Bulgarian violinist, singer, and actress Emanuela Kalcheva-Djaima presented a rendition of the Bulgarian folk dance Gankino Horo at the International Jazz Day concert on April 30, organized by the Jazz Society of Egypt. Djaima described her approach to jazz, noting that it is an eclectic genre allowing for fusion with traditional music, including Bulgarian and Romani styles. She expressed a long-held ambition to perform the rhythmically complex Gankino Horo.
Reflecting on the performance, Djaima recalled advice from her father regarding the importance of learning Bulgarian music if she wished to gain international recognition. Performing the piece years later made her realize the wisdom in his counsel. On stage, Djaima collaborated with Amro Salah, founder of the Jazz Society of Egypt and the Cairo Jazz Festival, who has ties to Bulgaria, alongside Andre Segone on bass guitar and Fady Tawab Louis on drums.
The collaboration was described by the artist as both enjoyable and inspiring for the Egyptian musicians. The audience at Arkan Teatre in Cairo responded to the Gankino Horo with significant applause. Djaima explained that her performance style involves focusing on musical openness to react to the moment, balancing the improvisation inherent in jazz with the precise structure of difficult rhythms like 11/8.
After graduating from the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia, Djaima lived in Paris for nearly three decades before moving to Cairo during the pandemic to teach music. Currently, she is involved in the trio Sacree Femmes, where she collaborates with American cellist Kira Weiss and Egyptian musician Safa El-Helaly, who plays the traditional rababa.
Topics: #jazz #bulgarian #djaima
On April 30, Bulgarian violinist, singer, and actress Emanuela Kalcheva-Djaima performed a rendition of the Bulgarian folk dance Gankino Horo during the International Jazz Day concert, which was organ