Dear readers, today we are continuing with learning more about the old country Bulgaria. Due to its age, Bulgaria has an interesting history throughout which a very complex culture has been developed. Big part of that culture is the music. We, the Bulgarians, take pride in our folklore music. Perhaps we believe in the gift we have for it which dates back to Thracian times and to the legendary Thracian musician - Orpheus. The musician was born in the south of the Bulgarian territory - the region of the Rhodopes. There is also the place where it is said that he visited the underworld of Hades to try and save his lover, Eurydice - Devil's Throat Cave, or Dyavolsko Garlo, also in the region of South Bulgaria. There are many monuments for the lovers in the city of Smolyan, a city in very close proximity to where it is believed that the musician was born and the place where I spent a big part of my childhood. Smolyan is a place where I could always feel the spirit of Bulgarian culture.
Listening to Bulgarian folk music is an exceptionally fascinating experience. Many foreigners are amazed, even speechless when hearing it for the first time.
There are 7 regions with specifics in the music - Dobruja, Shopluk, Rhodopes, Macedonia, Thrace, Strandzha and Northern Bulgaria and they all have distinctive sounds.
Asymmetric meters
Bulgarian folk music is unique in its complex harmonies and highly irregular rhythms. The asymmetrical rhythms (defined by the famous Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist Béla Bartók as "Bulgarian rhythms"), are rhythms where meter is split into uneven combinations of short (two metric units) and long (three metric units) beats, corresponding to the dancers' short and long steps. This is a distinctive feature of Bulgarian folk music in comparison to Western music. Although it uses Western meters such as 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4, Bulgarian music also includes meters with odd numbers of beats per measure, the asymmetric meters.
Each basic folk dance type uses a distinct combination of these rhythmic "units". Some examples of Bulgarian folk dances are rachenitsa (seven beats divided: 2+2+3), paydushko horo (five beats: 2+3), eleno mome (seven beats: 2+2+1+2), pravo horo, which can either be standard 4/4 or 6/8 and others.
Bulgarian instruments:
The gaida, a traditional goat-skin bagpipe. There are two common types of gaida. Kaba and Dzhura gaida. - Kaba gaida
The kaval, an end-blown flute - Kaval music (for relaxation)
The gadulka, a bowed stringed instrument
The tupan, a large drum
The tambura, a long-necked, metal-strung, fretted lute
The tarabuka, an hourglass-shaped finger-drum.
Valya Balkanska
Valya Balkanska is the most famous Bulgarian folklore singer. She won her fame when one of her songs - "Izlel ye Delyo Haydutin" was purchased for the preparation of the Golden Record, a message from the Earth to fly out of the Solar System aboard two identical spacecraft from the NASA Voyager program. The song was included in the musical selection on Voyager 1, as well as Voyager 2. The contents of the record were selected for NASA by a committee chaired by Carl Sagan of Cornell University.
In the song Valya Balkanska shows an amazing talent for singing, something she has never studied professionally.
Her song always has a very interesting effect on both Bulgarians and foreigners. It has a stunning magical effect on the listener, it sparks a sensation as no other song.
The Rozhen National Folklore Fair
The Rozhen National Folklore Fair is the biggest Bulgarian folklore fair held every four years on the meadows of the Rozhen area near Smolyan. The fair's goal is to popularize the Bulgarian folk dance and song art and it lasts for two days in August.
The first fair was held in 1898. At the time, the border between Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire ran through Rozhen Peak, and Bulgarians from neighboring villages on both sides of the border would gather. Initially, the fair was annual, and took place every year.
After 1912, when the Rhodopes were liberated from Ottoman rule, the fair lost its political importance, but nevertheless remained a symbol of freedom, Bulgarian unity and traditions. Initially only targeted at Rhodopean music and dances, the fair later became a nationwide event, a festival and a singing competition at once, as well as the largest folk song festival in the country. The peak was in 1972, when 3,500 musicians and dancers participated (of which 300 Kaba gaida players who played at the same time – for many this is the most fascinating part of the fair ) and the audience reached 150,000.
Other Bulgarian songs:
Modernized Bulgarian Folklore Music
In recent years there has been a big movement in Bulgaria. Many young people returned to the culture and started listening again to the Bulgarian folklore music but in a more modernized version. The old folklore songs are accompanied by new beats, bass, etc.
Bulgarian Music in Movies:
The movie 300 has a soundtrack inspired by the Bulgarian music, the movie includes one very famous Bulgarian folk song: “Zaidi, Zaidi”
Avatar used samples of Bulgarian music and had singers from Bulgaria sing for the movie soundtrack. At some point in the production, James Cameron considered the soundtrack to be “too Bulgarian”, which caused a problem because the crew working on the soundtrack did not want the folklore music of the tribe Omatikaya to resemble specific regions in the world.
Monument of Orpheus and Eurydice in Smolyan:
Folklore regions in Bulgaria:
Devil's Throat Cave:
Valya Balkanska:
Bulgarian kaba gaida:
Rozhen Fair:
300 kaba gaida pipes at the Rozhen Fair:
Valya Balkanska and Peter Yanev
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