Music of Bulgaria
Encyclopedia
The music of Bulgaria refers to all forms of music associated with Bulgaria
like classical, folk, popular music, etc. Bulgarian music is part of the Balkan tradition, which stretches across Southeastern Europe, and has its own distinctive sound. Traditional Bulgarian music has had more international success, due to the breakout international success of Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares
, a woman's choir that has topped world music
charts across Europe
and even farther abroad.
Bulgarian vocals are said to be "open-throated", though this is somewhat of a misnomer. Singers actually focus their voices in a way that gives the sound a distinctive "edge", and makes the voice carry over long distances.
Bulgarian music uses a wide range of instruments. Some folk instruments are variants of traditional Asian instruments such as the "Saz
" (Bulgarian tambura
), or the kemençe
(Bulgarian gadulka
). More modern style instruments are often used in the more modern dance music that was an offshoot of traditional village music.
The new professional musicians of traditional Bulgarian instruments soon reached new heights of innovation, expanding the capacities of the gaida (Kostadin Varimezov
and Nikola Atanasov
), gadulka (Mihail Marinov, Atanas Vulchev) and kaval (Stoyan Chobanov, Nikola Ganchev, Stoyan Velichkov). Other, factory-made instruments had arrived in Bulgaria in the 19th century, including the accordion
. Bulgarian accordion music was defined by Boris Karlov
and later Gypsy musicians including Kosta Kolev and Ibro Lolov. In 1965, the Ministry of Culture founded the Koprivshtitsa
National Music Festival, which has become an important event, held once every five years, showcasing Bulgarian music, singing and dance. The last festival was in August 2010.
, accordion
, clarinet
, saxophone
, drum set, electric bass
, electric guitar
, synthesizer
Regional styles abound in Bulgaria. Dobrudzha, Sofia
, Rodopi
, Macedonia
, Thrace
and the Danube
shore all have distinctive sounds.
Folk music revolved around holidays like Christmas, New Year's Day, midsummer, and the Feast of St. Lazarus, as well as the Strandzha
region's unusual Nestinarstvo
rites, in which villagers fell into a trance and danced on hot coals as part of the joint feast of Sts Konstantin and Elena
on May 21. Music was also a part of more personal celebrations such as wedding
s. Singing has always been a tradition for both men and women. Songs were often sung by women at work parties such as the sedenka (often attended by young men and women in search of partners to court), betrothal ceremonies, and just for fun. Women had an extensive repertoire of songs that they sang while working in the fields. Young women eligible for marriage played a particularly important role at the dancing
in the village square (which not too long ago was the major form of "entertainment" in the village and was a very important social scene). The dancing — every Sunday and for three days on major holidays like Easter — began not with instrumental music, but with two groups of young women singing, one leading each end of the dance line. Later on, instrumental musicians might arrive and the singers would no longer be the dance leaders. A special form of song, the lament, was sung not only at funerals but also upon the departure of young men for military service.
The Bulgarian folk music is unique in Europe for its "asymmetrical" rhythms ( defined by the famous Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist Bela Bartok
as "Bulgarian rhythms" ), where the musical time is not split in even beats, but in longer and shorter.
The most important state-supported orchestra of this era was the Sofia-based State Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances, led by Philip Koutev. Koutev has become perhaps the most influential musician of 20th century Bulgaria, and updated rural music with more accessible harmonies
to great domestic acclaim. In 1951, Koutev founded the group known today as the Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir, which became famous worldwide after the release of a series of recordings entitled Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares.
The distinctive sounds of women's choirs in Bulgarian folk music come partly from their unique rhythms, harmony and polyphony
, such as the use of close intervals like the major second
and the singing of a drone accompaniment underneath the melody, especially common in songs from the Shope region around the Bulgarian capital Sofia and the Pirin region. In addition to Koutev, who pioneered many of the harmonies, and composed several songs that were covered by other groups, (especially Tudora), various women's vocal groups gained popularity, including Trio Bulgarka
, consisting of Yanka Roupkina, Eva Georgieva, and Stoyanka Boneva, some of whom were included in the "Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices" tours.
