Dancho Radulov fulfilled his child dream to become a skilled shepherd’s flute player, because he grew up in a family of hereditary musicians. He studied at the National School of Folk Arts on the town of Kotel. Later, he joined the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv and the Folklore Ensemble Trakia. Dancho Radulov also became part of the Folklore Ensemble Varna and reached the concert stages in Europe and the USA with the Mystery of Bulgarian Voices Choir and Atanas Vulchev’s instrumental group. He passed his knowledge and experience to children from Moldova and Ukraine. The Golden Archives of the Bulgarian National Radio contain nearly 150 recordings of solos, song arrangements, chain dances and author’s pieces of the acclaimed Bulgarian musician. One of his latest successful pieces is the music to the Eighth Wonder Show of the National Folklore Ensemble Bulgare.

“I was born in the town of Suvorovo near the coastal city of Varna”, Dancho Radulov, who will celebrate his 60^th birthday next year, told Radio Bulgaria.” My family moved there from Yambol district. I was enjoying the music performance of my grandfather Ivan who also played on the shepherd’s flute. My other grandfather Yordan was an excellent singer. We enjoyed the performances of Nikola Ganchev, Valkana Stoyanova, Staika Gyokova on the airwaves of the Bulgarian National Radio. Renowned Bulgarian musicians Zhelyo Dimov and Nikola Ganchev used to visit us at home. When we moved to Varna I joined a local folklore school and became part of the children’s orchestra. My first music teacher was Tsvyatko Denkov. I joined the National School of Folk Arts in Kotel and studied in the classes of young shepherd’s flute player Dimcho Zhelev. Later, when I joined the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv I studied in the classes of professors Vasilev and Dosev. Kozludzhansko Horo was my first author’s solo. I was also part of the Trakia Orchestra. When I was still a student the artistic director of Varna folklore ensemble Professor Petar Angelov invited me to become a conductor at that music formation.”

Dancho Radulov also told Radio Bulgaria details about some unforgettable meetings with the audience.

“I had the most exciting experience in Perugia, Italy. Our concert was held in the student’s campus and the audience was formed mainly by young people. When the concert finished and we were going out through the service entrance the whole audience was arranged in guard of honor and we received lot of applauses. In the USA we held concerts in some of the most prestigious concert halls with the Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices Choir. My music activity in Bessarabia was an important moment of my music career, because my ancestors are from there. I taught Bulgarian folklore and culture at the Bolhrad High School and founded a music orchestra, school and a choir there. Later I departed to Tvardita, Moldova, where I taught individual lessons in shepherd’s flute and bagpipe at the local music college. I can’t imagine my life without the shepherd’s flute. I have spent my whole life with that music instrument and with folklore music”, Dancho Radulov said. 

English version: Kostadin Atanasov