Legendary Bulgarian clarinet player Ivo Papazov became the third to receive a star on Sofia Walk of Fame to honour a successful career spanning for decades.

The burly clarinet player arrived for the red-carpet ceremony in front of the Arena movie theatre in white Lincoln car.

Ivo Papazov won last year the annual BBC Radio 3 World Music Audience Award. The vote favoured Papazov as opposed to the Chehade Brothers (Palestine), Enzo Avitabile & Bottari (Italy) and Mercan Dede (Turkey). The Bulgarian virtuoso was nominated to run for the prestigious prize for his latest album Panair ("Fair").

The Bulgarian, described as the greatest clarinet player on the Balkans, is also known as the King of Wedding Music.

After forming his first ensemble in 1974, he gradually evolved from a traditional Thracian repertoire into a jazz-inspired improvisational set. This new work nevertheless maintained the complex time-signatures required of traditional Bulgarian dance music.

Valya Balkanska, whose marvelous voice travels in outer space as a message from Earth, became the second Bulgarian to be glorified in the Walk of Fame after football coach Hristo Stoitchkov, who received his star on October 14.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!