Bulgarians compose a contagious song about the coronavirus

Gabriella Vergilov and Rosalina Burkova have penned it in their native language, although they live in Brussels and Barcelona

A song with instructions on how to prevent coronavirus infection has garnered over 20,000 views in the YouTube video sharing platform since March 15. And the only thing that hinders the tune from becoming a super hit, is that it is sung in one of the least widely spoken languages ​​– Bulgarian.

However, this does not bother the two Bulgarians who created the contagious video - Gabriella Vergilov, an electronic music composer and DJ working in Belgium and Rosalina Burkova, an artist based in Barcelona. The young women claim that they did not hesitate at all in their choice of language for the song,  although their families also live outside their home country. 

Their idea was Repeat after me - 19 to be a message specifically targeted to Bulgarian teenagers, young people and the elderly, compelled to comply with the restrictive measures in the context of the pandemic caused by Covid-19.

"We thought about teens and young people as well as their grandparents when we were making the song," Gabriela Vergilov told BNR. "And if it becomes something like a coronavirus anthem or like (the popular Bulgarian children’s song) "Hey, hands, hey, two of them" in the era of electronic music and trip hop – we’ll have no objections…" 

The one-minute dance song is animated with stylized human figures of all ages, illustrating tips for hygiene and responsible behaviour. This allows both young and old to identify with the problem. 

Gabriela Vergilov admits that she is not pleased with her cancelled performances as a DJ, including in Bulgaria, but is aware that she must comply with quarantine regulations. "It is clear that the coronavirus will seriously affect artists everywhere in the world, but we are responsible people," she stresses.

Bansko under full quarantine, ski resorts closed

All ski resorts in Bulgaria closed prematurely and the town of Bansko was fully quarantined after a 9-year-old boy from a group of English tourists had tested positive for the coronavirus. 

The total number of confirmed cases in the country is already 94. Three have died – all of them elderly people with associated health problems. 

The number of regional centres in which cases of coronavirus have been detected is expanding. Sofia continues to be the primary hotspot but there are also cases in Montana, Pleven, Gabrovo, Varna, Lovech, Blagoevgrad, Smolyan, Veliko Turnovo, Pernik and Burgas.