Desi Dobreva: I invite everyone to have fun, eat, dance and sing along favorite Bulgarian songs!

SM: Desi, I knew you had a successful entrance of the huge Russian market?

DD: Yes, indeed! I came back from Moscow where I presented and my newest project - the album "Dorogoy Dlinnoyu». It contains some of the most popular and beloved songs in Russian, in different and new arrangements, the work of young and extremely talented Bulgarian musician Julian Yanev, with whom I have worked for a year. The idea for creating all these songs was spinning in my head for a long time, but I waited for the right time. We staked a Latin jazz sound styles like bossa nova, salsa, merengue, but in a more modern interpretation. The album even includes Latin house sound in a song like "Katyusha”. In Moscow, there were several events which presented songs from the album, and my most great happiness, they really sparked furor. All this happened within the project “Word and Image", as the October 22, 2009 in the “Gerbova hall” of the Bulgarian Embassy in Moscow Ambassador Plamen Grozdanov opened its sixth edition. Joint cultural project of the Embassy, Varna Municipality and the City Hall of Moscow targets to get to literary and cultural figures of Bulgaria and Russia closer. During literary meetings participants present their new works and plans for joint publications. This year for the first time presented musical performers from Bulgaria and Russia, and I had the honor to be one of them. The Bulgarian delegation was led by a literary critic, philosopher and historian Panko Anchev, who is also Chairman of the Cultural Commission of Varna Municipality in Bulgaria. 

SM: How do the Russian specialists see your potential?

DD: In the framework of this visit to Moscow, I had a solo concert and not anywhere but in the concert hall of the school, which taught one of the greatest pianists of the world - Sviatoslav Richter. It has been a great honor to sing on this stage, and never forget an extremely warm welcome by the Russian public and the words of the school principal after the concert. She was so excited that even wept and came specifically to say good bye to me, hugged me warmly and told me several things. One of them was that she has not been present to such wonderful concert, thanks to the songs I sang, I managed to get her back in her childhood. She gave me two CDs with classical music from her personal collection. For me it was a compliment and an exceptional memory.

 

CM: Recently, it became clear that your talent is highly valued and in neighboring Turkey.

DD: In June this year I won the Grand Prix of First International competition for artists, part of the program 6th Cultural Festival «Golden Pomegranate Festival» in Kemer (Antalya, Turkey). In fact the race for first place was huge, because all performers are carriers of highly prestigious awards from competitions around the World. Some of them have represented their countries at forums like the Eurovision, and others with serious careers and popularity behind. I am glad that the song Ederlezi I presented in first round, I managed to grab the hearts of not only the jury but of the public in a gala concert which was flapping throughout the song.

 

SM: How is your preparation for your second Bulgarian album?

DD: The album is almost ready. The first single-track has video already. Actually this is the the very famous song "Ludo Mlado" (music - Atanas Boyadjiev, text - Bogomil Goudev), which is one of my favorite songs and decided to do a dance version. I want to thank the authors and their families who allowed me to create this new arrangement. This time the album has an overall sound - dance-pop with folk elements, thus hoping to reach the Bulgarian folklore and the hearts of younger people. The album was planned to come out the end of the year, but due to my many travels and concerts I am not able to return to the studio to finish it. I set my goal, however, after this tour I will work on finishing the album.

 

SM: In this dynamic in your career, yet you find time to teach at the Conservatory?

DD: It has been a tremendous honor to be invited to teach at the National Music Academy "Pancho Vladigerov" in Sofia. This happened last semester when I was assistant to Stefka Onikyan. Despite all the commitments and busy live, working with the students was extremely nice and even inspiring. This semester I have the opportunity to teach at the Academy because in October I will travel abroad in various projects and go back to Bulgaria for a few days only. And now my forthcoming tour in the U.S. and Canada, which begins with a concert on November 7 in New York and finishes with a concert in Fort Lauderdale on December 19.

 

SM: What's new in your personal life?

DD: I'm glad for everything good that happens to me, even the smallest everyday things. Every day I wake up with a smile.

 

SM: I know that one of your favorite things is to cook. Which meal prepared by you are most proud?

DD: Certainly not a pungent dish that once prepared in Chicago. Knows how I lots of hot pepper and the dish could not even be tasted. But otherwise I am doing pretty well in the kitchen. When I have time I make up my own recipes which turn out pretty good. I am an expert in the selection of spices to a particular dish.

 

SM: Another occupation is your favorite French boxing. Still be doing this sport?

DD: I am not finding enough time for it. This sport wants consistency. Otherwise, I jog in the Sea Garden in Varna. I take long walks there any chance I get.
 

SM: Besides sports, what else helps you to reduce the dynamic stress from your daily routine?

DD: It's all a question of mental state and attitude. Recently I visited the course of Santos, an Indian teacher who is in Sofia, who was part of the most popular exercise in time “The Art Of Living”. By using special breathing and yoga man can purify his whole body and soul, especially the negative emotions and stress experience. Indeed, this course was very useful for me and such alternative methods I see the future of busy and stressed people.

 

SM: Forthcoming concert is your favorite Chicago audience on November 13 in the restaurant "Mehanata”. What do you say to your fans before you meet them?

DD: I cannot wait to come back to Chicago. It is notorious that the audience there is very welcoming and therefore is a favorite of many Bulgarian artists. I invite everyone to have fun to eat, to dance and sing along favorites Bulgarian songs.

Svetlozar Momchilov, c. "Bulgaria Sega"