Help me get into Bulgarian folk music
June 9, 2015 3:17 PM Subscribe
I've been really enjoying this Bulgarian Field Recordings album (spotify) that was recorded at the Koprivshtitsa Festival in the mountains of Bulgaria, and I want to find more great stuff like it. Does anyone have any Bulgarian folk music recommendations?
Similar music from surrounding areas/Eastern Europe would be great, too - I have almost no knowledge about the musical traditions of this area or of its surroundings, and would love any primers or information anyone wanted to share. Assume I've read the wikipedia page for "Bulgarian music" and not a lot more. Music that is available to stream somehow would be best since I don't have a ton of money to throw at import CDs, though I'd definitely consider buying some old cheap ebay vinyl if that was a good option.
Similar music from surrounding areas/Eastern Europe would be great, too - I have almost no knowledge about the musical traditions of this area or of its surroundings, and would love any primers or information anyone wanted to share. Assume I've read the wikipedia page for "Bulgarian music" and not a lot more. Music that is available to stream somehow would be best since I don't have a ton of money to throw at import CDs, though I'd definitely consider buying some old cheap ebay vinyl if that was a good option.
They're not Bulgarian, but as you start ranging further afield don't miss the Hungarian folk band Muzsikas or their lovely vocalist Márta Sebestyén's solo recordings..
(e.g.: Istenem, Istenem)
posted by Nerd of the North at 4:03 PM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
(e.g.: Istenem, Istenem)
posted by Nerd of the North at 4:03 PM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
And damayanti's advice above should not be overlooked. "Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares" was the huge breakthrough album that introduced Bulgarian choral folk music to western audiences.
posted by Nerd of the North at 4:08 PM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Nerd of the North at 4:08 PM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Seconding the Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir - they had a couple albums in the 80s that were big hits (Grammy winners!). My parents used to listen to them a lot. Here they are on Johnny Carson!
Romania is right next to Bulgaria, but with somewhat different musical traditions. When I was younger I had a favorite album of Transylvanian music, which is not only an import but also long out of print; I found most of it on YouTube here:
And since we're in Eastern Europe, it bers repeating that Hungarian music is awesome, in particular Muzsikás Együttes, who have been around forever (a couple songs here and here).
Also, it might be a little far afield from Bulgaria, but Georgian music is incredible. I'm a fan of Ensemble Riho. They are also on Spotify, if you have that.
You can also look through YouTube for Bulgarian folk dancing, which often features the gaida, a kind of Bulgarian bagpipe. That region also has a big tradition of playing the kaval, which is a kind of flute (this example is Macedonian, I think).
posted by teponaztli at 4:12 PM on June 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
Romania is right next to Bulgaria, but with somewhat different musical traditions. When I was younger I had a favorite album of Transylvanian music, which is not only an import but also long out of print; I found most of it on YouTube here:
Suite de danses de Ceanu Mare (13:25)That person's YT channel has a lot more Romanian folk music, if you're willing to put up with all the horrible YouTube ads ("Beef and beer cheese, with a side of beer cheese to dip your beef and beer cheese in!").
Suite de danses de Frata (7:48)
Suite de danses de Stina (5:22)
Suite de danses de la vallee de Chioar (9:43)
Musique pour danser ou pour ecouter à la maison (3:57) (can't find)
Musique pour danser, de invirtit (8:56) (can't find)
Musique pour danser, barbatesti (7:58)
Musique pour crier, dant de tipurit (4:07)
Musique pour danser, dant de jucat (7:43)
And since we're in Eastern Europe, it bers repeating that Hungarian music is awesome, in particular Muzsikás Együttes, who have been around forever (a couple songs here and here).
Also, it might be a little far afield from Bulgaria, but Georgian music is incredible. I'm a fan of Ensemble Riho. They are also on Spotify, if you have that.
You can also look through YouTube for Bulgarian folk dancing, which often features the gaida, a kind of Bulgarian bagpipe. That region also has a big tradition of playing the kaval, which is a kind of flute (this example is Macedonian, I think).
posted by teponaztli at 4:12 PM on June 9, 2015 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares and others of their ilk are actually what's called "arranged folklore" - a much more palatable but artificial and Westernized version of the real stuff created by the Communists in the midst of other cultural projects like, oh, forbidding Bulgarians to actually sing their music the way it was meant. Mystere etc. make gorgeous music, but it is definitely a corrupted version of Bulgarian folkloric music. If you really want to dive into this, it's fascinating stuff - check out the two books by UCLA ethnomusicologist Timothy Rice. [1] [2]
There are many albums of pure Bulgarian folk singing recorded in the field by folks like Martha Forsyth, Yves Moreau, and others ... I'm at work, but I will load you up with links a bit later tonight.
