On April 25 the Bulgarian National Radio gathered in its Studio 1 musicians distinguished at the 48th edition of BNR’s 2017 Spring music contest for new Bulgarian pop and rock song. The jury was formed by music editors from various channels of the Bulgarian National Radio. Sue Red band and their song Feelings received the Debut prize. Several other awards were bestowed by the jury, the guild of musicians, the journalistic guild and the audience. The music, the lyrics and the arrangement of the song Feelings are by Suzana Stoeva.

The purpose of that contest, which is to mark in two years its 50th anniversary, is to encourage Bulgarian musicians to write new songs and develop their creative potential as composers, lyric writers, music arrangers and performers. The first prize this year went to a very popular and loved Bulgarian band- Slang. After the tragic death of its lead vocal Dimitar Ekimov-Dimi, who lost his life in a road accident, the other members of Slang stopped playing together in that band for some time. Now the band has a new lead singer- Vladimir Mihaylov who used to work in another popular Bulgarian band SAFO. Slang and their piece Impossible Things placed 1st at the 48th edition of the 2017 Golden Spring music contest for new Bulgarian pop and rock song. The music and the lyrics to that song are written by Vladimir Mihaylov.

P.I.F band and their author’s song The Nest placed second at this year’s edition of 2017 Golden Spring music contest for new Bulgarian pop and rock song. The musicians from that popular Bulgarian band have also spent many years on the stage. So far their released several music albums and have had a very active concert activity. The author of the music and the lyrics of The Nest piece is Dimo Stoyanov, lead singer of P.I.F band.

Traditionally, the listeners of the BNR channels also make their choice of new pop and rock song for that music contest. This year Teodora Radilova’s piece Morning is the most favorite song of the Bulgarian audience. Mihail Nedkov is the music arranger of that piece. He also wrote the music and the lyrics to that song.

Each year the Bulgarian National Radio invites celebrated Bulgarian musicians to vote for one of the selected pieces. This year the first prize of the Bulgarian guild of musicians and journalists went to young performer Yavor Velchev-Yavi and his song Gravitation. Yavor wrote the lyrics of the song and Konstantin Svetshtarov is the music arranger and author of the music.

The Bulgarian National Radio has been also giving a special award to the best performing band or musician- a concert at one of the music stages at the Eurosonic-Noorderslag festival in Groningen, the Netherlands. This year the prize went to Saint Electrics band and their piece Locked in This Town. Der Hunds band which won last year’s award in that category with their song Memory also attended that festival. D2, BTR and Gravity Co also took part at that music festival. The music and the music arrangement of the piece Locked in This Town is by Saint Electrics and Grisha Georgiev wrote the lyrics to the song. So, we are looking forward to the participation of SaintElectrics at the 2018 Eurosonic festival in Groningen, the Netherlands.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov

Photos: Ani Petrova

Audio features the following tracks:

1  Feelings, performed by Sue Red

2  Impossible Things, performed by Slang band

3  The Nest, to the rendition of P.I.F

4  Morning, to the rendition of Teodora Radilova

5  Gravitation, to the rendition of Yavor Velchev-Yavi

 6  Locked in this town, performed by Saint Electrics