Ten days of non-stop music shows will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the launch of Sofia Music Enterprises (SME).

The 10-day fiesta will start with the fourth edition of the traditional jazz festival Music Jam on October 26 and will end with two concerts of the female violin quartette Bond on November 3 and 4.

During the decade of its existence, SME has organized more than 200 concerts which were visited by about 1.3 million people. It all started on September 15, 1991 with a show by the metal band Sodom. Concerts by world-famous performers such as Scorpions, Metallica, White Snake, Deep Purple, Sting, Lord of the Dance and Vanessa Mae followed.

The company is also the organizer of many annual music festivals - the summer Rock Fest and Blues Fest, and the upcoming festival of jazz music.

This year's celebratory edition of Music Jam will bring jazz formations to Bulgaria from Germany, Poland and the U.S. According to Dimitar Kovachev, SME president, the headliners of the festival will be the U.S. bands Planet X and the Victor Bailey Group.

Music Jam will take place on different stages from October 26 to 28. For three days, the music will conquer Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture and the clubs Backstage, Swinging Hall and Mr. Punch. Tickets can be bought at the NDK box office for between 15 and 40 leva.

The music fiesta will continue with concerts united by varying themes and types of music. Bulgarian rock music, hip hop, alternative and techno beats will follow one after another in five consecutive nights from October 29 to November 2. Kovachev explained that they have not included many Bulgarian bands in their events because there had been numerous concerts and festivals this year where Bulgarian musicians had performed. Therefore, the organizer invited bands which have not been "overexposed" on stage. Names include pop band TE which performs in Sofia clubs and newly formed band Brainstorm whose music is a combination of modern jazz and ethno rhythms.

The peak of the program, however, will be the two concerts of world-famous violin quartette Bond. This will mark the second time the four girls have come to Bulgaria. They have become extremely well known over the past few years for their modern re-makes of popular classical pieces. Their performances are often compared to those of Vanessa Mae.

The two Bond concerts will take place in Hall 1 of NDK on November 3 and 4 starting at 8pm. Tickets are already available at the NDK box office at prices between 15 and 50 leva.