Help Vitalize Nine Bulgarian Villages

Another year is coming to an end. With the Ninth edition of our rural festival Jazz Under The Stars of The Devetaki Plateau behind, we balance between achievements and challenges. 

Every year our humble initiative for enlivening the nine villages in the Devetaki Plateau, Bulgaria, is getting broader and more ambitious. This year's festival was a good example: we had a three - day event, rich in activities and emotions:

The concert "Jazz Sings In Bulgarian" was held on the first evening - 30.06.2023, in the village of Karpachevo, in the yard of the former school, at present - a hospitable guesthouse. Marina Gospodinova - vocals, Milen Kukosharov - piano, Ventseslav Blagoev - trumpet, played popular jazz standards arranged over the beautiful poems of Maria Doneva, who was also there, reading pieces of her poetry.  A jam - session followed inviting more than ten other jazz musicians before over 250 guests from the region and the surrounding towns.

Two master - classes were held in the morning of 01.07.2023 in the Old Mill - the newly renovated Cilture and Information Centre in Karpachevo village. They were lead by the renown musicians and pedagogs Milen Kukosharov - "Jazz Improvisation", and Marina Gospodinova - "Jazz Singing". Fifteen students took part in these classes -  youngsters studying jazz and other genres, as well as a number of side guests, who came to listen, attracted by the interesting lectures and interactions of the two exceptional master - class leaders.

The basic Jazz - concert was held in the evening on 01.07.2023 - in the open, under the stars near the Garvanitsa Cave, between the villages Gorsko Slivovo and Karpachevo, Letnitsa municipality. We erected a professional stage that was granted for free by the municipality of Sevlievo - one of the three municipalities - partners of the Devetaki Plateau Association. We also had the support of the municipalities of Letnitsa and Lovech to which we are really grateful!

Twenty - two outstanding Bulgarian jazz musicians stepped on the stage under the stars: Marina Gospodinova, Militsa Gladnishka, and Petar Terziev - vocals, Milen Kukosharov, Vladimir Radulov and Stanislav Arabadzhiev - piano, Georgi Kornazov, Rosen Zahariev and Ventseslav Blagoev - trumpet, Nevilian Gemizhev - clarinet, and many others. The audence (over 1000 people) inclided people from the villages and from the whole country.

The "Jazz For Kids" concert was organized on the Sunday morning, 02.07.2023. More than 40 familied with their kids as well as many other jazz - lovers took part in the interactive format under the proficient guidance of ts author and leader, Ventsislav Blagoev, a person of great contribution to Bulgarian culture, and with many of the musicians participating in the other parts of the event.

Thanks to all of you, dear donors, friends, like-minded, thanks to the local community, the municipalities, and the businesses who believed us once again we were able to organize a real celebration of the living villages and to make our beautiful area the centre of Jazz, Education and Culture - for three whole days!

THANK YOU AND STAY WITH US!!!