During the Communist era, some musicians lived outside the state-supported music scene. Without official support, wedding bands were also without official limitations on their music, leading to fusions with foreign styles and instruments. Thrace
was an important center of this music, which was entirely underground until 1986, when a festival of this music, which became a biennial event, was inaugurated in the town of Stambolovo, and artists like Sever, Trakiîski Solisti, Shoumen and Juzhni Vetar became popular, especially clarinet
ist Ivo Papasov.
Each basic folk dance type use a distinct combination of these rhythmic "units".
Some examples are rachenitsa (7 beats divided: 2-2-3), paidushko horo
(5 beats: 2-3), eleno mome (7 beats: 2-2-1-2), kopanitsa
(11 beats: 2-2-3-2-2), and Bucimis (15 beats: 2-2-2-2-3-2-2), and pravo horo, which can either be standard 4/4 or 6/8.
Some rhythms with the same number of beats can be divided in different ways: for example, 8-beat rhythms can be divided 2-3-3, 3-2-3, 3-3-2, 2-2-2-2, 2-2-4, 2-4-2, 4-2-2, or even 4-4. This terminology is a crude simplification and is not used by Balkan musicians; it does not capture the full subtlety of the Balkan rhythms.
, singer and musical reformer) of Medieval Europe
Yoan Kukuzel
(1280–1360), known as The Angel-voiced for his singing abilities, has Bulgaria
n origin. In the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
there are two traditions of church singing - Eastern monodic (one-voice) singing and choral
(Polyphonic). The Eastern monodic singing observes the tradition of Greek and Byzantine music
, the requirements of the eight-tones
canon of the Eastern Orthodox chanting. The second tradition is the choral church music
, established during the 19th century, when in Bulgaria
enters the influence of Russian choral church music. During XIX and 20th century many Bulgarian composers create their works in the spirit of Russian polyphony. Today Orthodox music is alive and is performed both during church worship services and at concerts by secular choirs and soloists. Contemporary Bulgarian worldwide recognized choirs and singers in whose repertoire permanently takes place the orthodox music are:
is a contemporary music style that combines sexually oriented Bulgarian lyrics with popular Eastern European and Arabic music. It is the Bulgarian version of the corresponding variations in neighboring countries such as Greece (Laika) and Serbia (Turbo folk).
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
like classical, folk, popular music, etc. Bulgarian music is part of the Balkan tradition, which stretches across Southeastern Europe, and has its own distinctive sound. Traditional Bulgarian music has had more international success, due to the breakout international success of Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares
The Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir is an internationally renowned World Music ensemble that blends traditional six-part a cappella repertoire with modern arrangements. It is most recognized under their contribution to Marcel Cellier's Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares project...
, a woman's choir that has topped world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
charts across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and even farther abroad.
Bulgarian vocals are said to be "open-throated", though this is somewhat of a misnomer. Singers actually focus their voices in a way that gives the sound a distinctive "edge", and makes the voice carry over long distances.
Instruments
Baglama
thumb|180px|Cura and bağlamaThe bağlama is a stringed musical instrument shared by various cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and Central Asia....
" (Bulgarian tambura
Tambura
The tambura, tanpura, or tambora is a long-necked plucked lute . The body shape of the tambura somewhat resembles that of the sitar, but it has no frets – only the open strings are played to accompany other musicians...
), or the kemençe
Kemence
Kemence is a village in Pest county, Hungary....
(Bulgarian gadulka
Gadulka
The gadulka is a traditional Bulgarian bowed string instrument. Alternate spellings are "gudulka" and "g'dulka". Its name comes from a root meaning "to make noise, hum or buzz"...
). More modern style instruments are often used in the more modern dance music that was an offshoot of traditional village music.
