Ivo Papazov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ivo Papazov
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Ibryam Papazov
February 16, 1952 Kardzhali, Bulgaria
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| Occupation | musician |
Ivo Papazov (born February 16, 1952), also known as Ibryama, is a very famous Bulgarian clarinet player. He is known for leading his band, the "Ivo Papazov Wedding Band." They play a special kind of music called Stambolovo music, which mixes traditional Bulgarian sounds with jazz. Ivo Papazov is one of the most important people who helped create "wedding band" music in Bulgaria. He worked with other great musicians like Georgi Yanev, Yuri Yunakov, Neshko Neshev, Ivan Milev, and Peter Ralchev. He also performed with the singer Emilia as "Mames 2001."
Ivo Papazov was one of the first Romani (often called Gypsy) musicians from the Balkans to become famous around the world. He released two albums in the early 1990s that helped him gain international fans. His band has even toured in the United States many times.
Early Life and Music
Ivo Papazov is from the Roma community in Bulgaria. His original name was Ibrahim. He has said that even though he has lighter skin, he knows he is Romani. In the 1980s, during a time when Bulgaria was trying to make everyone follow the same culture, many people from minority groups had to change their names. So, Ibrahim changed his name to Ivo. He speaks Turkish and grew up in Kardzhali, a city in Bulgaria close to the borders of Turkey and Greece.
Ivo Papazov grew up in a family of musicians. He started playing music when he was 12 years old. In the Romani tradition, he left school at 16 to focus on music as his job. By 1974, when he was 22, he had his own band and was performing regularly.
Career Highlights
Because of his background and how popular he was with the Turkish community in Bulgaria, Ivo Papazov faced some challenges in 1982. After the government changed in Bulgaria in 1990, he was able to continue his music more freely.
After taking a break, Papazov returned to music in 2001. He worked on an album called Fairground, which was released in 2003. In 2005, he won the Audience Award at the BBC's Radio3 World Music Awards. This award showed how much people around the world loved his music.
Music Albums
Here are some of the albums Ivo Papazov has released or contributed to:
- Orpheus Ascending (with His Bulgarian Wedding Band, released by Hannibal, 1989)
- Fairground (released by Kuker, 2003)
He also contributed to:
- The Rough Guide to the Music of Eastern Europe (released by World Music Network, 1999)
More to Explore
- Read an article about Ivo Papazov from the BBC's Radio3 World Music Awards
