Kiril Marichkov was born on October 30, 1944. He was a singer, musician and composer, best known for his work in the rock band “Crickets“.
Marichkov's first steps in the musical field were the rock formation “Bandaratsite“. There he played bass guitar, and in 1967, after the group broke up, Marichkov and drummer Petar Tsankov founded "Crickets".
Kiril Marichkov achieved his greatest successes as a musician and performer precisely with this group, bTV recalls.
"The Crickets" was established in 1967, and its name was chosen after a radio broadcast contest. At first, young musicians play cover versions or compositions of well-established pop composers, but gradually they are oriented towards building their own sound based on original compositions, distinguished by stylistic diversity – rock and roll, hard rock and progressive rock.
Kyril Marichkov is the frontman, bassist, singer and main composer of his band. The list of songs created by him includes hits such as “Rock in the past“, “The taste of time“, “The horseman“, “Oath“, “Magic color“. The crickets are one of the formations, along with the FSB, "Signal" and "Ahat", who can claim the title of “the most influential Bulgarian rock band of the 20th century”.
With the cessation of the active creative and concert activity of “Sturtsite“, Kiril Marichkov devotes himself to solo projects and public engagements. His first solo attempt was the soundtrack of the cult film "Yesterday" including the song "Oath".
Crickets are one of the formations, along with the FSB, “Signal“ and “Ahat“, who can claim the title of “the most influential Bulgarian rock band of the 20th century“.
With the cessation of the active creative and concert activity of “Sturtsite“, Kiril Marichkov devotes himself to solo projects and public engagements. His first solo attempt was the soundtrack of the cult film "Yesterday" including the song "Oath".
He later released two solo albums (“Zodia Sturets“ and “I want to say“), in the recordings of which both guest musicians and the other members of “Sturtsite“ participated.
Sometimes he reunites with his bandmates for individual concerts or short tours, such as “40 years of Crickets“ in the summer of 2007 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the composition.
In 2011, he was a mentor in “The Voice of Bulgaria”. His team makes it to the finals, but doesn't win the competition. Since 2013, he has been a member of the "Foundation" supergroup. In 2019, he released the album “75“.
Along with dozens of Bulgarian cultural figures such as Vasil Naydenov, Bogdana Karadocheva, Todor Kolev, Yosif Sarchadzhiev, Stefan Dimitrov, Blaga Dimitrova, Vasko Krpkata, etc., in the early 1990s, Kiril Marichkov was actively involved in the movement of the democratic opposition against the BSP government.
In 1990, Marichkov was elected a member of parliament from the list of the SDS coalition in the VII Great National Assembly, but later left it. During the election campaign “Crickets“ record the popular song “I am just a man”, which becomes the unofficial anthem of the opposition.
In 2010, Marichkov was awarded the order “St. St. Cyril and Methodius“ first degree for his particularly great merits in the field of culture and art. In 2020, he also received the highest state award – Order “Stara Planina“ – I degree.