FANAGOPIA began to form as a separate group of musicians playing in different formations from the middle of 1999. After 2000, more serious activity and first appearances began.
The first single with which the group started was the ballad “ŽIVA VODA”. The first video of FANAGORIA was shot on it.
The strength of the group is in live performance and apart from original stuff they also perform a lot of covers. There have been performances in clubs, mostly around the country, and in Sofia in “Maskata”, “Treeor”, “Kokaracha”, “Kult”, the former “Off Side” and the current “Fans”. FANAGORIA took part in the festivals “July Morning”, “Berkstock”, “Rock Predela”, “Flowers for Gosho” and “Rock in Rila”.
At the beginning of February 2005, on the occasion of the participation in the festival “Rock in Rila 2004”, a concert DVD was made, which shows FANAGORIA live.
Over the next few years, FANAGORIA recorded several new songs, participated in festivals, but the departure of guitarist Bobby Stanishev, who emigrated to England, did not significantly affect the group. Changes in the composition followed, which did not turn out to be successful, and towards the end of 2006 FANAGORIA stopped active activity.
In 2017-2018, the group reunited with some of its members over the years and recorded a song that was a duet with long-time vocalist Georgi Handzhiev and singer Verzhinia Bachvarova, who was also briefly but memorably in the group. The song is called “Cold is my heart” and brings back hopes for the renewal of PHANAGORIA’s active activity. However, soon after, health problems of vocalist Georgi Handzhiev hampered the group’s activities…
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FANAGOPIA began to form as a separate group of musicians playing in a different formations since mid-1999. After 2000, more serious activity and first performances began.
The first single the band started with is the ballad “Jiva Voda“, which is also ФАНАГОРIA’s first video. A major part of the photos were taken on the stage of the Stefan Makedonski Music Theater. The song entered the Bulgarian Top 100 ranking and stayed there for 4 weeks. It was presented and performed “live” in the Flirt show on BBT television and “East of Paradise” show of Niki Kanchev on Darik Radio.
The strength of the band is in the live performance and apart from original songs, it also performs many cover songs of the Western bands. The band has taken participation in club shows, mostly in the country, and in Sofia in the Mask, Treasure, Kokaracha, Cult, the former “Off Side” and the current “Fans”. ФАНАГОРIA took part in the July Morning, Berkstock, Rock Predela, Flower for Gosho and Rock in Rila festivals.
In March 2004 photos were shot on the second video “Between Love and Freedom“. It is realized by a team of “Scenario Workshop“. The main action is on a moving truck, a group of 20 statisticians and two actors also participates.
In May 2004, was released the first Maxi-single of the band “HERE AND NOW” containing 5 compositions. It Contains the football march, two video clips and two bonuses. It is distributed in 5000 copies. in collaboration with RYTHM magazine in the May 2004 issue.
In the beginning of February 2005, a concert DVD was presented on the occasion of the participation in the “Rock in Rila” Festival 2004, which reflected ФАНАГОРIA live.
GEORGI GOCHEV
Percussion instruments
MIHAIL BONEV
Bass
BORIS STANISHEV
Guitars
Georgi Handjiev
Vocal