I've also been to Koprivshtitsa (going for my second time this year) and have hours and hours of recordings from the 2010 festival.
posted by mykescipark at 4:22 PM on June 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
There are many albums of pure Bulgarian folk singing recorded in the field by folks like Martha Forsyth, Yves Moreau, and others ... I'm at work, but I will load you up with links a bit later tonight.
I've also been to Koprivshtitsa (going for my second time this year) and have hours and hours of recordings from the 2010 festival.
posted by mykescipark at 4:22 PM on June 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
This surely falls into the "arranged folklore" genre that mykescipark mentioned, but you might enjoy self described experimental Balkan Gypsy dirge-core metal progressive Boston band Bury me Standing. Here's Ederlezi. They have an entire album streaming free on their website. And if you're in the Boston area, a show tomorrow!
posted by prewar lemonade at 5:41 PM on June 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by prewar lemonade at 5:41 PM on June 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
It's Russian, but the Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble might be worth your time. DakhaBrakha is Ukrainian (and depending on the song, throws jazz or rap into the mix), but also enjoyable and sharing a similar musical DNA.
posted by Candleman at 7:15 PM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Candleman at 7:15 PM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: OK! So, let’s talk traditional Bulgarian folklore of the non-“arranged” variety. These are almost entirely going to be field recordings and not studio productions, since most Bulgarian singers didn’t have access to those kinds of resources back in the day (and didn’t see the need to record their songs, as they were just out there singing them!).
Anyway:
Yves Moreau is a French-Canadian musicologist who has issued several volumes of Bulgarian field recordings (1966-1972) through his Web site under the title “Beyond the Mystery.” Here’s his catalogue.
Martha Forsyth is American, and has been going to Bulgaria for roughly the same amount of time as Moreau (since the mid-‘60s). Her recordings are held in the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. She issued a number of her recordings on cassette in the early 1980s, but has self-published at least one reissue on CD in recent years. (Martha is a friend of mine, so please get in touch if you'd like ordering info on those.)
Martha produced a spectacular volume for Rounder called Two Girls Started to Sing, which is comprised of superb excerpts from her 4,000-song catalogue. More recently, she produced/recorded an album by Venelina and Lidia Hadzhieva (two Bulgarian sisters) under the title Songs from Nedelino and the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria, which is now available on Bandcamp (!).
There are some more traditional commercial releases which cover the non-arranged folklore tradition as well. (Tread carefully, as many, quite different, releases share the same generic title … There must be a thousand albums called “Authentic Bulgarian Folk Songs” out there!)
One of the classics of the genre is A Harvest, A Shepherd, A Bride / In the Shadow of the Mountain: Village & Folk Music of Bulgaria, issued by Nonesuch in the ‘60s. If you have an interest in “classic” Bulgarian folk music, this one is a great starting point, and a cornerstone of the genre.
The English record label Topic put out a volume in the ‘60s called Folk Music of Bulgaria, compiled by A.L. Lloyd in 1954 and 1963. This one has been kept in print and is, once again, a broad survey of Bulgarian folk singing and instrumental music from around the country.
Naturally, Radio France couldn’t stay out of the game too long, so they have a volume on the Ocora imprint called Bulgarie - Traditions Vocales. This is a rather wide-ranging sampler of the various folkloric regions of Bulgaria, but it’s the real deal.
There’s a volume by the charmingly-named Bistritsa Grannies and Their Grand-Daughters titled - are we surprised? - Authentic Bulgarian Folk Songs. Funny though their name may be, these ladies sing the fuck out of those songs. If you want to hear real Bulgarian grannies laying it down, pick this one up.
Vocal Traditions of Bulgaria, on the Saydisc label, is an indiscriminate mixture of arranged and traditional folklore from the Radio Sofia archives, all of it great but rather ideologically confused in its compilation. Worth a listen, of course.
Authentic Bulgarian Folk Songs (that name again!!) is a bit of an oddity, insofar as it features only MALE voices - not something we’ve been exposed to over here, but quite a rich tradition for certain categories of folk song in Bulgaria. This album was recorded at a private residence in the Muslim (Pomak) village of Draginovo, and is a very fine example of Western/Rhodope folksong.
If you really just want to give yourself over to the lusciousness of arranged folklore - and who could blame you? - I implore you to track down the incredible Eva Quartet and their album Harmonies. Seriously one of the most spine-tingling Bulgarian vocal CDs ever made. Someone has posted a few tracks to SoundCloud: Daybreak Dawned, White Aishe’s Lament, and Sevditze. (Nb.: Eva Quartet have released other records, but they pale significantly to this one.)
There are 10,000 albums of arranged Bulgarian folklore which it would take me another three days to compile, but if you really like the Orange Twin volume you found on Spotify, these should point you in a similar direction.
