Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

85 years since birth of nightingale of Thrace folklore region – singer Nadka Karadzhova

Photo: library

March 14 marks the 85th anniversary of the birth of famous singer Nadka Karadzhova - one of the emblematic voices of Bulgaria. She was born in the village of Tri Voditsi, in the region of Pazardzhik, in a family where folklore music was part of everyday life. She was just 15 years old when her beautiful voice  and musical talent impressed composer Philip Koutev at a festival of amateur art in Plovdiv. He invited her to the National Folklore Ensemble, which he established just a year earlier (in 1951).

Just 16-years-old, Nadka became part of the prestigious ensemble, in which she sang for four decades. During her lifetime she used to say: "The ensemble was my school, my university, my family."

Nadka Karadzhova performed on the world's biggest stages as a soloist of the Ensemble. In the 80s of the past century the singer created the "Slavey” (Nightingale) Quartet, which continued to amaze the fans of Bulgarian folklore around the world.

Her song"Pilentse Pee" has been included in Japanese textbooks and children study it in music classes. For a certain period of time she was also soloist of the choirs "Vanya Moneva" and "The Great Voices of Bulgaria." She recorded hundreds of folk songs from the Trakiya (Thrace) region, which are now stored in the BNR’s audio fund.

Today, we have chosen for you the song "Dragana and the Nightingale"




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Faces of Balkan folklore to be presented at photo exhibition in Kardzhali

On June 3 at 18.00 in Art Gallery "Circle" in Kardzhali the photo exhibition "Ethnopalitra - the faces of Balkan folklore"  will be opened. The exhibition is the work of  journalist and historian Georgi Kulov.  The exhibition is inspired..

published on 6/3/24 7:05 AM

The Bulgarian folklore ensembles abroad are hubs of social and cultural communication

There are no data regarding the exact number of Bulgarian dance ensembles operating abroad. But there is one thing that is certain – they are amateur groups scattered across all continents, acting as a bridge between Bulgaria and the rest of the..

updated on 5/28/24 12:49 PM
Surva festival in Pernik

Pernik will host 44th meeting of the Federation of European Carnival Cities

Bulgaria's Pernik will host the 44th annual meeting of the Federation of European Carnival Cities , which is opening today , the municipal administration announced. More than 100 delegates from 20 countries are expected to elect a new president and new..

published on 5/13/24 6:51 AM