photo by Gloria Diaz
Nikola Chekardzhikov, member of the BG Brothers Bulgarian Guitar Trio, along with his brothers Petar and Vasil, entertained the La Verne community on Friday night. They played pieces that were influenced by the light jazz, bossa nova and the Spanish genres. Currently the brothers are pursuing graduate degrees in guitar performance at Cal State Fullerton. In May 2001, they released their CD “A Touch with the Guitar World.”
The BG Brothers strummed their guitars for two hours at the University of La Verne Oct. 8 in Founders Auditorium.
The trio from Bulgaria played a variety of genres including classical music, Bossa Nova, Bulgarian and Spanish.
Petar and Vasil Chekardzhikov are twins, but their brother Nikola, 25, is just one year older and can be mistaken for their triplet.
The three men wore matching suits and bowties and sat lined in a row while their hands created music on their acoustic guitars.
Their symphonic form spoke for them, as they played many songs while saying very little.
“They seem to talk to each other without words,” said Julia Shin, a sophomore broadcasting major.
Much of their music was delicate and would complement a candlelight dinner, but they also played dance songs such as “Popcorn” by Gershon Kingsley.
Only in three of the 25 songs did they reveal their voices and sing.
The first song was introduced shyly by one of the singers, as a Bulgarian love song about a boy and a girl.
Ironically, the mother of the girl in the song doesn’t like the boy.
The story was told in a folk song called “Liliano Mome,” and the trio lit up the stage as they sang together through wide smiles.
The trio’s voices were strong and their fingers picked at a fast pace to the upbeat song to the audience’s enjoyment.
One audience was surprised by their very creative, impressive technique in playing.
“All that music they have memorized is kind of amazing,” said Janelle Krug, a senior at ULV who attended the concert.
She recognized the song “Greensleves,” which Michael Ryan, adjunct music professor, is teaching her to play.
However, learning a new instrument is not an easy task.
“But they play a more complicated version,” Krug said.
After the performance, Michael Ryan expressed his impression of the trio as he led a crowd to meet the BG Brothers backstage.
“The way they could change tempos and speed up and slow down is amazing,” Ryan said.
The trio began playing the accordion when they were only 6 years old.
Their sister joined them in learning guitar three years later.
They formed a quartet that eventually became known as “Four of a Kind.”
In 1995 they recorded their first CD under the international management of Master Productions in Belgium.
In lieu of the adding another member, a successful career blossomed that included over 400 concerts in Bulgaria. The group has been seen in radio and television appearances throughout Bulgaria and Belgium.
One player reminiscent of how young the group dedicated to pursue a career in music.
“(We have been playing) since we were kids,” Vasil said. “At 14 and 15 years old we played in Europe."
“Big stress was our first concert,” Petar said.
Conveniently, they performed in Brussels during a main square festival, a location where Victor Hugo had written novels.
After their sister got married, the trio came to the United States for a student program in 2001.
At that time the BG Brothers guitar trio was, then, formed releasing their CD, “A Touch with the Guitar World.”
The three are students at Cal State University, Fullerton where they are pursuing their master of arts degrees in guitar performance.
They studied guitar under the guidance of Professor David Grimes.
The BG Brothers will go on tour in Bulgaria next summer. With their busy schedules and lives in marriage, there isn’t much time for practice.
Vasil said the amount of practicing he does depends on how much homework he has to do.
The band continues to strum their way into international success due to the time their do dedicate to the hobby they all share, music.
Shelli DeRobertis can be reached at sderobertis@ulv.edu.