“The year we are sending off has been generous to us,” says Mrs. Binka Georgieva who has been leader of “Kambanki” (Bells) children’s vocal group for many years, and piano teacher at Elin Pelin-1896 chitalishte (community culture club). She is the motor of all music activities we are about to tell you about.

Binka Georgieva was born in Svishtov, but as life would have it, ended up living in the Shoppe region. She has graduated the National Academy of Music in Sofia. She owes her professionalism to the outstanding professors she has had: Parashkev Hadjiev, Lazar Nikolov, Jules Levy, Vassil Arnaudov, Lilia Gyuleva, Milena Mollova etc.

“The “Kambanki” are now 36 years old,” Binka Georgieva says. “The idea to set up the group belongs to Stanka Kovacheva, director of the one-time pioneer home (children’s cultural centre). We found the children, put the group together and got the ball rolling… Here, in the Shoppe region, children are very musical and good singers. We all know what a Shoppe folk song sounds like – powerful, sonorous, strong voices. The people from this region love to perform onstage, they prefer it to being audience or listener. In this part of the country everybody sings and dances, and it comes from the heart.”

Mrs. Georgieva goes on to tell us about the prestigious award the “Kambanki” won at the international festival in Prague, in which the children took part under the guidance of Sashka Spassova:

“She is herself a former “bell”, she started singing and playing the piano with me when she was 6. She graduated jazz and pop singing at the Lyubomir Pipkov National Music School in Sofia and is now doing music pedagogy at Sofia University. She is just wonderful with the older “Kambanki”, who are 13-14. I would like to thank the people from the municipal authorities and from the chitalishte, I have always had their support. I founded the piano class in 1978. I was appointed accordion teacher, but I managed to persuade the students to take up piano instead. I got together children from the kindergarten. I would like to note that I combine singing with the piano. And, as it turned out, the children who play the piano are very eager to sing in the group. The best soloists are also my best pianists. I am convinced that this is the best way to help them develop, by engaging them in art. This year, the Christmas season started early for us – at the beginning of December when we performed on the stage of the Christmas bazaar in the town three days in a row. We also sang at a charity concert in Sofia, with the older “Kambanki”. I would like to wish all people health and energy, so they shall open up their hearts to all things beautiful in life, and music gives us all that – harmony that lights up the soul.”

English version: Milena Daynova