site.btaSix-Time Grammy Winner Jacob Collier: Bulgaria Is One of the Most Incredible Musical Places in the World

It is 37 C in the late afternoon of July 10, and the rehearsal room is not with the best of air conditioning. In the room are Jacob Collier and The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices choir. Heat takes the upper hand but does not kill the good mood, the smiles and gusto as the six-time Grammy winner and the Bulgarian folk song choir rehearse ahead of their Sofia stint a few hours away. They are having a concert in the biggest Hall 1 of the NDK convention centre on July 11.

At the core of Jacob Collier's music project with The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices are Quarto Quartet, conductor Georgi Andreev, and producer Boyana Bounkova. 

"Bulgaria is one of the most incredible musical places in the world," Collier tells BTA's Dahnyelle Dymytrov in a rare break between rehearsals. With his signature smile, he tells of two new songs, All around you and Little Blue, one of which he has written with the idea for a Bulgarian sound, and says it is both surreal and reality for him to be in Bulgaria.

He also talked about what it feels like to perform with the world-famous Bulgarian choir, love, happiness, and his list of collaborations.

Also to take part in Thursday's concert at Sofia's National Palace of Culture is US dancer and choreographer Jennifer Rose, who will present her contemporary interpretations during some of the songs of The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices. Rose was part of the choir's jubilee concert in Sofia in 2022.

Following is the full text of BTA's interview with Jacob Collier, which he gave in between rehearsals with The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices.

You are already in Bulgaria. Several weeks ago, you shared with me that for you this feels surreal. Have you managed to pass from surrealism into reality?

Just about. It is very surreal to be here, but it is also a reality. We have been jamming all morning, singing together, playing together - it's crazy! Really crazy!

What does it feel like to be next to this choir, next to the singers and together with them? 

The sound is so big. It is such a big sound it does not even fit inside my ears. It is almost like there is 100 people even though there is only 25 or 30.

We are going to do a few things together. The thing that we were just rehearsing this morning is called All Around You, which is a new song of mine I made specifically with this Bulgarian sound in my mind. And there is another song I wrote, called Little Blue, which came out about six months ago.

Do you often have to pinch yourself to return to reality?

Sometimes, yes. I have met lots of celebrities, lots of famous musicians, but today I am freaking out like a little child. 

How does the craziest part of Jacob Collier's world look like?

There is so many travels, so it is quite a freaky experience to be in one place for only one day or two days. I am in Bulgaria for three days, which is crazy. It is a freaky feeling to go to a city far from home and make music there and see the audience come, sing along and be there for you. That feeling is always surreal.

Has someone touched you for good luck?

Not yet, no one has yet done that to me. That is cool, though.

What is love?

I think it is very close to music. I think music is one of the most loving things we can do as people, because it connects people together. Love is listening, looking, and playing. To me, music is all three of those things.

What is happiness?

Happiness is when there is plenty of love to go around for everybody.

What remains in your list of collaborations made in 2018? Is this list subject to updates?

Yes, I've been updating it over the years. So many people whom I dreamed of collaborating with back then, I have met and collaborated with, which is just amazing. Including the incredible Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices. But there are so many more musicians in the world to meet and collaborate with. I look forward to many, many more years of collaboration with all sorts of different people around the world.

Bulgaria is one of the most incredible musical places in the world. I have always had such a huge respect for Bulgarians and Bulgarian music. I am here as a fan of music as well. But everybody who comes for the show, I think, will be here for a very unique combination of worlds: my world and the incredible world of the Bulgarian Voices, the Bulgarian rhythms and grooves. I am excited to see them combined.