Jony Iliev grew up in the Kjustendil Gypsy quarters. It just 150 kilometers southwest of Bulgaria’s capital Sofia. More than 20,000 Gypsies live there.
“When I was ten, I had a dream. At the very end of our street in Kjustendil… If you stand right in the middle of the road and look straight ahead, you can see a tower on top of a hill,” says Jony. “And behind it, they say, is Greece. In my imagination I picked up a little bag with a few slices of bread, cheese and salt, to get away, only to get away. And if I eventually came back, I’d be a grand Pjevatsh – a famous singer.”
Jony Iliev grew up as the youngest of eight brothers in a musicians’ family. Jony’s vocal talents were acknowledged early on and subsequently encouraged within the family structure.
At 10 he already sang weddings, all night long. His powerful expressive voice charmed listeners. Now, Jony Iliev and Band are on the forefront of Bulgaria’s new Roma (Gypsy) sound.
Discography:
Ma Maren Ma (Asphalt Tango, 2003)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.