October 20th, The Foundation will be at Coco Cabana outside Atlanta; on Saturday, October 21st in Tampa; and on Sunday, October 22nd at Stache Drinking Den and Coffee Bar in Fort Lauderdale. Be sure to check the website or Facebook page for additional details.

 

Live Review: Vasko the Patch at Lilypad

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Vasko the Patch at Lilypad

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Vasko the Patch

Lilypad, Cambridge, MA

September 14, 2017

Known as Vasko the Patch (in Bulgarian, Vasko Krupkata), Vasil Georgiev is a famous Bulgarian bluesman. In the 1980s, he was in various pop-rock bands (Parallel 42, Start); after the fall of communism in Bulgaria, Vasko founded the Poduene Blues Band and performed songs with titles like “Bureaucrat,” “Sunny Beach Blues,” and “Communism is Going Away.” Last night’s event at Lilypad, sponsored by Face Bulgaria and the Bulgarian American Cultural Center Madara, was a chance for local music fans to enjoy the music of this talented, accomplished musician. And, of course, just to enjoy a great night of blues.

Vasko the Patch at Lilypad

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Indeed, when one of the most renowned blues musicians (or jazz or rock or, really, a top musician from any genre) from any country comes to town, it’s worth going. Or, at least, it’s worth checking out some of his music online to decide if the talent lives up to the hype, and this YouTube concert video convinced me I couldn’t afford to miss seeing this top-shelf veteran blues talent perform live.

If there was one thing I wondered after viewing the online videos, it was how Vasko’s music would translate to an acoustic performance without a full band behind him; the result was a more intimate show with perhaps not quite as many rowdy-blues-wailing moments. A pretty good trade-off, and in a room full of people who know all of his songs, there’s the added sing-along aspect. I do love seeing musicians in smaller-crowd settings where the audience is primarily hardcore fans. And The Lilypad is an exceptional listening room, typically serving as a performance venue for some of Boston’s premier jazz musicians.

Vasko the Patch at Lilypad

photo by Geoff Wilbur

I know I don’t need to explain Vasko’s music to any Bulgarians reading this, but for the rest of us who don’t know about him (I didn’t before learning about him in advance of this show), I’ll give it a shot.

Vasko is often referred to as a blues-rock musician, and he does have a rockin’ flavor to his music, which spans straight-up blues, classic rock ‘n roll of multiple styles, including occasional psychedelic flavors, and some music that seems a bit in the ’70s folk-rock style. Some of the rockin’ numbers brought to mind the musical styles of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Chuck Berry. I thought I heard a little Three Dog Night in one song. And the purest blues songs spanned multiple sub-genres with well-recognized musical passages, often making it seem like I should know the words, though the words that sprung to mind were, of course, completely different from Vasko’s lyrics (and in English).

Vasko the Patch at Lilypad

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The first song of the night was one of those exceptionally pure blues numbers, guitar augmented by great harmonica-work, as if I had stepped into a blues joint in Chicago… or Memphis… or New Orleans. I suppose if I were a blues-only superfan, I’d’ve known which city to reference, but in any case, this was pure blues-joint stuff clearly delivered by an exceptional talent. That first song was rather introspective and blue in nature, maybe a little melancholy. Definitely blues. Vakso followed it with an uptempo singalong number, “Kade e Kupona,” that had the room rocking.

Next up was “Pulen Pleibek,” another classic blues number, this one more mid-tempo with some tension, followed by another energetic rock ‘n roll song, “Boogie Woogie Tsyala Nosht.”

Vasko the Patch at Lilypad

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The slower songs, often eliciting a knowing response from the crowd, tended to seem a bit ’70s folky with the acoustic guitar, and they settled things down nicely amid the more uptempo numbers. One that came across a bit like that, very heartfelt, was “Den Sled Den.” There’s so much expression in Vasko’s voice, which gets a bit rougher and more gravelly when he slows things down.

At least three of the evening’s songs were alcohol-related. Indeed, a few of the uptempo numbers, even those that weren’t about beer, seemed rather like lively drinking songs. One such tune that brought the audience to life even more than most (and actually is about beer… or lack thereof) was “Niama Bira.” And I also made sure to note the heavier-tempoed, oh-so-bluesy “Domashna Rakia Blues,” a song with an old-school blues tempo that almost has to be listened to with your eyes closed to properly soak up all the blues.

And there was a lone English-language song during the 90-minute-or-so set, a melancholy, jazzy, blue rendition of “Moon Over Bourbon Street.”

Vasko the Patch at Lilypad

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Vasko the Patch is a talented bluesman with something for everyone in his performance. At this particular show, he seemed to enjoy the crowd as much as the crowd enjoyed him, playing to his audience and giving a rousing, heartfelt performance. Then, of course, he stayed after to chat and take pictures with his fans. In addition to a fun evening for a few dozen Boston music fans, it seemed to be a great kickoff show to Vasko’s American tour.

