Mrs. Ilieva (Bulgaria) founded Big Bang Booking & Management Agency in 2015. She is not a musician, but she is a music lover. A lawyer by profession loves good and unique music. She travels around the world in search of new and inspiring music bands. With much desire and energy to contribute to the development of the music community worldwide, she enriches the music scene with innovative musicians and bands.
Can you tell us more about your professional background? What’s your main field of work today?
My main occupation today is the lawyer profession. The music booking and management supports the legal profession since 2015. My goal is the music activity to grow and become bigger than the legal business, hopefully soon.
How do you see the state of jazz in your country? In which direction is it going?
The jazz scene in Bulgaria is in a perfect state, it grows every year. There are small jazz festivals in many cities around Bulgaria, along with A to Jazz Festival in Sofia and Bansko Jazz Festival well established on the worldwide music jazz festival stage. The direction is performance of jazz standards, along with original pieces of jazz, influenced by the Bulgarian folklore and classical music, focused on the improvisation.
Make three names of musicians that innovated jazz music in your Country?
Theodosii Spassov, Milcho Leviev and Ivo Papazov (Ibryama)
What’s the name of a new talent you are particularly fond of?
A Bulgarian piano player Dimitar Gorchakov who recently released his debut album “Tomorrow’s Past” Tomorrow’s Past | Dimitar Gorchakov (bandcamp.com).
What’s your favorite genre within jazz? Why? The jazz genres are so many and it is difficult for me to say only one favourite genre. Perhaps Dixieland (New Orleans jazz) which makes me happy, shiny person when listening it. 🙂
Do you think that schools can teach improvisation?
I doubt if the improvisation can be teached. This is a question for a musician, I think. There are no rules when a musician improvise with the music, it is created now at the time of performence and on the next concert it can be completely different. For this reason, it is more likely that the improvisation cannot be teached in the schools.
Name a record that every jazz lover should own.
The jazz lovers are pretentious and my favourite jazz record will not be the favourite one of another jazz lover. 🙂 In my personal collection I have The King Cole Trio – Vol.1. record of 1953.
What are your future projects?
In the jazz I work with the Australian piano player David Dower (daviddowermusic.com), booking new concerts for him for the summer of 2024. On the rock field I work with the French band Reaven – Indie Pop/Rock band with a fresh Electro touch. (reavenmusic.net), the new indie-rock stars, who will release very soon new EP and single.
