Bulgarian Cultural Day

With
SHTURTSITE / THE CRICKETS
VALYA BALKANSKA
VASSIL NAIDENOV

Friday May 27, 2005 - 7.00 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door (reserved seats)

SHTURTSITE /THE CRICKETS

The most popular and loved Bulgarian band was created in 1967. The time when the rock music was stigmatized in our country as an instrument of “ideological diversion” imposing “а pernicious western influence to our young people". The four musicians began to have problems with the former regime even with the name of the band itself. The reason was the similarity with the name of "The Beatles foursome from Liverpool. However, in spite of all obstacles and prohibitions, SHTURTSITE, due to their talent and the love of the audience, succeeded to become the most significant Bulgarian band of all times.

Valya Balkanska was born on January, 8th 1942, in a small village called of Lagat, /consisting of 7 houses/, not far from the village of Arda.
Her first teachers were Maria and Petar Bechevi. Her first appearance on the stage was on May 24th, 1950 the national holiday of the Slavonic Alphabet and Culture. When she faced her fellow- villagers, filling the community centre to the full, she felt very nervous and ran away behind the curtain. Her teacher, Petar Bechev, was there. He took her hand and led her back to the stage. He kept holding her hand till she began singing. Valya calmed down and instead of one song, she sang three. Flying on the wings of her voice, she didn’t notice when her teacher had let her hand go and withdrawn. The audience applauded her. Bechev hugged her and covered her with kisses. That is how the little girl from the small village of Lagat took her way to glory of one of the best folk singers.

Vassil Naidenov is the most famous Bulgarian pop-rock star since 1980.
During the time of his long career on the stage, his songs have been winning the most prestigious awards in Bulgaria and abroad. Among his awards are over 10 Grand Prix. More than 25 countries have enjoyed his artistic performances.
Many of his songs have become favorite for several generations: "Adaptation", "Good buy, my Love", "Clown", "La Mia Donna" and many more. One of his hits, "Telephone Love", performed by Philip Kirkorov, became the favorite song of the whole Russian Federation.

More Info:

http://www.mbfys.kun.nl/~marcel/www.marcelnijman.com/shturtsite/

http://www.omda.bg/engl/ethnography/folk_music.html

http://vassil-n.hit.bg/

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