Tag Archives | Bulgaria

Now We Pick the Pipero

Earlier this week we enjoyed a fantastic version of the Bulgarian traditional song “Dilmano Dilbero.” When we sing the song in class we tame the rhythms a bit, but we still do pretty well. “Dilmano Dilbero” is a song that is ostensibly about the pepper harvest. It’s important both in Bulgarian weddings and as a labor/work song, tying together the importance of both life-cycle events like marriages and the regular coming of the harvests. Plus, we get to chant about paprika.

From 8/16 to 11/18 to 5/16 and . . . wow

Bulgarian rhythms are outrageous.

Music from Bulgaria is known for its “additive” rhythms, phrases that build upon small groups of beats to create a dynamic whole. In one traditional version of the song we’re hearing in this video, “Dilmano Dilbero,” the first line is in the time signature 8/16,  the “kajui mi kak se sadi” line is 11/18, then the count goes to 5/16, then back to 8/16. Bulgarian rhythms…awesome! Can you count along with these singers?

Hail the Bulgarian Wedding Band King

Bulgarian clarinetist Ivo Papazov is the undisputed King of Wedding Band Music. Along with his Trakija Band which blended Bulgarian and Balkan music with contemporary arrangements in the early ’70s, Ivo Papazov was at the heart of the the contemporary Balkan music revival. Why not start our week of Bulgarian musical exploration with the best?

Bulgaria’s National Pride

All Around This World -- Eastern Europe featuring Bulgaria

This week in our online class we visited Bulgaria, a Southeastern European nation that has a millennium-long, cyclical history of ruling Southeastern Europe by force, eventually succumbing to stronger empires, struggling against those powers to achieve independence, then building up to start the whole series of events again. Today Bulgaria isn’t exactly rallying its military to conquer the continent, but in one way it does rule the world — Bulgarian rhythms and “open-throat” vocals are unlike any other music, anywhere. We’ll meet some of Bulgaria’s best over the course of the week.

Bulgarian singing

Bulgarian singing is one of the great cultural wonders of the world. 
In class this season we particularly enjoyed counting “Bulgarian” rhythms, complicated and intriguing rhythmic phrases — often called “additive rhythms” — with complex phrases composed of smaller counts, primarily of twos and threes. When we patted, clapped, counted and sang, in our minds we were not just students in a kids’ music class, a full-throated chorus, masters of Bulgarian singing, one of the most “mysterious” forms of of group vocal expression. In this video we can start to see what all the hubbub is about.

So Happy to be in Sofia

Let’s end our week of Bulgarian music by chilling in park in the capital city of Sofia with a happy Bulgarian band. The guys in the Bulgarian band in this video aren’t the fanciest musicians, but they sure do catch the Sofia groove. Be cheerful, my friends! Hope you had a great time this week in Bulgaria.

The mountain is my mother and my father was the violent wind . . .

Based in my beloved West Philadelphia neighborhood, the Philadelphia Women’s Slavic Ensemble does wonderful work honoring Slavic vocal traditions, especially those from Bulgaria.In this video the Philadelphia Women’s Slavic Ensemble sings “Svatba,” which means “Wedding.” The English translation of the song offered by LyricsTranslate.com is riveting: “The mountain is my mother and my father was the violent wind, The dark sea is my brother and my sisters are the wild grasses, That’s who I am – I am telling you myself….I’ll hold a weighty wedding and I’ll bring 300 musicians, The sun will wed us and it will give you a star for a ring, I’ll cover you with gifts so you wouldn’t grieve over your mother and your father wouldn’t ask in anger Who has taken his greatest treasure from his house. Who lies to you and with what he lures you? Join in the dance with me and never let go of my hand.”

 

 

 

“Mysterious” Bulgarian Voices

Let’s meet the “Mysterious” Bulgarian Voices….

In 1980 an album called “Le Mystères de Voixs Bulgares,” Mysa compilation of performances by several vocal groups from Bulgaria, introduced the world to truly unique Bulgarian (so-called) “open-throated” singing. These astounding vocalists inspired generations of Americans to pursue the art of Bulgarian singing.  In this video we meet the “Bulgarian Voices” as much of the United States did in the early ’80s — with a mesmerizing Bulgarian vocal performance on the Tonight Show.