A malcontent, a fan of blues music, a guitarist and a person with huge heart –this is how we can briefly describe Vasil Georgiev also known as Vasko The Patch.  He shows his social commitment through the lyrics of his songs. This is how expresses his thoughts and his discontent against the things that restrict human freedom and the right to choose. I can tell everything with blues, the renowned Bulgarian musician often says. He is among the people who contributed to the large political and social changes which occurred in Bulgaria nearly 30 years ago. Vasko The Patch founded the Poduene Blues Band in the autumn of 1989. On March 2, 1990 they hold their first concert… in a Bulgarian prison. The band released 18 albums since then. A double vinyl LP containing their best songs was released on occasion of the 30^th anniversary of the Poduene Blues Band. The event will be marked on April 24 with a big concert in Universiada Hall in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia. Vasko the Patch invited all 25 musicians who have been part of Poduene Blues Band over the years to join the concert. The band is planning to release a new album named Blues BG with 8 new songs. Between February 8 and 17 Vasko the Patch held several concerts in Australia and New Zealand.

I am very pleased with the fact that the Bulgarians abroad have become more united. They gather in clubs, do many things together and help each other a lot. I departed to Australia and New Zealand at the invitation of Orlin Mirchev who organized our music tour in the USA last year. I met in Adelaide with descendants of the first Bulgarian who settled there, who worked as gardeners in the 1920’s. In 1949 they established the first Bulgarian cultural center there, where the Bulgarians who settled in these remote lands used to meet. Now their relatives speak archaic Bulgarian. I was very excited when I met these people. Although they were born in Australia and lost connection with Bulgaria, they continue to speak our language and follow the Bulgarian traditions. There, I took part at the “Zdravei” Bulgarian Festival.

Many intelligent people who care about Bulgaria and want to know what happens in our country attended my concerts. They invited me to visit their homes and I had the opportunity to see what they were interested in and how sincere they were. Their homesickness is huge, although they have everything in this country. One of them opened a wonderful jazz club in Adelaide. I also performed in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Our concert in New Zealand was held in the capital Wellington.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov