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Elitsa Todorova, Stoyan Yankulov

Elitsa Todorova & Stoyan Yankulov are multi-talented musicians, bringing together the best in terms of vocals, styles, and instruments. They are famous especially for their innovative ways of combining traditional singing, percussions and modern influences.

Elitsa Todorova was born on 1977 in Varna. She studied music, specialising in authentic folklore

singing and in percussions. She attracts the attention of both the audience and the critics with her

specific voice - strong, deep-toned, clear and hardy, the tone-quality being one of a beautiful and

rich ornamentation. She worked at the State Dance and Music Ensemble in Varna, in the choir The Mystery of the Bulgarian voices, and the Cosmic Voices of Bulgaria choir where she performed authentic Bulgarian folk songs, and compositions in Yiddish and Sanskrit.

In 2003 Elitsa Todorova began working with Bulgaria's most popular and renowned drummer and percussionist Stoyan Yankulov. The unique Elitsa Todorova-Stoyan Yankulov Duo

turned into a phenomenon in no time. Elitsa Todorova develops a percussions-playing style of her own, combining quick ostinate rhythms on the tarambuka with synhronised tarambuka with synchronised playing and singing. The result is a mosaic of unique vocal movements and impeccable musical improvisations.

She plays traditional percussion instruments in a most non-traditional way. The singer easily mixes traditional folklore with jazz, drum and base, ethno-motifs, classics and spontaneous improvisation.

The result is fascinating. In her repertoire Elitsa Todorova plays instruments like the tarambuka, drums, maracas, clavess, old silver coins, shepperd's chimes, horses' bells, a magical thunder-wand, guirro, chimes, but of all musical instruments the best, in her opinion, is human voice. Through combining authentic Bulgarian folk songs with the energy of percussions Elitsa Todorova presents in a most touching way the core, the potency and the emotional power of Bulgarian culture.

Stoyan Yankulov was born on September 10th in Sofia. At the age of eight he started taking piano lessons. At the same time he showed interest for percussion instruments. Since a young age he was the base of musical bands as a drummer, and he eventually graduated majoring in percussion instruments. Yankulov plays with rock and jazz bands, with folklore ensembles and with jazz-rock and fusion bands. 

Stoyan Yankulov has already won many highly-ranked prizes. He records jazz, pop and ethnic music. This has significantly influenced his unique playing style. He manages to produce orchestral sound on percussion instruments. Sometimes the listener has the impression that there is more than one percussionist playing. "The acquisition of other techniques - from bass, piano or other instruments is useful in this process. For me to play means to communicate", Stoyan describes his very own style.

Yankulov breaks and stretches the traditional way of playing drums, tupan, percussion by applying new techniques and non-standard musical ideas. Combining authentic folklore with new ways of expression with percussion instruments Stoyan Yankulov reveals the unlimited variety and emotional intensity of the unique Bulgarian culture.

Elitsa & Stoyan have already performed together on the Eurovision Song Contest stage together in 2007, gaining the fifth place in the Final with Voda - the best placing for Bulgaria to date.

Music video

Live performance

Lyrics of Samo Shampioni (Only Champions)

САМО ШАМПИОНИ

Само шампиони,
само шампиони,

Прелитат високо и надалеко,
скачат и се смеят и сълзи се леят,
всичките юнаци, те са най добрите
смели в игрите силни във душите.

Само диви, само шампиони,
златни момци моми за милиони
Има ли млади, има ли луди,
цяло село дойде,
пейте не се бойте!

Само шампиони,
само шампиони.

Има ли млади, има ли луди,
цяло село дойде,
пейте не се бойте!


Еееееееееее
Ааааааааааа

Олимпийски барабани Дръм шоу


Само диви само шампиони,
златни момци, моми за милиони,
Само диви само шампиони,
златни момци моми за милиони
Само диви само шампиони,
златни момци моми за милиони.
ONLY CHAMPIONS

Only Champions
Only Champions

Flying far and high,
Jumping, laughing, crying,
The youngest and the best,
The bravest in the games,
All stronge at heart.

Only wild ones,
Only champions,
Golden boys and girls for millions
Give us the young ones,
Give us the happy ones,
And the whole village comes.
Sing, don’t be afraid.

Only Champions,
Only Champions

Give us young ones, give us happy ones,
And the whole village comes.


Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Only wild ones, only champions,
Golden boys and girls for millions
Only wild ones, only champions,
Golden boys and girls for millions

Only wild ones, only champions,
Golden boys and girls for millions
Vive les champions


Vive les champions, vive les champions

On survole en haut et au loin et on rit et on fond en larmes, on est tous des héros, on est les meilleurs, on a du courage dans les jeux et la force d’âme
Vive les déchaînés, vive les champions, des garçons d’or et des filles pour des millions
Y a-t-il des jeunes y a t-il des déchaînés tout le village est arrivé
Allez-y, chantez.

Vive les champions, vive les champions

Y a-t-il des jeunes y a t-il des déchaînés tout le village est arrivé
allez-y, chantez

Eeeeeeeeee!
Ааааааааааа !

Vive les déchaînés, vive les champions, des garçons d’or et des filles pour des millions
Vive les déchaînés, vive les champions, des garçons d’or et des filles pour des millions
Vive les déchaînés, vive les champions, des garçons d’or et des filles pour des millions