Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

88 years since the birth of the nightingale of Thrace region - folk singer Nadka Karadzhova

Photo: panagyurishte.org

Today marks the 88th anniversary of the birth of remarkable Bulgaria folk singer Nadka Karadzhova. Born on March 14, 1937 in the then Pazardzhik village of Trivoditsi (today - Plovdiv region), she is a descendant of an old musical family. At the age of 15, at an amateur art festival in Plovdiv, Nadka Karadzhova was noticed by the composer Philip Koutev. And in 1953, at only 16 years of age, she became part of the legendary State Folk Song and Dance Ensemble, of which Koutev was the conductor.

Nadka Karadzhova remained in it for 40 years, giving concerts with incredible success in Europe, Asia and America. She later participated in the choirs "Cosmic Voices" and "The Great Voices of Bulgaria".


In 1991, together with her daughter Svetla and singers Lilyana Galevska and Stoyanka Lalova, she founded the Slavey quartet (meaning "nightingale"). At the same time, the singer recorded over 300 solo folk songs for the Bulgarian National Radio, released 27 albums and participated in many films produced by the Bulgarian National Television.
Nadka Karadzhov gave over 13,500 concerts in her lifetime. She died suddenly on January 3, 2011 in Sofia, as the cause was deemed be a severe heart attack. 

Let us remember Nadka Karadzhova with one of her most popular recordings - that of the iconic folk song "Zableyalo mi agantse" ( A small sheep starting bleating).




Photos: bnt.bg, Facebook /Quartet "Slavey"



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

In the afternoon, the girls will also visit the Etara Architectural and Ethnographic Complex near the nearby town of Gabrovo.

St Lazarus Day celebrated with traditional lazaruvane in Tryavna

The historic town of Tryavna will celebrate St Lazarus' Day, traditionally held on the Saturday before Palm Sunday. The Bulgarian custom, known as lazaruvane , is closely linked to the themes of love and marriage and will be re-enacted this..

published on 4/11/25 4:50 PM

The cuckoo calls for the first time, animals awaken from their winter sleep on Blagovets

The feast of the Annunciation (Blagoveshtenie in Bulgaria) is a holy day , a symbol of God’s infinite mercy to people and especially to women, blessed to bear new life, but also an embodiment of the eternal human longing for something better in the..

published on 3/25/25 11:05 AM

Masquerade Games Festival is being held in Bulgaria's Stara Zagora

Clocks and bells will ring out in the center of Stara Zagora on Saturday, when the city will host the XXIV Masquerade Games Festival . The event will start with a traditional parade of participants.  Attractive babugers, araps, old men and other..

published on 3/15/25 11:36 AM