Ivo Papasov

I stumbled upon an Ivo Papasov cassette years ago in a free box at the Portland libray and have been hypnotized by Bulgarian/Balkan music ever since.  The time signatures are insane, the staccato notation is one big arpeggio and the melodies are haunting.  Last year on the way to the airport in a cab with a Bulgarian driver, I learned that the name is pronounced Pa-PA-sov.  The driver was a  bit distant until I mentioned Ivo’s music whereupon he gets all excited and shows me his cousin’s Bulgarian wedding band on his Ipod.  I felt like family.

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