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

Kanela, the scent of childhood and the beauty of poetry

Photo: YouTube / Kanela

The band Kanela (Cinnamon) has been known for years, but in 2022 they started recording new songs with a new line-up. First came "Fairy", followed by "Always", "Flowers" and "A Ring", the latter staying in the BNR TOP 20 charts for more than a month. The current line-up of the band is: Tsvetan Angelov - vocals and guitars, Niki Daradidov (pronounced DaradIDov) - bass and vocals and 19 year old Svetoslav Petrov on drums.

Tsvetan Angelov has this to say about the band's spicy name:

Tsvetan Angelov
"The name Kanela reminds us of grandma's cinnamon rice pudding - it's the taste of childhood, when we dreamed of conquering the world. Much later, we have the same energy again - in fact, it is the scent of cinnamon from our childhood that we have taken with us to carry us forward".


It can also be read as a return to eternal values in music, as Kanela's songs are very melodic. Tsvetan admits that they grew up with "good old" hard rock, classical music and jazz. But they don't limit themselves stylistically, because the world is moving on, so they also listen to contemporary bands and artists who are shaping today's musical landscape, which in his opinion is "wonderful".


"I often hear my peers say: 'They don't make songs like they used to! No, they do, but it's us who have locked ourselves away, we've closed ourselves off and we don't listen to the new songs. We don't give them a chance to reach us because we live in this cinnamon-scented time capsule of the past. But I want us to break through and, fuelled by our memories, find our new, relevant sound.


That's exactly what they've done with their latest song 'Beauty'. This is their second song after 'Ring', which is based on verses by the 20th century poet Veselin Hanchev (1919-1966). Tsvetan Angelov admits that at first he approached the works of the famous poet with trepidation, because for him they are iconic. But through the songs of Kanela, the poems have a modern beat to reach even those who are unfamiliar with or uninspired by Hanchev's poetry.


"That is one of our goals - we would be extremely happy if we could give these wonderful poems a new interpretation, a renaissance if you like, so that they can be heard by more people. I know these verses are quite popular. They are really beautiful, sentimental love poems. But still, a fresh reading would allow more freedom to understand them. That's important to me and of course to the band. So that's another goal."







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

Legendary rock artist Joe Lynn Turner and Bulgarian pop star Maria Ilieva release duet "Forever"

The legendary rock artist and vocalist of Rainbow and Deep Purple Joe Lynn Turner has chosen Bulgarian pop star Maria Ilieva as a duet partner in his latest single . In the song "Forever", as a compliment to the Bulgarian audience, there is a..

published on 11/11/24 6:10 AM

Kichka Savova's songs bring together young talents at a masterclass in Plovdiv

On November 9, one of the halls of Trakia Ensemble in Plovdiv will host the traditional masterclass "With Kichka Savova’s Songs" . The event is organized by the Kichka Savova Foundation, chaired by Stefka Zdravkova, daughter of the renowned Thracian..

published on 11/8/24 7:05 AM

Iskrena Yordanova – a distinguished musician who has dedicated her heart to Baroque music

For thirty years now, Bulgarian violinist Iskrena Yordanova has been living in Lisbon. Everything she does as a musician is related to Baroque music. She has devoted much of her time to discovering ancient manuscripts, which she brings back to life with..

published on 11/6/24 10:44 AM