All Crossroads Lead to Calligraphist

Kendra Beltran — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 16:55:10 +0000

Taking the poetry that develops during a spoken word performance and marrying it with the lyricism of hip-hop, Calligraphist has created what he calls audio literature. With a page-turning new single he stopped by ZO to talk about the music, and consequently what is on the way.

Kendra: New York City equals the hometown of hip-hop, so what got you interested a world away in Bulgaria?

Calligraphist: Part of it was precisely the ability to transcend worlds within seconds. You can physically be in a room, an ocean away, but through lyrics, you can travel as far as imagination can take you.

Kendra: You decided to move from Bulgaria to Manchester, as a result what was the hardest thing to leave behind?

Calligraphist: Family and friends is the obvious answer. I’ve lived in Holland and Greece before that, so change has become somewhat of a habit. Part of it is wanderlust and part of it is my professional path as a marketer.

Kendra: On the flip side, what’s been the most rewarding part of relocating?

Calligraphist: The ability to observe and learn from some of Europe’s most prominent and distinctive cultures.

Kendra: You’ve noted that your style is more like audio literature. Where did that wonderful sentiment stem from?

Calligraphist: It’s the best description I could come up with. I suppose it implies that the literary concepts are at the centre. Then we look to translate that into music.

Kendra: If you had to compare your latest single, “Crossroads,” to a piece of literature, which would it be and why?

Calligraphist: I wouldn’t dare compare it to any of greats because a lot of work to be done still.

Kendra: You pair your tracks, like “Crossroads,” with great art pieces that look like they’re straight out of museums. What made you want to create that classic aesthetic?

Calligraphist: I try to match visual works with the audio to showcase it better.

Kendra: What can people expect from you in the coming months? More music, touring, hitting the states?

Calligraphist: I’ll try to release one track per month and go from there for the time being.

The post All Crossroads Lead to Calligraphist appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Growing Up Fast with Ruth Koleva

Kendra Beltran — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 06:22:50 +0000

Having grown up in more places than I have ever been in my entire life before she was in the second grade, Ruth Koleva has seen the world and then some. Landing in Bulgaria she found music thanks to the wonderful world of cable and soon found herself growing up faster than usual when her singer-songwriter talents led her across the globe in a big city all alone. We talked about all of that and much more, like her upcoming album and tour below.

Kendra: Bulgaria isn’t a place I can honestly say I’ve thought of when it comes to music. Where and how did you find your voice and growing up?

Ruth Koleva: My parents got divorced when I was 10, and I was going through a very difficult times. At that point we first got cable television with VH1 and MTV, I was spending hours everyday recording music I liked, and slowly started to learn from those VHS cassettes. I found salvation from the pain at home in singing along to Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. That’s how everything started. I was blessed to travel a lot from early age, I spent the first six years of my life in India, Bahrain and Thailand. Bulgaria is a weird place to do music, but the community of young people is surprisingly advanced in all forms of art. You’d be shocked how many talented people you’d meet in Sofia, and I am talking – art, entrepreneurs, writers, cinematographers, photographers.

Kendra: You did leave to attend the Hollywood Pop Academy. What was it like to experience a new place?

Ruth Koleva: My first experience in a new place was when I was 15 in New York, I was going to sign to a major label, but dropped the deal after it turned out I’d become a slave to music I didn’t want to make. The Hollywood Pop Academy was a great experience, in terms of learning a lot about business, dance and entertainment. I also had great vocal teacher there. On the downside, can you imagine a 16-year-old Bulgarian, living alone in LA, with no car and little budget? It was very tough for me, and I had to grow up very fast.

Kendra: What was the one lesson you learned from there that you feel you wouldn’t have learned otherwise?

Ruth Koleva: I learned to cook. I learned to take care of myself. Living alone in such big city is a great shock for a person coming from the other side of the world. I learned to be responsible, and to respect opportunities.

Kendra: How does your current singles, “Basil” and “Tokyo,” differ from what was found on your 2014 debut?

Ruth Koleva: I have grown a lot since that release. I was fortunate enough to work with amazing musicians on my previous record, and also I learned how to work under a lot of stress, write, record and manage. It’s a huge step forward for me.

Kendra: Will these two songs have a home on a new record soon?

Ruth Koleva: Yes, the record is coming up in May, it’s called Confidence. Truth.

Kendra: Lastly, what else is coming up for you this year?

Ruth Koleva: We are releasing four remixes of “Tokyo” by Dj Spinna, Foreign Exchange, Kaidi Tatham and Positive Flow. Also in May I will do a European tour, look out for dates here, and a US tour is lined up for October/November.

The post Growing Up Fast with Ruth Koleva appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Bulgaria Archives - ZO Magazine

All Crossroads Lead to Calligraphist

Growing Up Fast with Ruth Koleva