The Guitarist | Emil “Hans” Iribozov
The Man, The Myth, The Hans
It’s a sunny April afternoon in Blagoevgrad. Emil “Hans” Iribozov unlocks the heavy wooden door of STAGE Bar and invites us inside. The cold air smells of rock and wood; he plays some AC/DC through the sound system and lights a cigarette. The rocker is back in his natural habitat.
“When I was young, I wanted to play guitar, but they lied to me that my child fingers are too small for the big instrument,” Hans shares. During his childhood, Hans dedicated several years to playing tambura — a traditional string instrument, heavily used in Bulgarian folklore.
“I wasn’t on top of my class,” he chuckles. Hans studied in the class of Yosko Kalpachki — an adored teacher and a well-known name in Blagoevgrad. “Bate Yosko is a very unique teacher, although people consider him strange. He even composes his own pieces.” When Hans was in eighth grade, he switched the tambura with a guitar.
Hans was drawn to the guitar because of his “love for rock-and-roll.” The instrument is the missing puzzle piece to his wild long hair and leather jacket — an appearance of a classic rocker. He goes up on the compact stage, takes his black Gibson Les Paul and plugs it into the amplifier. Some feedback is heard. Hans starts playing a rock riff with a look that is two equal halves concentration and enjoyment. Now he is truly complete.
Hans has been the guitarist of the local band Black Rose since 1991, ever since the band’s creation. In 1998, his wife Elitsa Petrova-Iribozova joined as a vocalist. “None of the band members are virtuoso on their own”, he shares. ”Our strength lies within the live performance.”
The four members of Black Rose rehearse at least twice per week. “When we play, we get rid of the pressure during the day. We start seeing the world in more colors. Just half an hour of rocking out and you become as light as a feather.” Hans often plays at home to maintain his shape. He has created a habit to grab the guitar every chance he gets. “Unfortunately, our drummer cannot play at his house, ’cause they’ll kick him out.”
Black Rose have published two albums. “We used to write in English, but with time, we’ve completely moved to Bulgarian lyrics.” Usually, their songwriting process begins with a guitar riff. Then the drummer and bassist start playing along with it. Finally, Elitsa crafts the vocal melody and lyrics and voila — a song is born.
“Sometimes it takes years for an idea to turn into a song. And with some songs — and they’re the best ones, the magic happens for a couple of minutes,” says Hans. “Our most popular song, ‘Tik-Tak‘ was created for 15 minutes — there was a spark!”
“The best gigs happen in front of small audiences. There can be 10 people, but if they know why they’re there, the show is amazing.” Hans and the band miss the stage. He hopes the festivals and live shows return as soon as possible. One of their favorite audiences is in Plovdiv. “People there can have fun in front of anyone and anything. They love to stand up and dance.”
Hans and his wife opened STAGE bar in 2018. Musicians and comedians from all over the country have performed on its petite stage. “We’ve even had performers from abroad.” The joint is one hell of a treat for the Blagoevgrad audience, especially the rock and metal lovers.
Even though their primary way of earning money is through an international transport business, the dynamic duo maintains a constant presence of music in their world.
“With us, everything is emotion.”
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Evgeniya Trifonova is a junior at AUBG, double-majoring in Journalism & Mass Communications and Music, Stage & Screen Arts. One of her biggest passions is music journalism. She chose Hans as her subject, because he is a long-time representative of the Blagoevgrad music scene. He taught her that an everlasting love for music, combined with constant persistence is all you need in life.
