101 KABA GAIDI NY is a  project of Young Bulgarian Voices NY.  See also our Facebook page

It started in October 2013 with the goal to teach and create awareness about the art of playing the traditional Bulgarian KABA GAIDA and TUPAN,  not only through the Bulgarian community in New York City, but also among the wide audience in the tri-state area and the entire United States. We have played at Golden Festival every year from 2015 to 2026. Come play with us!

The Kaba Gaida  (Bulgarian Bagpipe) is an aerophone musical instrument,  from the Rhodope Mountains. It is larger and lower pitched than the Djura Gaida.

 We hope that soon the number of our KABA GAIDA players will reach the ambitious number of 101. And after that, if we have to… we will change the name – to The 1001 KABA GAIDI – NY.

Online Kaba Gaida Class – beginners and advanced groups meets every Sunday from 11:00 AM to 1:15PM

We have continued to perform at Golden Festival every year.  We will be there on Jan 17, 2026. Kiril moved to Chicago and now we are taught by Petar Aleksiev and Lubomir Smilenov in our online classes. Lubomir recently moved from NYC to California, while Petar is in Chicago with Kiril.   Here’s a video of us playing at Golden Festival in 2025

In 2020 101 Kaba Gaidi and Tapani  performed at wonderful Golden Festival  for the sixth straight year.  Both our Kaba Gaida teachers were there this year – Kiril Ketev our current teacher and his son Nedyalko Ketev our original teacher.

We also played the year at the Hungarian House for all the dancers.  It’s on East 81st in Manhattan.

Here we are playing for the Kukeri!   This is at our Surva festival in Manhattan for the Battery Park City Authority.

We play and dance together at school after classes

Here some video from our performances from previous years.  There’s lots more video on the Young Bulgarian Voices YouTube page.

101 Kaba Gaidi and Tupani the Bulgarian Cultural Center of PA in 2017

101 Kaba Gaidi and Tupani at the Hungarian House in 2017

101 Kaba Gaidi & Tupani NY performing at the Zlatne Uste Golden festival January 17, 2015

At the 9th Avenue International Food Festival Manhattan  with Bosilek Bulgarian Folkdance Ensemble, 2014.

Our Gaida teacher Nedyalko Ketev playing at the 1st meeting of 100 Kaba Gaidi New York at our old school on 50th Street in Manhattan.

Jam session Gaida (Nedyalko Ketev) and Drums (Dimitar Dimitrov) during Gaida Class