A UNIQUE JAZZ EVENING IN THE VILLAGE OF PCHELAROVO
I called Sylvia, my favourite Sylvia, and I told her:
“Please, show me something unique and different. I know that the region of Dobrudzha always hides surprises that charge up with high vibrations.” She asked me: “What about a jazz evening?” She knows I love jazz. I have created a fashion collection in Bossa nova style called “After Sunset”, filled with jazz, magical rum and kisses from the wet night sky, embroidered with countless stars…”Come on, it will be adventurous, in Alexandrova style!”
So she took me to a one-of-a-kind place – the village of Pchelarovo and the house of the opera prima Konstantina Petkova – a Woman-Universe!
This wonderful house with unique gardens is well-known to the Bulgarian intellectual elite, judging by the long list of famous Bulgarians that had visited the place.
“Konstantina’s Gardens” have a special ambience that holds the fascination of the wonders that happen among the colourful flowers and the attractive alleys of the magic called art. Being part of this “intellectual luxury” is a priority.
This “art mansion” has hosted the iconic writer Yordan Yovkov, the creator of the famous heroine Albena J. Other frequent guests were the writers Dora Gabe, Elin Pelin, Angel Karaliychev, Dimitar Talev, etc. – it’s a long list imprinted with the fragrance of those who were present here and it feels as if they never left. So we can still hear the melody of the “Song of the Wheels” wandering around the gardens.
I was highly impressed with all of this artistic exuberance and I was surprised by the encounter with the unexpected abundance of personalities, events and ideas. Konstantina has transformed Grandpa Petko’s barn into an art arena, and the family house – into an ethnographic experience and her own singing school.
The Muses have settled permanently in Konstantina’s house. It is the meeting point of Theater, Music and Poetry, and the days here are often dedicated to Painting too.
The evening in the art mansion was charged up with the “madness” of jazz music. “Summer Mood” was the first event for season 2018, which featured the world-known musicians Antoni Donchev (piano), Dimitar Semov (percussion) and Boris Talev (double bass). It was an explosive experience filled with lots of dreaming and ceaseless energies. When you’re leaving such an event accompanied by the light Dobrudzha breeze, you wish to come back in this magical eternity that invites you over and over again to take a sip from the great goblet called art!
By inviting me to become a part of this “artistic home” in Pchelarovo village, Sylvia filled my heart with plenty of beauty and jazz emotions different from the ready-made well-known experience. I also met Konstantina herself for whom I will write and tell for a long time. She invited me for a cup of coffee in her unique gardens next week. A follow-up about her rich and interesting life is to be expected in Albena Alexandrova’s blog.
