Boris Karlov (Bulgarian: Борис Карлов; August 11, 1924 – December 14, 1964) was a Bulgarian accordionist. He was born in Sofia into a Romani (Gypsy) family. His father Karlo Aliev conducted an orchestra that was often heard on radio Sofia.At an early age Boris was already passionate about folk music, played first on the ocarina and later on the tambura in his father's orchestra. Here he acquired a feeling for the harmonic structure of Bulgarian music. At the age of twelve, Karlov began to play the accordion, beginning with a simple 48-bass Hohner instrument, and progressing to a 120-bass. Eventually he had an Italian Scandalli accordion custom-made for him.

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