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Stoyan Yankoulov

Bulharsko

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Stoyan Yankoulov

Bulgaria

"Groove is a feeling for rhythm that carries you far away."
Stoyan Yankoulov (10. September 1966) comes from a completely different musical background than either of the other musicians. He is the youngest member of the Fairy Tale Trio, and has the deepest roots in rock music, too. He played with heavy metal bands as well as with traditional jazz big bands, with folklore ensembles as well als with with Jazz-Rock and Fusion Bands.
When he was twelve years old, his father would take him along to weddings. His father played the accordion and Stoyan had to accompany him on the tupan. He is completly self-taught, learning how to play the tupan by watching professional tupan players and then rehearsing what he had absorbed.
At that time tangos, foxtrotts and other modern dances had to be played at weddings, but there were no modern rhythm sections with electric bass, drum set and guitars in wedding bands. So the traditional instruments (e.g. kaval, tupan and accordion) had to fulfill this function within the folklore ensemble.
Stoyan thinks that this was of great importance to his highly creative style of playing tupan. In addition to the traditional style, Stoyan plays the tupan like a Bulgarian type of drum set. He is capable of a very orchestral drumming. Sometimes the listener may think that there is more than one percussionist playing. "To play the tupan, for me, is to communicate," says Stoyan. "Adopting other techniques - from the drum set, the bass or other instruments - is helpful in this process." Yankoulov breaks up and expands thetraditional tupan play, developing new techniques. Occasionally he plays the tupan with brushes and extends the sound of the drum by using cow bells. bells, metal sheets etc. "I missed metal. I found the sound too thin. That's why I chose additional elements. I want my drumming to express more aggressiveness and ferocity. Metal is very helpful."
Stoyan plays the drum set as excellently as he plays the tupan, and declares that, apart from Bulgarian music, he was influenced by Jack DeJohnette, Vinnie Colaituta, Dave Weckl, Buddy Rich and others. He is proud to play with the drum sticks his grandfather (checken) once carved for him.