Folk instruments
Bulgarian bands use instruments that commonly include:- The gaidaGaidaThe gaida is a musical instrument, aerophone, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag.The gaida, and its variations, is a traditional musical instrument for entire Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East....
, a traditional goat-skin bagpipe. There are two common types of gaida. The Thracian gaida is tuned either in D or in A. The Rhodopi gaida, called the kaba gaida, is larger, has a much deeper sound and is tuned in F. - The kavalKavalThe kaval is a chromatic end-blown flute traditionally played throughout Azerbaijan, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, southern Serbia , northern Greece , Romania , and Armenia...
, an end-blown fluteEnd-blown fluteThe end-blown flute or rim-blown flute is a keyless woodwind instrument played by directing an airstream against the sharp edge of the upper end of a tube. Unlike a recorder or tin whistle, there isn't a ducted flue voicing, also known as a fipple. Most rim-blown flutes are "oblique" flutes, being...
that is very close to the Turkish kaval, as well as the Arabic "NeyNeyThe ney is an end-blown flute that figures prominently in Middle Eastern music. In some of these musical traditions, it is the only wind instrument used. It is a very ancient instrument, with depictions of ney players appearing in wall paintings in the Egyptian pyramids and actual neys being found...
." - The gadulkaGadulkaThe gadulka is a traditional Bulgarian bowed string instrument. Alternate spellings are "gudulka" and "g'dulka". Its name comes from a root meaning "to make noise, hum or buzz"...
, a bowed string instrumentString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
perhaps descended from the rebecRebecThe rebecha is a bowed string musical instrument. In its most common form, it has a narrow boat-shaped body and 1-5 strings and is played on the arm or under the chin, like a violin.- Origins :The rebec dates back to the Middle Ages and was particularly popular in the 15th and 16th centuries...
, held vertically, with melody and sympathetic strings - The tǔpanTapanTapan can refer to:* Tapan, Azerbaijan* Tapan , an administrative district in West Bengal, India* Tapan, Homalin, Burma* Geghasar, Armenia, formerly known as Tapan...
, a large drum worn over the shoulder by the player and hit with a beater ("kiyak") on one side and a thin stick ("osier") on the other - The tambura, a long-necked metal-strung fretted luteLuteLute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
used for rhythmic accompaniment as well as melodic solos. It is not dissimilar from the Greek buzouki. - The tarabuka or dumbek, an hourglass-shaped finger-drum. It is very similar to the Turkish and North African "darbooka" and the Greek "touberleki" (τουμπερλέκι).
The new professional musicians of traditional Bulgarian instruments soon reached new heights of innovation, expanding the capacities of the gaida (Kostadin Varimezov
Kostadin Varimezov
Kostadin Varimezov was a famous Bulgarian bagpiper . He was born in the village of Rossenovo, Burgas Province. In 1954, he was appointed to the Folk Song Ensemble of Radio Bulgaria. He later set up his own band of folk musicians and toured in over 30 countries.-References:**...
and Nikola Atanasov
Nikola Atanasov
Nikola Atanasov was a Bulgarian revolutionary and a politician from the eastern part of Macedonia.-Biography:Nikola Atanasov was born to a poor family in the village of Fotovishta, today known as Ognyanovo in Garmen Municipality, then part of the Ottoman Empire. He won a scholarship and finished...
), gadulka (Mihail Marinov, Atanas Vulchev) and kaval (Stoyan Chobanov, Nikola Ganchev, Stoyan Velichkov). Other, factory-made instruments had arrived in Bulgaria in the 19th century, including the accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
. Bulgarian accordion music was defined by Boris Karlov
Boris Karlov
----Boris Karlov was a Bulgarian accordionist. He was born in Sofia into a Romani family. His father was the conductor of an orchestra that was often heard on radio Sofia....
and later Gypsy musicians including Kosta Kolev and Ibro Lolov. In 1965, the Ministry of Culture founded the Koprivshtitsa
Koprivshtitsa
Koprivshtitsa is a historic town in Sofia Province, central Bulgaria, lying on the Topolnitsa River among the Sredna Gora mountains. It was one of the centres of the April Uprising in 1876 and is known for its authentic Bulgarian architecture and for its folk music festivals, making it a very...
