SENKYA PADNA
Optomusic OP0122
A gripping voice opens the new album of the Bodurov Trio SENKYA PADNA. The title track contains a sample of an elderly woman singing an archaic traditional folklore song, which sets a dark tone. It forms the basis of the dynamic interplay of piano, double bass, and drums that is characteristic of the Bodurov Trio. The jazz trio is strongly influenced by folk music and classical composition.
Bulgarian-born, Amsterdam-based jazz pianist Dimitar Bodurov remains fascinated by the traditional songs and melodies of his native country, which he incorporates in his compositions. Still, his trio sounds unmistakably contemporary, with tight interactions and lively rhythmic structures. The Bodurov Trio has released six albums and has collaborated with illustrious names such as the celebrated Bulgarian kaval player Theodosii Spassov, Norwegian saxophonist Trygve Seim, and Israeli trumpeter Itamar Borochov.
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
Ian Patterson
A fascinating, richly-layered journey, which links the past with the contemporary through the prism of Dimitar Bodurov's ever-fertile creativity.
REVIEWS
ALL ABOUT JAZZ
Ian Patterson
A fascinating, richly-layered journey, that links the past with the contemporary through the prism of Dimitar Bodurov's ever-fertile creativity.
Bulgarian music association
Gergana Kostadinova
The music prompts reflection and appreciation of life, especially in the current situation in the world. Bodurov's musical statement captivates with its emotionality, dynamism, and rich palette of musical expressive means.
NRWJAZZ.Net
Christoph Giesse
From the beginning until the very last note, this album captivates us with its intensity and exciting pieces of music combining contemporary jazz and classical elements.
LINER NOTES
I am not a big fan of explanatory notes on the music. I believe that music is self-sufficient. However, this album is a little bit different. Our world and our lives are different. That’s why also music is different, and I felt compelled to share my thoughts and motivation behind writing the compositions.
Of course, you can always ignore these notes and just listen to the music.
The album is named after the opening track Senkya Padna, which contains a sample of an elderly woman singing an archaic traditional folklore song "A shade casts its shadow on three cities". Her mourning voice tells a tragic story about a girl becoming sick and symbolically a shade, cast over her.
I wrote this piece during the first lockdown of the pandemic and inevitably I used the shadow as a metaphor for the state of fear, emergency, and confusion we all experienced at the time. Two years later the pandemic was almost coming to end when suddenly Russia invaded Ukraine. From the very beginning, a nuclear threat and the potential of escalation to WW3 was a new reality. The world was in shock, again. But for me, it was even more shocking when I discovered a freighting connection between the pandemic and the war. The Russian anti-west propaganda, which has been spreading systemically, like cancer for years, finally reached its peak. And its goals. It managed to insert so much confusion and hatred, to divide close relatives and turn them against each other, spreading vulgar lies and false statements, news, and even videos.
Then I realized that Senkya, the shade hasn't cast its shadow yet, is yet about to come. So I continued that line and wrote two more pieces - Opinions and Savages. Opinions make the link between the pandemic and the war, expressing the confusion of all these voices, these different sides of the story, unfortunately, our human story. A story that repeats itself.
Savages stands short for Savages hiding in the shades i.a. Putin’s Russia and their propaganda and their evil, utterly arrogant, and obviously insane plan, to conquer and destroy a neighboring country, people, and culture. I think this is exactly what shocked the world - that act of brutality and barbarism, which we have probably quite naively accepted as part of the past, part of the dark ages. We thought we are on the way to making Humanity 2.0 - we can now build amazing technologies, we can implant artificial hearts, we conquered space, we cracked the DNA, we created artificial intelligence, we are even talking about colonies on Mars and yet … the savages from the dark ages are still among us, quietly working on their evil plan, against us.
So, the first three tracks make an acronym for the state of humanity right now, for the future of democracy and the future of our children.
And after this dramatic opening, the album continues with a subject I have been exploring for the last couple of years - nostalgia. But even the nostalgia is now different, it is with a capital NO.
But I will stop here and let you interpret the rest.
And don’t worry, everything ends on a positive note, with a song about love...
I hope you will enjoy it!
Dimitar Bodurov