Boris Karlov

{{Short description|Bulgarian accordionist (1924–1964)}}

{{For|the actor|Boris Karloff}}

Boris Karlov ({{langx|bg|Борис Карлов}}; August 11, 1924 – December 14, 1964) was a Bulgarian accordionist. He was born in Sofia into a Romani (Gypsy) family. His father Karlo Aliev conducted an orchestra that was often heard on radio Sofia.[https://web.archive.org/web/20101208001015/http://www.passiondiscs.co.uk/e_pages/bulgar_e/bma1005-6.htm Boris Karlov (1924-1964) 'Legend of the Bulgarian Accordion'][http://bnr.bg/en/post/100127384/the-magic-of-accordion The Magic of Accordion]

At an early age Boris was already passionate about folk music, played first on the ocarina and later on the tambura in his father's orchestra.{{cite book|author=Donna A. Buchanan|title=Performing Democracy: Bulgarian Music and Musicians in Transition|url=https://archive.org/details/performingdemocr0083buch|url-access=registration|quote=Boris Karlov Karlo Aliev Sofia Korenyashka.|year=2006|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0-226-07827-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/performingdemocr0083buch/page/124 124]}} Here he acquired a feeling for the harmonic structure of Bulgarian music. At the age of twelve, Karlov began to play the accordion, beginning with a simple 48-bass Hohner instrument, and progressing to a 120-bass. Eventually he had an Italian Scandalli accordion custom-made for him.

From 1950 to 1960, Karlov was in demand not only in Bulgaria, but also in Yugoslavia and Austria. He had a busy concert schedule and favourable reviews. Karlov developed a style of playing which was new on the accordion.{{cite book|author=Kalin S. Kirilov|title=Bulgarian Harmony: In Village, Wedding, and Choral Music of the Last Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aEyoDQAAQBAJ&q=Boris+Karlov+Bulgarian+accordionist&pg=SA5-PA4|year=2016|publisher=Routledge|isbn= 978-1-351-95410-5|pages=4–5}} Based on generally short, simple, but fast musical phrases, frequently in the irregular rhythms that were originally played on traditional Bulgarian instruments such as the gaida (bagpipe) and kaval (end-blown flute), he innovated a rondo form where the special character of Bulgarian music nevertheless remained.

He died, still on tour, in Kraljevo, of a kidney infection.