for the good of the communist party. by the time communism fell in 1989, bulgarians had been abused and abandoned by damn near everyone. - this is ten generations surviving extraordinarily resilient. they had to become very insular, protect their families, then really survive in small circles. [somber acoustic music] - [singing in bulgarian] - if surviving in small private circles is how bulgarians retained some sense of happiness, then getting past these outward cold facades has got to be the next step on my journey. - [singing melody] - this is ivo dimchev. he s one of bulgaria s most famous recording artists. - [singing in bulgarian]
- yeah. there are many around. la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la drink it up, my love, my love people who listen to my songs are art lovers or, like, mafia bosses, like mafia guys. - art lovers and mafia guys? why do the mafia guys like your songs? - because they re they re most open-minded. they re like a contemporary audience. - nice. maybe they ll take you to perform on like on an oligarch s yacht or something. - i just did two days ago. - whoa. - now that we ve gotten some playful banter about bulgaria s terrifying ruling class out of the way, i m joining ivo as a roadie for his concert tonight, and the crowd, i m promised, will be at capacity. - i like to perform in kitchens, but i think this one is too small maybe. oh, my god. - it s a bedroom. in case it s not clear, ivo is setting up for one of his home concerts, which is
Ivo Dimchev, an openly gay HIV-positive performer who hails from Bulgaria, stands his ground in his music and performances, proudly letting the world know exactly who he is.