Yet another meeting between Bulgarian folklore and foreign music traditions has taken place. This time Bulgaria meets Cuba in the joint project "Beyond the Notes" of Grammy-nominated pianist Roberto Fonseca and the Latin Grammy-winning choir New Bulgarian Voices with conductor Assoc. Prof. Georgi Petkov. After the successful premiere of the project in France at the Jazz in Marciac Festival, the Bulgarian audience will also have the opportunity to experience "Beyond the Notes" in concerts on June 30 at the "Orpheus" Summer Cinema in Plovdiv, on July 2 at the Summer Theater in Varna and on July 4 in "Bulgaria" Hall in Sofia.

Roberto Fonseca is widely known from his participation in Buena Vista Social Club. His interest in Bulgarian folklore began a long time ago - as early as 2008, when after his concert in the "Bulgaria" Hall, the pianist stayed for a few days in Sofia and immersed himself in the cultural and music environment of the country. Captivated by the uneven rhythms and diversity of Bulgarian folklore traditions, Roberto Fonseca decided to create a joint project with a Bulgarian vocal ensemble. A few years later, he started working with the "New Bulgarian Voices" Choir. According to conductor Georgi Petkov, this is the first combination of Cuban jazz and Bulgarian folklore, transformed into magical music. "Devoiko Mari Hubava" is based on the Bulgarian folk song of the same name and this new rendition was created at the special request of Roberto Fonseca.

English: Alexander Markov

Photos: EPA/BGNES, Facebook / New Bulgarian Voices