Diko Iliev- composer, conductor, a sui generis talent, a unique phenomenon in Bulgarian culture- authored dozens of marches, waltzes, horo chain dances, ruchenitsi and brass band music. For decades, Diko Iliev’s Dunavsko Horo has been invariably played in Bulgaria on New Year Eve.
Diko Iliev's love for music is due to the fact that the folk music from the north of Bulgaria was in abundance in his childhood. In his memoirs he frequently goes back to the colourful picture of people dancing in the square to the sound of folk music. He was a music student in the military brass band in Orhanie (now Botevgrad) and was only 14 when he enlisted in the 16th Lovech Infantry Regiment, part of the First Bulgarian Army.
During World War 1 Diko Iliev fought in the battles on the Serez front. There, in the trenches, in 1917 he composed his first horo- Iskarsko Horo. We bring you a recording from the Bulgarian National Radio archives to the rendition of the Wind Orchestra of Todor Kableshkov Higher Military School of Transport in Sofia, conductor Diko Iliev.
You can learn more about Diko Iliev's life and creative work in Radio Bulgaria’s publication "Remembering Diko Iliev".
Editing by: Krasimir Martinov
English version: Kostadin Atanasov
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