This season, renowned jazz singer Yıldız Ibrahimova delighted her fans with a project in which she sings together with the Razgrad philharmonic, a project that has been growing more and more popular. Invitations have been pouring in from all sides, including from small towns.

“It will be our great pleasure to guest perform in the town Dulgopol, in Northeastern Bulgaria on August 29. The concert is on the occasion of the town’s patron saint’s day. The invitation came as something of a surprise, but it is a sign that the music we perform is capable of reaching a broad audience,” says Yıldız.

Yıldız Ibrahimova is a jazz singer with an exceptionally broad vocal range and a remarkable vocal technique; her diverse musical interests and partnerships are truly astounding. She has worked on projects with practically all famous names in Bulgarian jazz, among them pianist Mario Stanchev (it was in fact with his quartet that that Yıldız Ibrahimova started her career), the Big Band of the Bulgarian National Radio and many others. The Bulgarian-born singer graduated the National Music School and then the National Music Academy in Sofia and her first performances on stage were here, in Bulgaria. She has released around 20 albums and has toured dozens of countries around the world. In recent years she has been living in Turkey where she has also been lecturing.

The concert programme with the Razgrad philharmonic has not been presented to audiences abroad, but in Bulgaria it has been a resounding success. The project also features several famed folk musicians as soloists. Here is more from Yıldız Ibrahimova:

“We launched the project together with the Razgrad philharmonic in October. The very first concerts we had were a major success. We have presented it in Rousse, Varna, Bourgas, Sliven. The interest may well be due to the fact that we have included jazz, as well as ethno and classical music. The selection is targeted at a broader audience. Other musicians featured include Ivo Papazov with his virtuoso quartet and the incredible accordion player Neshko Neshkov. It is a colourful programme that has been really successful. People obviously need to hear a more diverse selection of music. After the concert in Dulgopol, in September we shall be performing in Plovdiv, Rousse, Stara Zagora and on 20 October – in Sofia.”

In recent months Yıldız has also had a programme together with the Turkish Air Force Orchestra called Eagles of Jazz. Just a few weeks ago they presented it in Bulgaria:

“It is only recently that I started working with this orchestra, but we have had quite a number of concerts,” says Yıldız Ibrahimova. “We have been invited to take part in the Nisville International Jazz Festival in Nis, Serbia in 2016. Collaborations of this kind among Balkan countries can yield excellent results. Here is an example – the concert we gave with the Turkish trio Tanini, together with the Bulgarian National Radio Big Band. Bulgaria Hall was packed, the audience loves this kind of music - a blend of ethno and jazz. Not long ago I told music journalists and sponsors of an idea I had. It would be wonderful to organize a festival with the participation of Balkan jazz musicians. We do not know each other all that well, but through art and culture we could learn much more about our neighbours. And that could give the start to other joint projects.”

English version: Milena Daynova