Welkya

“Welkya” is an album I first heard when it came out in 2006. It was around the time when I first had the chance to personally meet with Theodosii Spassov, the Bulgarian kaval virtuoso, and was already familiar with his music and work in the ethno-jazz genre. Still, the record just blew my mind immediately. It showcases Spassov’s extraordinary playing skills, but also his brilliant talent as a composer and an arranger. The finale is especially powerful, as it is the title song, a curse spoken over kaval improvisation, recited by his wife Boika Velkova, a famous Bulgarian actress. Another highlight on the album is the remarkable drumming by Stoyan Yankulov, a long time associate of Theodosii Spasov. Other musicians on the record include Yanka Rupkina on vocals, Georgi Petrov on gadulka, Valentin Yankov on tamboura, and Georgi Dontchev on bass.

Theodosii Spasov is one of the most popular international acts that comes from southern Europe. His touring schedules have included concerts in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, Holland, India, Israel, Japan, Nepal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the U.K. and the U.S. He has worked together with artists such as Billy Cobham, Ennio Morricone, Paul McCandless, Glen Moore, Glen Velez, Rabih Abou-Khalil, and others. In addition, I give you his full biography, as represented on his official website:

“People refer to Theodosii Spassov as “the kaval player of the world”. Indeed, Theodosii Spassov’s fans all over the world form a very wide circle. Born on March 4, 1961, in the town of Isperih, he graduated from the Philip Kutev National School of Folk Arts in Kotel and then the Plovdiv Academy of Music, Dance, and Fine Arts. He is acknowledged as a virtuoso kaval performer, who is capable of playing any folk melody with style. What makes him even more popular are his original ideas, the realization of which brings together musicians of diverse genres.

He was the first to play jazz on kaval and the mixing of traditional folk music with elements of jazz and classical music is at the basis of almost all original pieces composed by Theodosii. Theodosii Spassov developed his own unique playing style. His performances are an unusual synthesis of traditional folklore, jazz, and classical music. In the recent years, he has been busy composing scores for film and theater, as well as music for symphonic orchestra and kaval. He has recorded over 38 CDs, containing solo performances and collaborations with various musical formations.

Theodosii plays with folk, jazz and classical orchestras and bands, famous Bulgarian and foreign musicians, including the Music Bands of the Bulgarian National Radio, the Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Vocal Choir, known for the Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares project, the Philip Koutev Ensemble, Ivo Papazov, Georgi Yanev, Petar Ralchev, Milcho Leviev, Yıldız İbrahimova, Simeon Shterev, Veselin Nıkolov, Petar Petrov, Anatoliy Vapirov, Acoustic Version, the band of the Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Glen Velez, Dave Liebman,Glen Moore, Mino Cinélu, Paul McCandless, Billy Cobham, Marc Johnson, Kazumi Watanabe. For three years, he was a member of the Irish music and dance company Riverdance. His collaboration with the conductor Kristjan Järvi, the guitarists Vlatko Stefanovski and Miroslav Tadić for the Balkan Fever project was jointly presented with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 1995, Newsweek listed him among the most talented East European musicians in its Best of the East column, noting that “Spassov is not merely surviving the post-communist cultural wasteland. He has actually invented a new musical genre.”

In addition to his live performances, Theodosii takes part in recordings for film and theater. He works alongside artists such as Ennio Morricone and Carlo Siliotto.

Theodosii Spassov is a holder of many distinctions and awards, among which the International Academy of Arts in Paris Award (1996), Music Artist of the Year Award (1997 and 2002), the Apollo Toxophoros statuette for his pronounced contribution to Bulgarian music and worldwide success (2001), the National Film Centre Award for film music (2007 and 2016), the Dobri Chintulov Award for contribution to Bulgarian culture (2009). In 2011, he was presented with the highest honor of the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, the Golden Age, for his significant contribution to the development and popularization of Bulgarian culture and traditional music. He was also granted the Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius by the Bulgarian state – first grade with collar, for exceptional contribution to Bulgarian culture (2013), the honorary title Doctor honoris causa by the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv (2014) and was named UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2015.”