April 24 marked the 82nd anniversary since the birth of Nedyalka Keranova- one of the most remarkable voices of Bulgarian folklore, who passed away in 1966 at the age of 55. Our listener and friend Noris Balabanyan who lives in the USA and whose family is from the Haskovo region called our attention to Nedyalka Keranova. “Her voice, like no other, will always remind us of the unique beauty of Thrace, its millennia-old culture and rich music traditions”, Noris Balabanyan wrote to Radio Bulgaria. He sent condolences to the daughter and the family of Nedyalka Keranova on behalf of the citizens of Haskovo and the descendants of the Thracian Bulgarians from Western Thrace and the Edirne Area living in North America.
Nedyalka Keranova was born in the village of Tatarevo, Haskovo district (Southeastern Bulgaria), on April 24, 1941. At age 13 she won her first distinction and together with the acclaimed singers Magda Pushkarova and Boris Karlov she travelled the country to sing at weddings, folklore festivals and other celebrations. In 1956 Nedyalka Keranova joined as soloist the folk music ensemble in Plovdiv. In 1960 Philip Kutev invited her to the State Folk Ensemble in Sofia where she worked for eight years.
Nedyalka Keranova was recognized as the pioneer of Bulgarian wedding musis. This was no coincidence, because her father, Todor Keranov, was a famous wedding musician- a violinist in the orchestra of the legendary clarinetist Ramadan Lolov. Instrumental groups used to appear on weddings and other family occasions even before the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Rule in 1878. However, this tradition peaked in the 1960’s and the 1970’s. Nedyalka Keranova was among the singers whose careers focused on this folklore practice. According to a number of music experts, Nedyalka Keranova created her own vocal style, with its specific vibrato and way of singing. Currently, she has a number of followers and imitators.
Nedyalka Keranova: “A folk singer cannot learn how to sing, he or she is born a singer”
Next, we bring you a documentary recording from the folklore festival "Thrace Sings and Dances" (1966) featuring Nedyalka Keranova.
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