CARDFLUENCERS

In Bulgaria, chalga  – a mix of Western pop music and Turkish and Arab music – is the most popular music genre of the last 30 years. In this time, chalga songs have always glorified cash — throwing it, spending it, flaunting it. Which has made it the ultimate status symbol for fans.

In “I Pay by Card”, the first chalga song about financial education, we decided to challenge that. The lyrics follow a conservative man who loves cash, and a progressive bride who rejects the outdated tradition and pays by card.

As they exchange verses, Roksana and Georgi address people’s typical fears — that card payments are insecure or simply don’t bring the same pleasure as cash. In the end, Roksana decisively wins the argument. And in doing so, thousands of Roma people took their first step toward building financial literacy.