And, of course, I could be persuaded to share some of my Koprivshtitsa recordings on a private basis…!
posted by mykescipark at 8:12 PM on June 9, 2015 [9 favorites]
Anyway:
Yves Moreau is a French-Canadian musicologist who has issued several volumes of Bulgarian field recordings (1966-1972) through his Web site under the title “Beyond the Mystery.” Here’s his catalogue.
Martha Forsyth is American, and has been going to Bulgaria for roughly the same amount of time as Moreau (since the mid-‘60s). Her recordings are held in the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. She issued a number of her recordings on cassette in the early 1980s, but has self-published at least one reissue on CD in recent years. (Martha is a friend of mine, so please get in touch if you'd like ordering info on those.)
Martha produced a spectacular volume for Rounder called Two Girls Started to Sing, which is comprised of superb excerpts from her 4,000-song catalogue. More recently, she produced/recorded an album by Venelina and Lidia Hadzhieva (two Bulgarian sisters) under the title Songs from Nedelino and the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria, which is now available on Bandcamp (!).
There are some more traditional commercial releases which cover the non-arranged folklore tradition as well. (Tread carefully, as many, quite different, releases share the same generic title … There must be a thousand albums called “Authentic Bulgarian Folk Songs” out there!)
One of the classics of the genre is A Harvest, A Shepherd, A Bride / In the Shadow of the Mountain: Village & Folk Music of Bulgaria, issued by Nonesuch in the ‘60s. If you have an interest in “classic” Bulgarian folk music, this one is a great starting point, and a cornerstone of the genre.
The English record label Topic put out a volume in the ‘60s called Folk Music of Bulgaria, compiled by A.L. Lloyd in 1954 and 1963. This one has been kept in print and is, once again, a broad survey of Bulgarian folk singing and instrumental music from around the country.
Naturally, Radio France couldn’t stay out of the game too long, so they have a volume on the Ocora imprint called Bulgarie - Traditions Vocales. This is a rather wide-ranging sampler of the various folkloric regions of Bulgaria, but it’s the real deal.
There’s a volume by the charmingly-named Bistritsa Grannies and Their Grand-Daughters titled - are we surprised? - Authentic Bulgarian Folk Songs. Funny though their name may be, these ladies sing the fuck out of those songs. If you want to hear real Bulgarian grannies laying it down, pick this one up.
Vocal Traditions of Bulgaria, on the Saydisc label, is an indiscriminate mixture of arranged and traditional folklore from the Radio Sofia archives, all of it great but rather ideologically confused in its compilation. Worth a listen, of course.
Authentic Bulgarian Folk Songs (that name again!!) is a bit of an oddity, insofar as it features only MALE voices - not something we’ve been exposed to over here, but quite a rich tradition for certain categories of folk song in Bulgaria. This album was recorded at a private residence in the Muslim (Pomak) village of Draginovo, and is a very fine example of Western/Rhodope folksong.
If you really just want to give yourself over to the lusciousness of arranged folklore - and who could blame you? - I implore you to track down the incredible Eva Quartet and their album Harmonies. Seriously one of the most spine-tingling Bulgarian vocal CDs ever made. Someone has posted a few tracks to SoundCloud: Daybreak Dawned, White Aishe’s Lament, and Sevditze. (Nb.: Eva Quartet have released other records, but they pale significantly to this one.)
There are 10,000 albums of arranged Bulgarian folklore which it would take me another three days to compile, but if you really like the Orange Twin volume you found on Spotify, these should point you in a similar direction.
And, of course, I could be persuaded to share some of my Koprivshtitsa recordings on a private basis…!
posted by mykescipark at 8:12 PM on June 9, 2015 [9 favorites]
mykescipark, thank you!!! This is my first ever "I've got nothing whatsoever to add; I just have to thank this user in words rather than just with a Favorite" post. But yeah.
posted by kalapierson at 10:07 PM on June 9, 2015
posted by kalapierson at 10:07 PM on June 9, 2015
Balkan music in general has been enjoying some popularity in the past ...10-15 years or so? There's a Balkan music festival every year in New York called Golden Fest. Check out the bands list for some ideas. It's not all strictly traditional, but there are some great contemporary musicians on this list. I bet you'll find something you like.
posted by the_blizz at 7:24 AM on June 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by the_blizz at 7:24 AM on June 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you all so much for your wonderful answers, I appreciate it so much! I'm going to have so much fun listening to all of this. Thanks again.
posted by dialetheia at 1:02 PM on June 10, 2015
posted by dialetheia at 1:02 PM on June 10, 2015
There is a huge trove of recordings from the Golden Festival over at the Free Music Archive . like 551 tracks.
posted by WeekendJen at 12:32 PM on June 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by WeekendJen at 12:32 PM on June 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by damayanti at 3:25 PM on June 9, 2015 [5 favorites]