Boris Karlov

For the actor, see Boris Karloff.

Boris Karlov (Bulgarian: Борис Карлов; August 11, 1924 – December 14, 1964) was a Bulgarian accordionist. He was born in Sofia into a Romani (Gypsy) family. His father Karlo Aliev conducted an orchestra that was often heard on radio Sofia.^[1][2]

At an early age Boris was already passionate about folk music, played first on the ocarina and later on the tambura in his father's orchestra.^[3] Here he acquired a feeling for the harmonic structure of Bulgarian music. At the age of twelve, Karlov began to play the accordion, beginning with a simple 48-bass Hohner instrument, and progressing to a 120-bass. Eventually he had an Italian Scandalli accordion custom-made for him.

From 1950 to 1960, Karlov was in demand not only in Bulgaria, but also in Yugoslavia and Austria. He had a busy concert schedule and favourable reviews. Karlov developed a style of playing which was new on the accordion.^[4] Based on generally short, simple, but fast musical phrases, frequently in the irregular rhythms that were originally played on traditional Bulgarian instruments such as the gaida (bagpipe) and kaval (end-blown flute), he innovated a rondo form where the special character of Bulgarian music nevertheless remained.

He died, still on tour, in Kraljevo, of a kidney infection.

References

1. Boris Karlov (1924-1964) 'Legend of the Bulgarian Accordion'
2. The Magic of Accordion
3. Donna A. Buchanan (2006). Performing Democracy: Bulgarian Music and Musicians in Transition. University of Chicago Press. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-226-07827-4. Boris Karlov Karlo Aliev Sofia Korenyashka.
4. Kalin S. Kirilov (2016). Bulgarian Harmony: In Village, Wedding, and Choral Music of the Last Century. Routledge. pp. 4–5. ISBN 978-1-351-95410-5.

External links

• Some photos