Bulgarian violinist, singer, and actress Emanuela Kalcheva-Djaima presented a rendition of the Bulgarian folk dance Gankino Horo at a traditional concert marking International Jazz Day on April 30th, organized by the Jazz Society of Egypt. Djaima described her approach to music, stating, “Jazz is an eclectic genre with many different currents. My jazz is a fusion with traditional music, whether Bulgarian or Romani.
I always like to do something different, to enrich or leave my own musical imprint on something that already exists.”
She shared that performing Gankino Horo, which features a complex rhythm, was a long-held ambition. Reflecting on the piece, Djaima recalled her father’s advice: “if you want to become known around the world, learn to play Bulgarian music.” She noted that performing the piece years later made her realize her father was correct, requiring a greater sense of maturity to appreciate it. For the performance, Djaima collaborated with Amro Salah, founder of the Jazz Society of Egypt and the Cairo Jazz Festival, who has strong ties to Bulgaria, alongside Andre Segone on bass guitar and Fady Tawab Louis on drums.
Djaima found the collaboration both inspiring and enjoyable for the Egyptian musicians. The audience at Arkan Teatre in Cairo responded with significant applause to her Gankino Horo. Djaima elaborated on her performance philosophy, explaining that while improvisation is key to jazz, the piece demanded “mathematical precision, because 11/8 is a very difficult rhythm, and improvisation.” After graduating from the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia and spending nearly three decades in Paris, Djaima moved to Cairo during the pandemic to teach.
Currently, she is involved in the trio Sacree Femmes, featuring American cellist Kira Weiss and Egyptian musician Safa El-Helaly, who plays the traditional rababa.
Topics: #jazz #bulgarian #djaima
