105th anniversary of the birth of legendary piper Dafo Trendafilov

On this day - 17 January - we celebrate the 105th birth anniversary of the legendary piper Dafo Trendafilov. He was born in 1919 in the village of Gela in the Rhodope Mountains and his whole life remains forever linked to this mystical land.

He began playing the bagpipes at the age of 14 and developed his characteristic, authentic style. Later, when the National School of Folk Arts opened in Shiroka Luka in 1971, he was the first to teach bagpiping.

Also known as a bagpipe maker, Dafo Trendafilov left behind more than 800 kaba bagpipes that he made. He appeared in background roles in the films Krayat na Pesenta (1971), Kapitan Petko Voyvoda (1981) and Time of Violence (1988).

Read more about the inspirer of generations of bagpipers in the publication To the Legend of the Rhodope Bagpipe Dafo Trendafilov with Love and Admiration from the collection of Radio Bulgaria.