The great mix of a Rhodope voice and the guitar chime is worlds apart from the traditional notion of Bulgarian folk music sound. However, the unusual professional partnership of Neli Andreeva and Nikolay Peev has once again been acclaimed and is a success, especially among young music lovers. In their second album Jasta Prasta the duo has surprised audiences with daring improvisation and contemporary versions of both folk and authors’ songs. The lyrics and compositions are the work of Nikolay Peev. This is music that is captivating with its feel of intimacy and mild sound bringing the idea of relaxing while it is also in search of new paths to follow tradition.

Neli Andreeva is an emblematic name in Rhodope folk singing with her radio solo repertoire and also as soloist of Filip Kutev Folk Song and Dance Ensemble. She has sung on some of the world’s prestigious stages including Royal Albert HallandBarbican Center in London, Kennedy Center in Washington DC, the Symphony Hallin Osaka, Japan, the UNESCO Hall in Paris and elsewhere.

The song Malka Moma (Little Girl) composed by her and Georgi Genov has virtually toured the globe. It is part of the soundtrack of the movie Hummingbird (starring Jason Stathum). А crew from the Japanese Television has made a two-hour film about Neli and the song Malka Moma that was included in the rubric World Stars.

In the meanwhile Neli Andreeva looks for new models of creating love for folk music in young talented Bulgarians. The vocal group Housha is her latest challenge for which she has again teamed up with Nikolay Peev. He is a professional musician with a degree in classical guitar from Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music in Sofia. His joint work with Neli Andreeva started in 2014. With their first album The Only One the twosome appealed to audiences especially at club appearances. Their new album Jasta Prasta was anticipated with great interest too.

Jasta Prasta is the result of a lot of efforts and experience. More from Nikolay Peev:

“With Neli we were determined to create an album with a good sense of measure and balance. The title comes from a Bulgarian folk tale about Tsintil Pindil and Jasta Prasta. The message is related to the character Jasta Prasta, one of the two sisters in the tale who was impulsive and wouldn’t take things to completion. In Bulgarian the expression jasta prasta means a job done hastily and without much quality. But our message is different: people who are aware of their imperfection should try to correct it so that when they look back they would like what they have done.”

English Daniela Konstantinova

Audio contains: the following pieces from the Jasta Prasta album

1.  Jasta Prasta

2.  Fire Burning

3.  Bird

4.  Hey, Mason Boy

5.  Vocalizing