Looking Ahead

As I just mentioned, this was the first stop on Vasko’s tour. Tonight, he’s performing at the Polish Eagles Sport Club in Philadelphia. (If you’re in Philly, sorry; you just missed it.) As listed in the cover photo on his Facebook page, Vasko’s tour will then continue with additional September dates in New York (at the Wolfhound in Astoria on Sat., Sept 16), Washington, DC, Raleigh, NC, Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, New Orleans, Austin, and Dallas. In October, Vasko will be in Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Kansas City, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Seattle. In addition to finding them on Facebook, these dates are also listed in the comments of Vasko’s U.S. Acoustic Tour ’17 YouTube video (and in the video itself).

Live Review: Coco ‘n’ the Fellas at the Bee Bop Café

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Coco 'n' the Fellas at the Bee Bop Cafe

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Coco ‘n’ the Fellas

Bee Bop Café, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

June 29, 2017

I had been hoping to get to this club during my stay in Plovdiv this year. Several of my favorite jazz (or jazz-influenced) artists have performed here, so I knew to expect talent on the schedule. Obviously, I still checked out Coco ‘n’ the Fellas’ music before deciding to head out to the club, and I was duly impressed. Not just with the band, but with the club, as well. It has a comfortable vibe of its own, and I hope to return whenever I’m in town and find good music on the club’s calendar. Indeed, Plovdiv has a top-shelf jazz venue rivaling those of any major city.

Coco 'n' the Fellas at the Bee Bop Cafe

photo by Geoff Wilbur

London-based Coco ‘n the Fellas consist of Ami Oprenova and “the Fellas”: electric guitarist Daniele Ciuffrida, acoustic guitarist Joe Perkins, and upright bassist Havard Tanner. The group’s sound is gypsy swing-influenced. As you may know, while I appreciate and enjoy good jazz music, and I think music fans spanning most genre preferences would recognize Coco ‘n’ the Fellas as an exceptionally talented ensemble, it’s not my area of greatest expertise, so you can (as I did) click through to see what Wikipedia has to say about gypsy swing if you’re so inclined.

The group performed two sets at the Bee Bop Café, delivering the sort of performance I’d expect in a ’50s or ’60s jazz club, a cool night out in a setting with an air of sophistication. The “fellas” were tight when supporting Ami’s vocals, loose and adventurous when called-for, and occasionally a bit playful in their instrumentation. “Coco” frequently became the fourth instrument, as is the case in many jazz performances, scatting along with or in response to one of her bandmates. Just as notably, once every few songs, she would hold a note impressively long, often matching a note-holding cohort. In all, an exceptional outfit, well-matched and up to their collective task.

Coco 'n' the Fellas at the Bee Bop Cafe

photo by Geoff Wilbur

After a music-only opening, Ami joined the band on stage to begin the evening with “Honeysuckle Rose.” It was followed by an exceptional performance of Kenny Wheeler’s “Everybody’s Song.” The performance was smooth, like something straight out of a ’70s love story movie soundtrack, perhaps from during a montage scene. This was one such instance in which precise light instrumentation was deployed in support of Ami’s smooth, full vocal, her voice dancing around the melody, never sitting still on it.

I loved the tempo of “After You’ve Gone,” a (gypsy) swinging tune that was notably driven in parts by the electric guitar. And “If I Didn’t Have You,” an oh-so-smooth song overall, is primarily bass-driven with each guitarist moving the song along in a different segment.

At this point, Coco ‘n’ the Fellas pleased the crowd with a jazzy version of a traditional Macedonian song, one of my favorite moments of the evening, as well.

Coco 'n' the Fellas at the Bee Bop Cafe

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Another highlight was “A Red, Red Rose,” a very torchy number, one of several that showcased Ami’s strong lower register, contrasting it with the dynamic higher end of her vocal range. Ami and Joe performed as a duo on “Cheek to Cheek,” an uptempo strummer that included some serious scatting. And the band without Ami delivered an instrumental, “Dark Eyes,” that seemed like it should, on at least some occasions, inspire some jazzy folk dancing.

The second set was an extension of the first, an enjoyable performance by this talented ensemble. Rather than repeat myself too much, I made note of just three songs from the second set. “A Child is Born” is about as smooth and mellow and this quartet gets. Coco ‘n’ the Fellas original “Not Enough Coffee” doesn’t contain many words, but it is high energy, I noted, as if the song itself was actually hyped up on too much coffee (in a fun way, of course). And I noticed great energy on the group’s performance of “King of the Swingers,” a recording of which you’ll actually find on YouTube from one of the band’s London shows last fall.

