site.btaHungarian Saxophone Player Peter Bede Likes Bulgarian Folk Music Very Much

Hungarian jazz musician Peter Bede said he really likes Bulgarian folk music. He is part of Parniczky Quartet, who are playing at the Dr Emil Iliev International Jazz Festival in Borovets on Tuesday night.

The saxophone player said he listens a lot to clarinetist Ivo Papasov and his sax player Yuri Yunakov, who now lives in New York City. Bede said Bulgarian and Hungarian folk music are different as the rhythms  are different. "I have played Hungarian folk music for a long time, as well as some themes from Bulgarian folk music where improvisations are also possible," he said.

Andras Parniczky started the Parniczky Quartet in 2016. Its music blends elements of modern chamber jazz, contemporary music and folk music. "We are jazz musicians but I believe that in Europe we have to find our own unique way to use this kind of language," he said, adding that the European jazz language is very important today.

This is the second time an Andras Parniczky formation has participated in a jazz festival in Bulgaria. The musician said that exactly ten years ago he played at the jazz festival in Bansko and met its founder, Dr Emil Iliev.

BTA is a media partner of the festival in Borovets, which ends on August 7.