Valya Balkanska
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Valya Balkanska (real name: Feyme Kestebekova) (January 8, 1942) is a Bulgarian folk singer. She gained fame outside her home country when her 1968 recording of the folk song Izlel ye Delyo Haydutin ("Delyo has become a hajduk") was included on the Voyager Golden Record (1977) by Carl Sagan, featuring music and sounds from Earth sent into outer space for potential extraterrestrials to discover.
In 1984, Zappa met with musicologist Riccardo Giagni and Massimo Bassoli in January 1984, discussing folk music from Sicily and Bulgaria. One of the artists they mentioned was Valya Balkanska, whom Zappa called "terrific!". [1]
