Veseli i humoristichni narodni pesni i hora obrabotil Emil Kolev

Vrachanska rûchenitsa
Oblozhila se devoyka
Mihaylovsko horo
Chu se, prochu Nedelya
Zamanska igra
Gigo, mamin Gigo
Yove, malay mome

Pravo horo
Oy Petre, Petre
Krushovenska rûchenitsa
Stani, zapali, Tinke, borina
Balkandzhiyska rûchenitsa
Gyul devoykya

This recording is made up of Bulgarian folk music adapted by the popular accordion performer Emil Kolev. These songs reflect truthfully the latter's activity as an untiring propagandist of this most popular musical genre.

Emil Kolev was born in 1931 in the village of Banitsa – Vratsa District, in a family of teachers. His parents went to live in Sofia while he was still a youngster. Immediately after graduating from the Third Sofia Gymnasium (High-school) for Boys, Emil continued his studies at the Faculty of Performing Arts at the Bulgarian State Conservatory, from which he graduated in 1953 as a French Horn specialist. But instead of continuing to master further the horn, he turned his attention to the accordion. With the latter he erected his subsequent musical career as a member of the Ensemble of the Ministry of the Interior, as a rehearsal accompanist at the State Ballet School, a collaborator of the Bulgarian Concert Direction and of the Bulgarian Radio and TV. He has already behind him thousands of concerts in all parts of Bulgaria and in many countries of Europe, Asia and Africa.

Emil Kolev's excellent musical training allows him to broaden continuously his performing diapason. He is a desired accompanist of many Bulgarian opera, operetta and vaudeville singers. Bulgarian folk music, however, attracts him more than any other musical genre. During the last couple of decades he has turned his attention to Bulgarian folk music not only as an interpreter, adapter, but also as a composer.

A characteristic trait of his adaptations is his preference for the popular Bulgarian performing style, coupled with an underlined aspiration to satisfy the musical tastes of the wide public. Nowadays Emil Kolev is an acknowledged performer of Bulgarian folk songs, a great many of which are his own adaptations.

Emil Kolev also has an underlined sympathy towards young, not firmly established performers, with whom he prefers to make tape-recordings for the Bulgarian Radio and TV. He actually is the 'discoverer' of: Vassilka Damyanova, Gancho Nikolov, Lyuben Bozhkov, Emil Ristoskov, etc. He has made special adaptations of Bulgarian folk songs for Gruicho Dochev, the Trio Nadka Karadzhova, Stoyana Lalova and Yanka Taneva, for Slavka Sakutova, Pavlina Gorcheva and many other renowned singers.

The present recording reflects the varied and multiform performing activity of Emil Kolev and gives a true notion of his skill as composer, performing art and untiring role in the popularization of the Bulgarian musical folklore. – M. Bukureshtliev