Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

105th anniversary of the birth of legendary piper Dafo Trendafilov

Photo: YouTube

On this day - 17 January - we celebrate the 105th birth anniversary of the legendary piper Dafo Trendafilov. He was born in 1919 in the village of Gela in the Rhodope Mountains and his whole life remains forever linked to this mystical land.


He began playing the bagpipes at the age of 14 and developed his characteristic, authentic style. Later, when the National School of Folk Arts opened in Shiroka Luka in 1971, he was the first to teach bagpiping.

Also known as a bagpipe maker, Dafo Trendafilov left behind more than 800 kaba bagpipes that he made. He appeared in background roles in the films Krayat na Pesenta (1971), Kapitan Petko Voyvoda (1981) and Time of Violence (1988).

Read more about the inspirer of generations of bagpipers in the publication To the Legend of the Rhodope Bagpipe Dafo Trendafilov with Love and Admiration from the collection of Radio Bulgaria.


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Cheesefare Sunday reminds us of the meaning of forgiveness and Christ’s infinite love

Sunday after Mesni Zagovezni or Meat Shrovetide is the last day on which everyone who decides to follow the Great Lent according to the Orthodox calendar can eat dairy products, fish and eggs. Therefore, on Cheesefare Sunday before..

published on 2/26/23 8:00 AM
Maestro Diko Iliev meets with a military orchestra

Iskarsko Horo- Diko Iliev’s first horo

Diko Iliev- composer, conductor, a sui generis talent, a unique phenomenon in Bulgarian culture - authored dozens of marches, waltzes, horo chain dances, ruchenitsi and  brass band music . For decades, Diko Iliev’s Dunavsko Horo has been..

published on 2/17/23 6:05 AM

The first guest on Saint Ignatius’ Day blesses our home

On December 20, we pay homage to the holy martyr ‎Ignatius the God-bearer. According to the holy books,  Ignatius was the child mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew. The evangelist describes the dispute between Christ's apostles about who among them..

published on 12/20/22 8:05 AM