"Visoko" by Evtim Evtimov and FSB - a song that elevates the spirit

In the second half of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, Evtim Evtimov (28.10.1933 - 8.06.2016) was among the most popular Bulgarian poets. A famous master of love lyrics, he touched the hearts of thousands of Bulgarians with tender and sincere poems, dedicated primarily to women and love. Published in over 40 poetry collections (from 1959 to 2013), many of the works of the talented poet became the lyrics of extremely successful songs, performed by big stars of Bulgarian pop music.

In 1989, a group of exceptional musicians transformed one of Evtimov's seemingly simplest love poems into an incredible hit.

In the first bars of the song, we hear spectacular melodic leaps and the repetition of the word „visoko“ ("high"). The accents on individual words and word combinations and the constant emphasis on "visoko", combined with an exciting melody and an artful arrangement, turn the song by Rumen Boyadzhiev and Konstantin Tsekov into a true hymn to inviolable dignity and spiritual elevation.

When you are envied, when you feel the evil glances, when you are attacked, slandered, unjustly accused - stand tall, be above everything... The music of the famous band "Formation Studio Balkanton" (FSB) gives Evtim Evtimov's poem a deep philosophical meaning, elevating it "high" - far above the original meaning. The success of the song is incredible. "Visoko" remains an eternal Bulgarian evergreen.

In 1975, when 22-year-old Rumen Boyadzhiev, Konstantin Tsekov and Alexander Baharov launched the "Formation Studio Balkanton" project, the first covers of the young rock trio blew up the ideas of music lovers and specialists about the impact of a genre that was not particularly popular in Bulgaria at that time, such as progressive rock. Even then, the three founders of FSB appreciated the possibilities of including the unique Bulgarian folklore in their work.

From a trio, FSB became a quintet in 1979 with the addition of guitarist Ivan Lechev and drummer Petar Slavov. With them, the band transformed from a studio formation into the most attractive concert group in Bulgaria, which in addition to breathtaking songs with magnificent melodies and precisely sculpted arrangements, impressed with an uncompromising sound, an excellent choice of instruments and the inclusion of elements such as light and laser effects. Since then, the musicians of the FSB have been a benchmark for high art and favourites of the Bulgarian intelligentsia. They are not just a group, but a community of musical and artistic interests, tastes and opportunities; a symbol of professionalism, experience and knowledge.

Their most active songwriters are the unforgettable poet with guitar Mihail Belchev and musicologist Daniela Kuzmanova, along with great Bulgarian poets such as Georgi Konstantinov, Dobri Zhotev, Kalin Donkov, Evtim Evtimov, Viktor Samuilov. FSB make the rhymes sound with a specific palette, often enriched by masterfully interwoven Bulgarian folklore instruments, authentic voices of Bulgarian folk singers, as well as instruments rarely found in the rock genre, such as marimba or xylophone.

The song "Visoko", with its unique bagpipe sound at the end, is a perfect example of FSB's striving for synchronicity between tradition and innovation. With this recognizable native sound, the formation, which today is a symbol of Bulgarian rock, seems to declare: "Stand high, Bulgarians! The stars are stars because they are high!"