It was a great honor for me to be invited to France for the leading role in a jazz opera, says the great singer
I eat ice cream, but never before a concert
The great singer Yildiz Ibrahimova left the audience breathless at the end of last week at the jazz festival in Burgas, where she was a special guest at its tenth anniversary edition.
For an hour and a half, accompanied by Zhivko Petrov – piano, Hristo Yotsev – drums, and Dimitar Karamfilov – double bass, the world-class singer took her audience from Bach’s improvisations, through Balkan, gypsy music, Gershwin, opera, to reach to an impressive variation of a Bulgarian folk song.
Twice she was applauded for an encore by Burgas residents who did not want to part with her big voice and artistic presence on the stage of the “Flora” expo center.
Yildiz Ibrahimova was born in Silistra, but has been living in Turkey since the beginning of the 1990s. In 1993, she married the Turkish politician of Bulgarian origin Ali Dincer, former mayor of Ankara, MP. However, he died in 2007.
– Mrs. Ibrahimova, what do you think of the Burgas public, you haven’t been to the city for a long time?
– I sang with great pleasure. I have performed many concerts, but this one was truly unforgettable for me.
– You are leaving for Sofia, and will you visit your hometown Silistra?
– I had a concert there last year. But a few years before that, I toured the whole country with the educational concerts that I did with the cooperation of the ministries of culture and education.
I have very good memories of them, it was very exciting and interesting. Years later, students would come to my concerts and say, “You know you were in your class at school and you gave us so much knowledge about music.” To hear these words is the greatest reward for me.
– Were musical talents born from these master classes?
– There is, but unfortunately, they are already abroad.
– You experiment with singing in many styles, is opera a good basis, which you recently include in your repertoire as jazz improvisations?
– This foundation, which the music school and then the conservatory gave me, was very useful to me.
I have given concerts in more than 50 countries, with many foreign musicians, and everywhere I have blessed my teachers in Bulgaria for giving me a very good foundation.
– You easily transcend the boundaries of a certain style and mix it with another in a magical way. Can we describe your music as world music?
– It can be determined that way. I like to do synthesis.
– Have you ever been tempted to switch to pop music purely commercially?
– Never.
– Does your daughter Suna continue with the double bass? Hasn’t she thought of following your singing path?
– No. When she was little, we used to make recordings of her nursery rhymes, but she turned to the double bass and continues to this day.
– We know that your late husband Ali Dincer had a favorite old Turkish folk song, but you never sang it in front of an audience. Are you scared yet?
– No no no. What can I tell you – when I sing it, I start to cry. I just don’t have the strength to go on.
– You have sung on many prestigious stages, do you have invitations to participate now?
– I have suggestions, but we just need to clarify them. May we be alive and well and may I come to Bulgaria again.
– You have traveled all over the world. Where does the audience best experience jazz, which is a specific art?
– I feel very comfortable in front of a Bulgarian audience. Maybe because I was born here, grew up and received my education in Bulgaria. The concerts in my homeland have remained unforgettable memories for me. I have also sung in the USA, where there are wonderful musicians.
In France, I can say with pride that 6-7 years ago I was invited to play the lead role in a jazz opera, which was a great honor for me.
– Are you tempted by such projects after experimenting with classics and recently with opera?
– What she accomplished in Bulgaria as a schoolgirl and student speaks for itself.
– Are you still not eating ice cream to keep your voice in great shape?
– I eat it, but after half an hour, until it softens. Otherwise, before a concert – never. I also tell my students to guard their throats like their eyes. This is their main tool, we have no other backups.
– You are 71 years old – you look and sing beautifully. In Bulgaria, one of the frequently discussed topics is the years of Lili Ivanova. How will you comment on it?
– How a person feels is important to me.
2023-07-20 11:50:00
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