Lazar Nalbantov is one of the young representatives of the Strandja Mountain music folklore. He admires and learns from the first great singers of this mystical music - Toma Yanchev, Magda Pushkarova and Georgi Pavlov. Lazar traces authentic folk songs and collects them to preserve them for posterity. He rediscovers for himself and for the audience, forgotten masterpieces from the repertoire of his predecessors. Nalbantov claims that for him Bulgarian folklore is a unique creation and something we should be very proud of. It is also our duty to preserve, promote and develop this great wealth.  

„Today, it is a challenge to work with folk music but satisfaction is really great when results come. In Sredets, the municipality where I live, folklore still is an important part of life. The local government jointly with the community club, the municipal children's center and the Museum of History are active organizing events in which folklore has priority. One event of great importance is the Strandja - Trakiya Festival Folklore Wreath - Bozhura for young singers and instrumentalists, which is a tradition of more than 20 years. Some big names have started their careers from this festival. I must say I owe much of my professional skills to it, because until 2007 I was taking part in the competition every year and traveled the thorny path to the first prizes and to recognition. For a fourth year I have been part of the team that organizes the cultural events at Sredets Municipality including the festival. We have three children's folklore groups, a men's folklore group and Bozhura folklore group. Young people like to sing folk songs and we all sing Strandja songs during holidays and feasts.”  

Lazar tells us more about himself: 

„I have graduated a class in folk singing at Dobry Chintulov High School in Burgas. Then I read history at Bishop Konstantin Preslavski University in Shumen, and had my MA degree from Sts. Cyril and Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo. History and ethnology are connected with folklore and I think I took the right course. My education is quite useful today, as I trace and collect folk songs. I travel in Strandja Mountain all the time meeting people of all ages. From time to time I come across unknown songs or versions of old songs. After all the most interesting thing in folklore is to find out how the melody and lyrics of folk songs evolved with time.”

Lazar Nalbantov has already recorded songs from Strandja with the accompaniment of the Bulgarian National Radio folk music orchestra. What about this experience?

„My top professional achievement so far is my work on the recordings at the Bulgarian National Radio jointly with the BNR folk music orchestra with conductor Dimitar Hristov. This orchestra is lined up with virtuosos who, playing together work miracles. The arrangements of the songs have been made by Tasho Baroulov, a brilliant composer, musician and pedagogue. He is very close to Stranja music. This orchestra is first class, and the recordings enter the BNR Archives, and this is important - to leave something behind. Some of the songs recorded with BNR are authentic. Others have been in the repertoire of Strandja singers who have passed away. The famous songs they sang are little known and I decided to breathe new life in them. One of them is Mom's Dear Mila Went Asleep a song Toma Yanchev sang in 1960 at the festival in Gramatikovo, a song somewhat forgotten but people like it a lot.”  

Lazar admits that jointly with Tasho Baroulov he has edited the song Kiro Was Buying Wine. Its original beat is 2/4. Lazar's version is in an uneven beat, 5/8 that makes the song even more interesting to listen.

English Daniela Konstantinova

Audio contains the following folk songs performed by Lazar Nalbantov:

1.  Rada Was Sitting on the Snow

2.  Stanku, White Faced Stanku

3.  Manda's Granny Sat There

4.  Mom's Dear Mila went Asleep  

5.  Kiro Was Buying Wine