Every year more and more festivals are added to the array of cultural events in the country, bringing popularity to well or entirely unknown locations, but also contributing to the economy of the regions, some with a long-lasting effect.

“The population of the village has been growing. One of the reasons is that people fall in love with the beauty of these parts, the towns are nearby, so they buy themselves a house here and they move to the village,” political analyst Evgenii Dainov says, as he explains how Mindya has been transformed since Mindya Rock Fest started in the village 14 years ago. “Dozens of houses have been bought by people who have come to the festival. A whole young generation was 5-6 years old when the festival was starting, now they are 20.”

In this sense, Mindya Rockfest has accomplished its initial goal of forming a community in the small village near Veliko Turonovo – with the locals eager to help in the organization of the festival. Blues, rock and other styles of music will be played here over this coming weekend, 26 and 27 August, while local artisans will present handicraft items.

“Rock music and politics have always gone hand in hand in one form or another, because music is a reflection of all important political events and public perceptions. Yet, the way people perceive rock music now is different,” says Evgenii Dainov, who plays with Magistri rock band:

“If we take a look at things on a world scale, rock music is not as important any more as it was in people’s lives around the turn of this century. People stopped listening to rock, perceiving rock as an instrument for making sense of the world, or for being taken to a higher level,” Prof. Dainov explains. “People started out listening to it as fun music, a little later a thuggish, gangster style of life and communication emerged, and chalga and preudo-patriotism took centre stage. So, the influence of rock and roll waned, opening up space for the darkest forces to rear their heads. To put it bluntly – rock and roll failed, but you can’t expect any musical genre to do a politician’s job, an economist’s job, the jobs of other decision-makers. Resistance is a concerted effort, we, musicians, can’t go it alone.”

Evgenii Dainov says it has been a long time since he has had to explain, in detail, the political and social specifics of the situation in this country to foreigners.

“On the whole, people come prepared, but there was a period around 1996 when I had to try and persuade Western diplomats and foreign media - until I was blue in the face - not to write us off. Since that time things have changed and what I explain now is that Bulgaria can always surprise you by achieving more than what you see at first glance on its way to some European goal. But when it achieves more than it expected itself, then it starts looking round and having doubts.”

“The political parties are still trying to find their way, the messages they want to convey to voters,” the political analyst says and adds that there is one thing about the upcoming election campaign he is absolutely certain of:

“GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms are going to attack their opponents, they are going to tell them off from the TV screen. Democratic Bulgaria will have the best campaign possible, within its own capabilities, but what moves the other parties will make is still shrouded in mystery.”

Photos courtesy of Evgenii Dainov; Zdravko Petrov