Looking Ahead

Per the “live” tab on band’s website, Coco ‘n’ the Fellas continue their European tour in Bulgaria and Italy before returning to London. However, the dates on the website are off by one (unless they’ve been corrected since I checked since the band is aware of it), so you’d be better served to rely on this Facebook photo, which lists the correct dates, though it’s a little incomplete. Tonight (June 30th), the group is at Menthol in Varna (though it may be too late by the time I’ve posted this for you to get to the show), tomorrow (July 1st) at the In the Jazz Bar in Stara Zagora, and Sunday, July 2nd at Jazz Club Studio 5 in Sofia. In a couple weeks, the group will have a few dates in Italy. And then they return to London, with a few shows booked through August. The band tells me they’ll be in Ireland later this year, too. Be sure to check the band’s website (and/or its Facebook page) or the venue websites for additional information. And, of course, double-check the dates.

 

Geoff’s Night Out: Fifth Season Quartet at Social Restaurant and Bar

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Fifth Season Quartet

Social Restaurant and Bar, Newton, MA

February 14, 2016

Fifth Season at Social Restaurant & Bar

photo by Geoff Wilbur

I didn’t take any notes at the club last night; I didn’t even take my camera with me (so all I have is a grainy image from my phone). It was, after all, Valentine’s Day, so I wasn’t out with the intention of writing about the show. But I would like to write a quick review of this terrific evening of music.

The event was a combination Valentine’s Day/Trifon Zarezan celebration hosted by the Bulgarian Center of New England. The jazz for the event was provided courtesy of the Fifth Season Quartet – Elena Koleva (vocals), Plamen Karadonev (piano, accordion), Greg Loughman (bass), and Austin MacMahon (drums).

Though I couldn’t tell you any of the songs performed in the first set, the music was smooth, varied, and engaging, the performance seemingly effortless yet impeccable. I never cease to be impressed with Elena’s vocals, and I also always take notice in appreciation (and perhaps this is just me) when Plamen simultaneously plays the accordion and the keys.

In addition to a couple of young, very special guest performers during each set, the group performed a few jazzed-up pop vocal numbers during the second set. I recognized songs from Billy Joel, Norah Jones. Fifth Season also added some Bulgarian jazz to the mix. In all, an enjoyable evening thanks to an exceptionally talented jazz quartet.

Geoff’s Night Out: Balkansky at Arts at the Armory

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Balkansky

Arts at the Armory, Somerville, MA

November 21, 2015

Balkansky and guests

Balkansky and guests; photo by Geoff Wilbur

The Bulgarian American Cultural Center Madara, as part of its 15th anniversary celebration, featured this concert including headliner Balkansky, featuring Theodosii Spassov, Ivan Shopov (DJ Cooh), and Ivo “Kuker” Christov.  I had never been to Arts at the Armory in Somerville before, and while the building is an interesting one on the outside — it is, obviously, a repurposed armory — the performance room itself is a large, admirably unique space. But, of course, this night was about the music, which opened with performers from around the Balkans…

Elitsa Stoyneva and Christiane Karam

Elitsa Stoyneva and Christiane Karam; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Opening Act: Elitsa Stoyneva and Christiane Karam

The evening opened with a traditional folk song performed by Elitsa Stoyneva and Christiane Karam. This talented pair of vocalists were a terrific choice to kick off the night’s performances.

Jasna Duran Band

Jasna Duran Band; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Second Act: Jasna Duran Band

The second act of the evening was a two-song performance by the Jasna Duran Band. In addition to Jasna Duran (vocals), the band consists of Andrea Charls (vocals), Gretchen Schadebrodt (guitar and vocals), Negah Santos (percussion and vocals), and Tania Mesa (violin and vocals). The group opened with a traditional vocal performance; then the band broke out its instruments to perform one of Duran’s very well-written and performed original songs. It was a nice introduction to Jasna and her group’s musical abilities.

Balkansky

Balkansky; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Headliner: Balkansky

The headlining act, Balkansky, is a multi-media performance group consisting of legendary Bulgarian instrumentalist-singer Theodosii Spassov, DJ Ivan Shopov (DJ Cooh), and Ivo “Kuker” Christov providing visuals. Though he performed with three instruments during the evening, Spassov’s specialty — that for which he is widely known around Bulgaria — is the kaval, a traditional instrument in the flute family; for most of the evening, he performed on the kaval.

Theodosii Spassov

Theodosii Spassov; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Musically, the result of the blend of kaval, vocals, and DJing is a unique mix that sounded to me like an extremely intriguing mix of experimental ambient jazz coupled with techno influences (through Shopov’s DJing). As my wife and the other Bulgarians around me pointed out, though, many of the melodies were deeply rooted in traditional Bulgarian folk songs, and the crowd easily recognized it. During one song, in fact, perhaps a third of the audience joined in a traditional dance around the room. Regardless of your familiarity with the origins of the sounds (or instruments) involved, this was an interesting, enjoyable performance fusing traditional and modern musical methods into a unique evening, enhanced by carefully-selected visuals.

