“Kabile Traditional Wedding Band” was formed in 1978 and became one of the most popular bands in Thrace. The band plays the instruments of a traditional Bulgarian village band. Based in the city of Yambol, the group took its name from the village of Kabile, where they performed one of their earliest gigs. The group specialized in performing native music on traditional village instruments, resulting in an acoustic experience quite different from that played on Western instruments influenced by American jazz. This form of Bulgarian wedding music has attracted worldwide attention and scholarship for its incredible virtuosity and musicianship. During its heyday, the band played almost every weekend at weddings, baptisms and cultural festivals in Thrace. Individually, each has an exceptional history of scholarship and performance. Collectively they form one of the most respected ensembles in Bulgarian Thrace.

About the band:
Dzhenko Andreev (gaida) – bagpipe – is a graduate of the Filip Koutev High School of Music in Kotel, Bulgaria, one of the two prestigious music high schools in Bulgaria. Mr. Andreev has been a member of the Sliven Ensemble for over 20 years and has toured with them internationally.

Ivan Handzhiev (vocals, accordion) is also a graduate of the Filip Koutev High School of Music and the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv, the country’s most prestigious university-level institution for folk music. Handzhiev also served on the faculty of Filip Koutev High School as a music instructor for more than 25 years.

Nikolay Doktorov (kaval) – end-blown flute – is a graduate of the Filip Koutev High School of Music and the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts. He currently serves on the faculty of the High School “Anton Strashimirov” in Varna, Bulgaria, where he teaches kaval and conducts folk orchestra. He is also the conductor of several regional ensembles in Varna, including the Folk Ensemble Pendary and the Folk Orchestra “Spektar” of the Union of the Blind in Bulgaria,

Donka Koleva (vocals graduated from the Musical Folklore High School in Shiroka Luka and performed for three years with the Sliven Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances. She was the director of the Folk Song Chorus of Sopot and has been a featured soloist on Bulgarian Radio and Television. Her voice has been featured on numerous recordings and in 1997 her recording of ‘Javore’ was named “Song of the Year” in the Bulgarian national radio competition.

Nikolay Kolev (gadulka) – graduated from Shiroka Luka High School of Music, then performed with Sliven Ensemble for 3 years. He has founded several musical groups in Bulgaria, won many awards for his Gadulka playing. He is also a composer and arranger of folk songs.

The group was last in Austin a few years ago. Some of the musicians have performed in Austin several other times over the past fifteen years.