A GIFT FROM GOD

I doubt that there is anyone who has heard the music of Teodossii Spasov and can talk about it without using anything else but superlatives. Based on this assumption, there are not enough English words to describe the music of Teodossii Spasov and his Folk Project Band. With some of the simplest folk instruments - kaval (a kind of wooden flute), gaida (bag pipe), gadulka (a string instrument), tapan (drum) and acoustic guitar they create the most delicate tunes. They build a bridge between the rich Bulgarian folk heritage and the modern jazz interpretation of it.

It is a shame to admit, in establishing my new life in the U.S.A.; I have drifted quite apart from the Bulgarian cultural (including music) events in the last 15-20 years. Although it is not a good excuse, a big part of it was a result of the "blooming" of the very popular "Chalga" music, a genre that I couldn't stand. In contrast, it seemed, everybody was not only tolerating, but embracing it. And so, I have not followed the development of the Bulgarian music in recent years. Still, I had heard about Teodossii Spasov, but attending his concert in Phoenix on the 11th of April, was my true introduction to his incredible style, performance and stage presence. With the very first tunes he pulled from the kaval, the thought "A gift from God" inhabited my mind and as a refrain accompanied every note after that. Such phenomenal talent cannot be anything else, but a gift from God. A gift with a mission to rediscover and reestablish the old Bulgarian music values, to better them and to offer them to the world as a music treasure chest in a new, unique, while close, understandable, pleasant and joyful way.

The concert was an experience for me. It transferred me to a different dimension; it uplifted my spirit and revived my senses. Since then, even the daily surroundings seem more vibrant and beautiful, enriched with new charm and meaning. This music boosts my national pride. To me, Spasov's interpretations and performance are the highest form of poetry I ever experienced in music. The new vibrations of well known, loved and cherished Bulgarian folk pieces touched unsuspected strings deep in my soul.

The talented performance of Tedossii Spasov and his band, along with their vivid personalities, turned our hopes, dreams and feelings into sounds and images that were tucked away for a very long time. The entire audience (Bulgarians, Americans, Japanese and others) was struck by those sounds that embodied everything we were missing far from home. The unique blend of Bulgarian folk with jazz turned the traditional concepts about folk instruments upside down. The pleasure of diving into their art - immense! Broad range of images, feelings and memories - dreams were infused into the listeners, who silently resonate - everyone in his own way, but somehow - together. I am not exaggerating - Tedossii Spasov and his Folk Project Band are one of the greatest cultural events for the Bulgarian community in the far west for the last 20 years. I witnessed their effect on the audience; it was truly profound and left all of us speechless because of the new way of revealing the beauty of the Bulgarian music. Their vocal, instrumental and personal presence is indescribable in ordinary words. How else could it be, it is a gift from God. Who would even dare to analyze His job?!