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From Eastern Europe comes the VALERI DIMCHEV QUARTET from Bulgaria with traditional singing accompanied by folk instruments.

The strongest elements in their music are the characteristic sounds of the tamboura and the tarambouka mixed with the incredible female voice of the beautiful Desislava Dimcheva. Her voice is so striking that it will stop you in your tracks. Voices like hers are much sought after and she used to sing with the Philip Koutev State Choir.

Valeri Dimchev, leader of the group, has been blending the Bulgarian folk tradition with improvisation and fret-blazing virtuosity for more than a decade.

The other 2 musicians are Aleksandar Popov playing svirka, tarambuka and clarinet; and Dragomir Dimov on percussion.

The tamboura is a long necked instrument with four double strings played with a plectrum while the tarambouka is a small Oriental drum.

A svirka is a kind of short flute, which is a typical instrument of the Bulgarian shepherd in the past.

VALERI DIMCHEV QUARTET's music is deceptively complex and remarkably powerful. The interlocking rhythms they produce speak volumes on their own as songs are all in native Bulgarian.

In Sofia, there are many schools that teach and maintain these disciplines that date back thousands of years. Valeri Dimchev himself is a teacher who is dedicated to passing along this knowledge to the younger generations.