Zhivko Vasilev and Harmelogic surprise European stages with "Balkan jazz"

One of our most prominent young kaval performers and composers, Zhivko Vasilev, presents a new program - this time together with Harmelogic - a duo from Slovenia. Harmelogic includes Kristijan Korat - piano and Damir Mazrek - percussion. In their original compositions, they use the musical heritage of different cultures, combining jazz, ethno, classical, pop and world music. They share that their main goal is to convey a sense of peace and optimism to their audience. Zhivko Vasilev says that the three musicians discovered each other on the Internet:

"It's very funny, because we first met on Instagram - we wrote to each other and then we met in person at the airport in Doha. We had planned to go on tour in China without knowing each other. We actually saw each other, we rehearsed for two days in China and then we started touring. We literally just exchanged notes online, and that was it.

The two are very interesting, because they are very different, and at the same time there are things that bring them together, and I somehow fit in. Damir is of 50% Roma descent and 50% Slovenian descent. Kris is Slovenian, who is more classical of all of us.

The program is interesting because I wouldn't classify it as jazz, as classical or as folklore - it is more our vision of how music should evolve in our time. If I had to put a label on it, I would rather call it something like Balkan jazz."

The music of Harmelogic with Zhivko Vasilev far exceeds this definition, as their concerts in Sofia and Ruse proved. After these two concerts in Bulgaria, which marked the beginning of their European tour, Harmelogic and Zhivko Vasilev continue to present their joint program in Germany, Slovenia and Italy, with dates added in other countries due to the great interest.