The manager position is one of the unknown jobs in the contemporary Bulgarian society. In most cases these are people that got themselves who knows how into the artistic society, winning the artist trust in a suspicious ways and living of their work.
Due to the fact that the musical manager is the most trusted person by the artist, the person who is available 24/7. Most artists choose their closest friends to carry this function. The function is to have constant trust and peacefulness given by the manager to the artist in a world full of challenges. That is why the manager should be loyal and trustworthy towards the artist, to have the energy and resources to push his career to a higher level.
Most people in the music industry do not begin their career as managers. Usually they are artists, employees in recording studios, friends or relatives. Identical is the case with Krassi Jeliazkov. Since the dawn of his professional career, he begins a parallel upgrade in his instrumental growth and management of the bands which he created. Also he starts taking care of the self-esteem and authority of the surrounding musicians.
Residing on both coasts, he is constantly trying to acquire qualities, which one day will turn him into a respected and preferred music manager. In the dawn of his manager career together with his friend, the famous painter-poster artist and designer Dimitar Traichev they organize the first Jazz festivals in Varna-“Jazz in the pool”.
In the fall of 1993 after he came back from overseas and started working as a night watchman and guitar player in Cou-Cou band, Krassi Jeliazkov received an offer from his friends Dimitar Kovachev and Ivan Nestorov to begin work as a manger in the new company for promoting musicians – S.M.E. This was the moment in which he started his professional growth as a music manager. Under the constant pressure of requirements from the foreign artists touring in Bulgaria, he builds up organizational and managerial skills.
For the period between 1992-2000 Krassi has been stage and production manager and contributes for the successful organization of dozens of concerts by top artists in the world of show business (check out the concerts archive). A peak moment in his career was the summer of 1999, when was the European month of Culture. In less than 30 days in Plovdiv the S.M.E.‘s and Krassi Jeliazko’s team made many international concerts: Apocaliptica, Richie Blackmoore, Goran Bregovic, Michael Niman and the sensational concert of Metallica in Plovdiv stadium.300 people work around the clock for more than a month. The whole municipality of Plovdiv gave it’s resources to meet all the requirements of the artists.
In 1998 with two other friends and colleagues – Peter Petrov and Emil Anchev , they create Aqua Storm music agency. The agency is working towards the popularization of the Bulgarian music on the international market and to protect it’s rights. The area of expertise includes: ethnic music, pop, rock, jazz, classical music, drama and ballet. Works with the most famous Bulgarian artists including: Lili Ivanova, Ialdaz Ibrahimova, Teodosii Spasov, Kamelia Todorova, Arabesque ballet, Cosmic Voices choir, the bands Zone C, Stein, Isihia, OM etc. Aqua Storm is also a creator, manager and producer of the first Balkans cultural project in the area of ethnic and world music called Balkan Horses.
From March of 2004 until August of 2008 Krassi Jeliazkov works in one of the most prosperous musical companies in Bulgaria-Joker Media. In this period he serves with his professional skills to the bands: Kaffe, Vladimir Ampov – GRAFFA, Stoyaan Royaanov – Ya-Ya, Mastilo band etc. Also made a few national tours, such as the most famous performer of Russian folk songs Luidmila Nikolaevna and her ensemble; GRAFFA tour etc.
From September of 2008 he works as a Technical Director of Bulgaria’s first and unique festival of the modern dance entitled – Sofia Dance Week (http://www.sofiadanceweek.com ). Due to the rich managerial skills he has acquired through the years he managed to accomplish this rather difficult for the current conditions project. In order to present the modern dance to the Bulgarian audience in a way that was unseen by now, the festival required a very high standards of lighting and sound equipment and technical crew. Some of the best moments to remember were the performances of the French troupe CIE 111, the Mirror by dance company Ultima Vez – Belgium and Romeo and Juliette by dance company Atterbaletto – Italy.