Bulgarian violinist, singer, and actress Emanuela Kalcheva-Djaima recently delivered a rendition of the Bulgarian folk dance Gankino Horo during a traditional concert celebrating International Jazz Day on April 30th, organized by the Jazz Society of Egypt. Djaima described her approach to music as a fusion, noting that her jazz style incorporates traditional influences, whether Bulgarian or Romani. She stated her artistic goal is to “enrich or leave [her] own musical imprint on something that already exists.” The performance of Gankino Horo, known for its complex rhythm, held particular significance for the artist.
She reflected that the piece reminded her of advice from her father, who had encouraged her early in her musical studies to master Bulgarian music for global recognition. On stage, Djaima performed with collaborators including Amro Salah, founder of the Jazz Society of Egypt, Andre Segone on bass, and Fady Tawab Louis on drums. The collaboration was noted as inspiring for the Egypt-based musicians.
The performance, held at Arkan Teatre in Cairo, was met with enthusiastic applause. Djaima elaborated on the musical demands of the piece, explaining that the performance required balancing “mathematical precision”—due to the challenging 11/8 rhythm—with improvisation, a core element of jazz. Originally trained in Sofia, Djaima spent nearly three decades in Paris before moving to Cairo during the pandemic to teach music.
She continues to work on projects such as 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
Bulgarian violinist, singer, and actress Emanuela Kalcheva-Djaima performed a rendition of the Bulgarian folk dance Gankino Horo during a traditional concert on April 30th, which celebrated Internatio
How did Djaima integrate the traditional Bulgarian folk dance Gankino Horo into a Jazz Day celebration?