National Music Festival, which has become an important event, held once every five years, showcasing Bulgarian music, singing and dance. The last festival was in August 2010.
Instruments used in Bulgarian wedding music
Instruments used in wedding music include violinViolin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, drum set, electric bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
Folk music
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Rodopi
Rodopi
Rodopi may refer to:* Rodopi * Rodopi Peak* Rhodope Mountains, a mountain range in Southeastern Europe* Rhodope Prefecture, in Thrace, Greece* Rodopi Municipality, a municipality in Plovdiv Province, Bulgaria...
, Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
, Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
and the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
shore all have distinctive sounds.
Folk music revolved around holidays like Christmas, New Year's Day, midsummer, and the Feast of St. Lazarus, as well as the Strandzha
Strandzha
Strandzha is a mountain massif in southeastern Bulgaria and the European part of Turkey, in the southeastern part of the Balkans between the plains of Thrace to the west, the lowlands near Burgas to the north and the Black Sea to the east. Its highest peak is Mahya Dağı in Turkey, while the...
region's unusual Nestinarstvo
Nestinarstvo
Nestinarstvo is a ritual originally performed in several Bulgarian- and Greek-speaking villages in the Strandzha Mountains close to the Black Sea coast in the very southeast of Bulgaria. It involves a barefooted dance on smouldering embers performed by nestinari...
rites, in which villagers fell into a trance and danced on hot coals as part of the joint feast of Sts Konstantin and Elena
Helena of Constantinople
Saint Helena also known as Saint Helen, Helena Augusta or Helena of Constantinople was the consort of Emperor Constantius, and the mother of Emperor Constantine I...
on May 21. Music was also a part of more personal celebrations such as wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s. Singing has always been a tradition for both men and women. Songs were often sung by women at work parties such as the sedenka (often attended by young men and women in search of partners to court), betrothal ceremonies, and just for fun. Women had an extensive repertoire of songs that they sang while working in the fields. Young women eligible for marriage played a particularly important role at the dancing
Bulgarian dances
Bulgarian folk dances are intimately related to the music of Bulgaria. This distinctive feature of Balkan folk music is the asymmetrical meter, built up around various combinations of 'quick' and 'slow' beats...
in the village square (which not too long ago was the major form of "entertainment" in the village and was a very important social scene). The dancing — every Sunday and for three days on major holidays like Easter — began not with instrumental music, but with two groups of young women singing, one leading each end of the dance line. Later on, instrumental musicians might arrive and the singers would no longer be the dance leaders. A special form of song, the lament, was sung not only at funerals but also upon the departure of young men for military service.
The Bulgarian folk music is unique in Europe for its "asymmetrical" rhythms ( defined by the famous Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist Bela Bartok
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
as "Bulgarian rhythms" ), where the musical time is not split in even beats, but in longer and shorter.
The most important state-supported orchestra of this era was the Sofia-based State Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances, led by Philip Koutev. Koutev has become perhaps the most influential musician of 20th century Bulgaria, and updated rural music with more accessible harmonies
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
to great domestic acclaim. In 1951, Koutev founded the group known today as the Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir, which became famous worldwide after the release of a series of recordings entitled Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares.
The distinctive sounds of women's choirs in Bulgarian folk music come partly from their unique rhythms, harmony and polyphony
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
, such as the use of close intervals like the major second
Major second
In Western music theory, a major second is a musical interval spanning two semitones, and encompassing two adjacent staff positions . For example, the interval from C to D is a major second, as the note D lies two semitones above C, and the two notes are notated on adjacent staff postions...
and the singing of a drone accompaniment underneath the melody, especially common in songs from the Shope region around the Bulgarian capital Sofia and the Pirin region. In addition to Koutev, who pioneered many of the harmonies, and composed several songs that were covered by other groups, (especially Tudora), various women's vocal groups gained popularity, including Trio Bulgarka
Trio Bulgarka
Trio Bulgarka is a Bulgarian vocal ensemble.They gained international prominence through their contributions to the groundbreaking 1975 world music album Balkana: The music of Bulgaria, originally released on the now defunct Hannibal label.The trio comprises Stoyanka Boneva from Pirin, Yanka Rupkina...
