Bulgarian violinist, singer, and actress Emanuela Kalcheva – Djaima performed a rendition of the Bulgarian folk dance Gankino Horo at a traditional concert marking International Jazz Day on April 30, organized by the Jazz Society of Egypt. Djaima described her musical style as a fusion, integrating traditional elements, whether Bulgarian or Romani, within the genre of jazz. She stated her artistic goal is to enrich existing musical structures with her own imprint.
Performing Gankino Horo was a long-held aspiration due to the piece’s complex rhythm. She reflected on the performance, noting that the experience brought back memories of her father’s advice to master Bulgarian music, a lesson she feels she understood more deeply with maturity. On stage, 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 and Fady Tawab Louis on drums.
She found the collaboration both inspiring and enjoyable for the Egyptian musicians. The performance was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience at Arkan Teatre in Cairo. The Bulgarian musician elaborated on the performance’s technical demands, explaining that the piece required a blend of mathematical precision—due to the challenging 11/8 rhythm—and improvisation, central tenets of jazz.
Djaima, who previously studied at the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia, relocated to Cairo during the pandemic to teach. Her ongoing work includes the trio Sacree Femmes, where she collaborates with cellist Kira Weiss and Egyptian musician Safa El-Helaly.
Topics: #jazz #bulgarian #djaima
The fusion of traditional Bulgarian folk music with jazz sounds like a wonderful cultural experience.