“Zmeyova Nevesta” is a meeting point between Bulgarian folklore and the contemporary musical language of Acid Folk Five – a project in which traditional songs, family musical heritage and original compositions are reimagined through jazz, funk, electro-pop and the freedom of improvisation.
At the heart of the project are Ekaterina Angelova – vocals, and Ivo Paunov – composer, saxophone, flute and kaval. Some of the songs have been passed down to Ekaterina through her own family, becoming a starting point for the group’s music. They are joined by Vihren Paunov – bass and vocals, Georgi Petrov – piano, and Borislav Petrov – drums.
The “Zmeyova Nevesta” programme brings together some of the beautiful examples of Bulgarian traditional song, music from Ekaterina’s family heritage and original compositions. Rather than offering a literal interpretation of folklore, Acid Folk Five create a distinctive sound world of their own – with entirely original arrangements in which Bulgarian tradition meets jazz, electro-pop and funk.
The project has been presented on stages and at festivals across Bulgaria and Europe, including the Bansko International Jazz Festival.
SPECIAL GUEST: DAVID YENGIBARIAN (accordion)
The evening’s special guest is Armenian-Hungarian accordionist and composer David Yengibarian – a musician with a distinctive voice on the European jazz and world music scene.
Born in Yerevan and based in Budapest since 1995, Yengibarian has developed a musical language that brings together Armenian tradition, jazz, improvisation, Argentine tango and Astor Piazzolla’s tango nuevo. Alongside his active international concert career, he composes music for film and theatre and has performed at venues and festivals in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Vienna and Edinburgh.
At In The Mood, he will join “Zmeyova Nevesta”, while the evening will also feature part of his solo programme – ranging from bossa nova to works by Johann Sebastian Bach, originally written for organ and reimagined for accordion. Another unexpected musical encounter beyond genre and geographical borders.
Ivo Paunov is a composer, music producer and multi-instrumentalist playing saxophone, flute and kaval. He studied Jazz Performance at York University in Toronto, and his musical journey spans jazz, Bulgarian folklore, contemporary music, film and theatre. He has composed music for numerous film productions presented at international festivals and has collaborated over the years with musicians including Theodosii Spassov, Hristo Yotsov and Mihail Yossifov. His work is characterised by an experimental approach to Bulgarian musical tradition, combining it with jazz, electronic music and a wide range of contemporary musical forms.