, consisting of Yanka Roupkina, Eva Georgieva, and Stoyanka Boneva, some of whom were included in the "Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices" tours.
During the Communist era, some musicians lived outside the state-supported music scene. Without official support, wedding bands were also without official limitations on their music, leading to fusions with foreign styles and instruments. Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
was an important center of this music, which was entirely underground until 1986, when a festival of this music, which became a biennial event, was inaugurated in the town of Stambolovo, and artists like Sever, Trakiîski Solisti, Shoumen and Juzhni Vetar became popular, especially clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
ist Ivo Papasov.
Folk dances
One of the most distinctive features of Balkan folk dance music is the complexity of its rhythms in comparison to Western music. Although it uses Western meters such as 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4, Balkan music also includes meters with 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 beats per measure, sometimes referred to as "asymmetric meters". These can often be understood as combinations of groups of "quick" and "slow" beats. For example, the dance lesnoto ("the light/easy one") has a meter of 7 beats with emphasis on the first, fourth, and sixth beats. This can be divided into three groups, a "slow" unit of 3 beats and two "quick" units of 2 beats, often written 3-2-2.Each basic folk dance type use a distinct combination of these rhythmic "units".
Some examples are rachenitsa (7 beats divided: 2-2-3), paidushko horo
Paidushko horo
Paidushko oro is a folk dance from Macedonia done to a 5 beat meter divided into "quick" and "slow" units, abbreviated quick-slow or 2-3. Like many other Balkan folk dances, each region or village has its own version of the dance...
(5 beats: 2-3), eleno mome (7 beats: 2-2-1-2), kopanitsa
Kopanitsa
Kopanitsa is the name for a family of lively folk dances from western Bulgaria written in 11/8 meter. Some dancers count the steps in terms of "quick" and "slow" beats, the pattern being quick-quick-slow-quick-quick...
(11 beats: 2-2-3-2-2), and Bucimis (15 beats: 2-2-2-2-3-2-2), and pravo horo, which can either be standard 4/4 or 6/8.
Some rhythms with the same number of beats can be divided in different ways: for example, 8-beat rhythms can be divided 2-3-3, 3-2-3, 3-3-2, 2-2-2-2, 2-2-4, 2-4-2, 4-2-2, or even 4-4. This terminology is a crude simplification and is not used by Balkan musicians; it does not capture the full subtlety of the Balkan rhythms.
Selected discography of folk music
- Music of Bulgaria Original 1955 Recording (NonesuchNonesuch RecordsNonesuch Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:Nonesuch was founded in 1964 by Jac Holzman to produce "fine records at the same price as a trade paperback", which would be half the price of a normal LP...
9 72011) Early recordings of Philip Koutev and the Ensemble of the Bulgarian Republic. This was one of Frank Zappa'sFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
favorite albums, and Bulgarian harmonies reportedly influenced the harmonies of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
- Le Mystère des Voix BulgaresLe Mystère des Voix BulgaresThe Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir is an internationally renowned World Music ensemble that blends traditional six-part a cappella repertoire with modern arrangements. It is most recognized under their contribution to Marcel Cellier's Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares project...
(Nonesuch 9 79165 in the U.S., 4AD Records CAD603CD in the UK) The Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Choir, directed by Philip Koutev and Krasimir Kyurkchiyski. This is the world hit that introduced many to Bulgarian music. It is actually a collection of recordings by various artists and groups. A group that included some of these singers (and others) toured under this name.
