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2024 Election Coverage

Father-daughter duo keeps Bulgarian folk music alive in Maryland

Yana Kirilova and Stanley Kirilov are part of the Balkan Soul Band with their dad, Towson University music professor Kalin Kirilov.
Credit: Courtesy of Kalin Kirilov
Yana Kirilova and Stanley Kirilov are part of the Balkan Soul Band with their dad, Towson University music professor Kalin Kirilov.

Drummers, singers, guitar and accordion players - the folk music of Bulgaria is designed to spur dancers and entertain crowds with its striking blend of eastern and western sounds. How are Bulgarians in Maryland keeping this tradition alive and training the next generation of performers?

We speak with father-daughter duo Kalin Kirilov and Yana Kirilova, who are pursuing a folklife apprenticeship through the Maryland State Arts Council.

Check out more music from the Balkan Soul Band.

Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.
Maureen Harvie is Senior Supervising Producer for On the Record. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and joined WYPR in 2014 as an intern for the newsroom. Whether coordinating live election night coverage, capturing the sounds of a roller derby scrimmage, interviewing veterans, or booking local authors, she is always on the lookout for the next story.