Konoush Band celebrates 55th anniversary with fellow musicians

published on 6/22/18 2:40 PM]

БНР Новини

Photo: library

In its 55-year record Konoush Band has emerged as a classical group in the genre of Thracian wedding music based on folklore. Its musicians have provided performances to generations of Bulgarians through their countless appearances at weddings, christening rituals, festivals, celebrations and concerts. During the legendary instrumental music competitions in the villages of Stambolovo and Gorski Izvor (near Haskovo in Southern Bulgaria) they have always received the highest prizes.

Founder and long-standing leader of Konoush Band is clarinetist Nikola Iliev. He has academic training but has devoted his entire career to folk music and the band named after his native village of Konoush. The band is vastly popular not only in the region of Thrace. Regardless of the changes in the band’s lineup and its repertoire the musicians remain loyal to the classical style of wedding melodies and chain dances. It is known that the Thracian musicians readily join the celebrations of their colleagues.

In April some of the most famous wedding bands invited their fans to the town of Chirpan, Southern Bulgaria, to mark the 85^th anniversary of Professor Petko Radev. Many famous singers and instrumentalists from Thrace will also join the anniversary celebration ofKonoush Band. More from Nikola Iliev:

“I have invited a few bands. I think that we will have a nice celebration of folk music with the Young Thracians band and its leader Bozhidar Strehin (a student of mine)., Slavyani (Slavs) band led by Nikolay Trifonov, Slavey (Nightingale) band of Slavcho Angelov, the Pazardzhik band Siyanie (Radiance) of Ivo Ralchev, Onyx Band of Panteley Grigorov and the band of Mladen Milanov. We expect other celebrity musicians to join us – clarinetist Ivo Papazov, accordionist Alexander Raychev, folk singers Todor Kozhuharov, Binka Dobreva and Yanka Ivanova. They have all promised to come. The date is 22 June and the celebration opens at 5 p.m. in the central square of Konoush village. I am a passionate patriot; I love the village and its people. I chose the village for the event because I was born here and my family comes from this place. There is a young and active man, Kiril Baldzhiev, who lives in Konoush and always helps me. He supported us for the 50^th anniversary of the band, and this time it is the same. We are grateful to Nikolay Angelov and his brother, as well as to the sponsors of the concert which will turn into a major event.”

English Daniela Konstantinova

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Konoush Band celebrates 55th anniversary with fellow musicians

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