His feeling for the magic that we instinctively sense the Rhodope Mounatains hold, saxophone player Dimitar Liolev reveals on his debut album Rhodopology – a musical “conversation” with Antoni Donchev (piano), Boris Taslev (bass) and Borislav Petrov (percussions).
Dimitar Liolev was born in Plovdiv and he was raised in Smolyan, in the heart of the Rhodope Mountains. He was brought up in love for traditions – his father was a folk musician. The moment when he became aware of the need to express his culture in music in an interview on Jazz FM Dimitar Liolev described with these words: “I was in The Netherlands to study jazz – the music embodying the culture of America, when I felt the desire to look back and explore my own national culture.” He believes he is “a true Bulgarian travelling all over the world”.
The title composition Rhodopology opens the album with the first emotions that exalt us when we face greatness, power and wisdom – contemplation and enjoyment. You study the changes that this influence brings about in you and then comes acceptance. That is the moment when you know that nothing will ever be the same. Possessing this new knowledge, you take a fresh look at yourself and the structure of the world, inspired by this richness that you have just discovered. The first three compositions having presented this soulful journey, follows the “conversation” between the artists – they share and discuss ideas in a stream of music consciousness, they find the meaning of mysteries, they muse. And they invite the listener to take part. “I am in such a state of mind that from that moment on I only want to create, to present, to be happy”, describes the creative impulse Dimitar Liolev.
The musicians from the quartet are friends and like-minded on that: “These “conversations” flew with ease. All four of us feel the connection with our national tradition, all four of us love jazz. We have been to the Rhodope Mountains many times on different occasions, and I have been there with all three of them”, Dimitar Liolev told Jazz FM’s listeners in this interview by Svetoslav Nikolov.
The Rhodope Mountains do not hide secrets, they unravel the mystery of life: “When you are in a place to see so many peaks around you, you feel free, you feel as if you can fly and reach every corner of the world. This is such a special, beautiful feeling”, Dimitar Liolev told Jazz FM’s listeners. And these are the feelings he shares on Rhodopology.