Balkansky with Elena Koleva

Balkansky with Elena Koleva; photo by Geoff Wilbur

During the show, Balkansky was also joined on stage twice by local musicians.  For two songs, highly-regarded, talented Boston-based jazz singer Elena Koleva (of the Fifth Season Quartet) lent her voice to the performance. Later, guitarist Asen Vaptsarov (from Berklee) joined Balkansky on stage for a couple songs. The blend of local talent, young and experienced, with the touring tour de force Balkansky rounded out the evening of fun, artistic music, blending seemingly-disparate musical styles seamlessly.

Balkansky with Asen Vaptsarov

Balkansky with guitarist Asen Vaptsarov; photo by Geoff Wilbur

And if you’re still unsure what sort of music I’m describing, which is likely the case since it’s almost impossible to explain, check out Balkansky’s YouTube video for “Rada.”

Closing/Dance Party

After Balkansky played its final note, the night concluded with a Bulgarian dance party, led by Ludo Mlado‘s Peter Petrov, with traditional dance instruction to help those who needed it, though I needed to leave just getting started, so I missed the end of what was certain to be a party continuing much, much later into the night.

Looking Ahead

Balkansky’s North American tour continues for about two more weeks: Dec. 1 at the Padonia Village Clubhouse in Baltimore; Dec. 3 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Atlanta-Northlake in Atlanta; Dec. 4 at Molly Malone’s in Los Angeles; Dec. 5 at the Great Town Hall in Seattle; Dec. 6 at the Croatian Center in San Francisco; Dec. 10 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego; and Dec. 12 at the John Dutton Theatre in Calgary. (Dates and locations are listed on the group’s website.)

The Road Back #1: Milenita

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The Road Back to Music Journalism #1: Milenita’s Gato CD

Discovering a New Artist By Picking a CD Out of a Store Rack

Fall 2011

Milenita

photo courtesy of Milenita

The Backstory

About four years ago, I was in the Sofia airport waiting for my plane to leave. I realized it had been more than a decade since I last purchased a Bulgarian-language music CD, so I perused the airport shops’ CD racks. I was looking for something that appeared professional, interesting, and unique. It was reminiscent of my days as a teenager, searching for new music in the used record store just from the information on the album covers. As you can see from the CD cover, I guessed this would probably be jazz-inspired. I liked the mix of English-language songs because they gave me a better feel for the disc’s musical style, as well.

Why This Was a Step on the Road Back

This was really the first time in the years since I stopped publishing that I had actively sought out new music. I had just started ripping my old CDs, but I hadn’t yet tried to expand my collection. And the fact that I discovered such a gem of a CD, one that I still spin regularly four years later, was the initial spark that restored my interest in new music. The fire to return to writing wasn’t strong yet. It would be almost another year until step #2 on the “road back,” but this was definitely the start.

Milenita

image courtesy of Milenita

The CD Review of Milenita: Gato

A jazz-infused, crooner-flavored, sometimes quirky, occasionally poppy blend of torch songs and playful melodies, Milenita’s Gato is a cohesive yet intriguing blend of styles, a little funky at times, jazzy at others, and engaging throughout. Some of the English language, particularly jazzy songs – notably “You Don’t Mind” and “Love Is Not Easy” – suggest a lounge singer in a James Bond film. (And with Milenita’s acting credits, she could fill such an on-screen role, too. Perhaps the next movie in the series after Spectre will require such a role?) Just a touch more playful but in a similar vein is the more playful “Sitting on the Fence” (which is accompanied with a fun video, by the way). The most similar Spanish-language song on the disc is “La Escalera,” while “Niama” fills that role among the Bulgarian-language songs. Tempo-changing tunes like the quirky, horn-driven “Gato Jmunderiño” and more insistent “Doktor Bashar” also highlight an album that leaves the listener wondering what’s next and begging for more even after 14 tracks.

My favorite song on the CD, however, remains “Cherni Kotaraci,” a catchy, energetic, playful (yes, there’s that word again, but this time in spades!) vocal romp that defies categorization though it still is clearly, undeniably a Milenita tune. Indeed, Milenita does a great job of mixing a variety of styles and tempos together into a cohesive CD that could still be described roughly as a mix of pop and vocal jazz.

Milenita

photo courtesy of Milenita

More Recently

Gato was a 2010 release. The following year, Milenita began a well-regarded stint acting in TV and film in Bulgaria. She continues to perform live, as well. Since Gato, Milenita has released some additional songs on YouTube. Indeed, I’d encourage you to join me as a subscriber to her YouTube channel. It’s been a while since her last YouTube video, though… and I can’t wait to hear what she has in store for us next!