- New Colors in Bulgarian Wedding Music, the Yuri Yunakov Ensemble (Traditional Crossroads 4283). Yunakov, a Bulgarian Roma saxophonist, is one of the creators, with clarinetist Ivo PapazovIvo PapazovIvo Papazov Ivo Papazov Ivo Papazov (born 16 February 1952 in Kardzhali, nicknamed Ibryama , is a Bulgarian clarinetist. He leads the Ivo Papazov Wedding Band in performances of jazz-infused Stambolovo music, and is one of the premier creators of the genre known as "wedding band" music in...
, of the modern Bulgarian "wedding music" movement. This album highlights his amalgamation of traditional Bulgarian music with more modern elements from rock and jazz.
- Village Music of Bulgaria (Elektra/Nonesuch 9 79195) Two albums of field recordings on one CD (A Harvest, a Shepherd, a Bride, and In the Shadow of the Mountain). One of the tracks, a recording of "Izlel je Delyo Hajdutin", was included by Carl SaganCarl SaganCarl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
and Ann DruyanAnn DruyanAnn Druyan is an American author and producer specializing in productions about cosmology and popular science. She made substantial contributions to the PBS documentary series, Cosmos, and was the wife of late scientist and educator, Carl Sagan.-Film career:Along with Carl Sagan and Steven Soter,...
on the Voyager Golden RecordVoyager Golden RecordThe Voyager Golden Records are phonograph records which were included aboard both Voyager spacecraft, which were launched in 1977. They contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or for...
.
- Balkana The Music of Bulgaria (Hannibal HNCD 1335) Many of the songs are by Trio Bulgarka or one of its members.
- The Forest is Crying (Lament for Indje Voivoda) by The Trio Bulgarka (Hannibal HNCD 1342)
- Two Girls Started to Sing ... Bulgarian Village Singing (Rounder CD 1055) Field recordings
- Bulgarian Soul Bulgarian operatic mezzo Vesselina Kasarova sings Bulgarian folk songs with the Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria. Songs are arranged by the Bulgarian composer Krassimir Kyurkchiyski and accompanied by the Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra.
Orthodox
The tradition of church singing in Bulgaria is more than a thousand years old, and can be traced back to the early Middle Ages. One of the earliest known musical figure (composerComposer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, singer and musical reformer) of Medieval Europe
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
Yoan Kukuzel
John Kukuzelis
Saint John Kukuzelis or Kukuzel was a medieval Orthodox Christian composer, singer and reformer of Orthodox Church music....
(1280–1360), known as The Angel-voiced for his singing abilities, has Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n origin. In the Bulgarian Orthodox Church
Bulgarian Orthodox Church
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church with some 6.5 million members in the Republic of Bulgaria and between 1.5 and 2.0 million members in a number of European countries, the Americas and Australia...
there are two traditions of church singing - Eastern monodic (one-voice) singing and choral
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
(Polyphonic). The Eastern monodic singing observes the tradition of Greek and Byzantine music
Byzantine music
Byzantine music is the music of the Byzantine Empire composed to Greek texts as ceremonial, festival, or church music. Greek and foreign historians agree that the ecclesiastical tones and in general the whole system of Byzantine music is closely related to the ancient Greek system...
, the requirements of the eight-tones
Octoechos
Oktōēchos is the name of the eight mode system used for the composition of religious chant in Syrian, Coptic, Byzantine, Armenian, Latin and Slavic churches since the middle ages...
canon of the Eastern Orthodox chanting. The second tradition is the choral church music
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, established during the 19th century, when in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
enters the influence of Russian choral church music. During XIX and 20th century many Bulgarian composers create their works in the spirit of Russian polyphony. Today Orthodox music is alive and is performed both during church worship services and at concerts by secular choirs and soloists. Contemporary Bulgarian worldwide recognized choirs and singers in whose repertoire permanently takes place the orthodox music are:
- St. Alexandar Nevsky Cathedral ChoirAlexander Nevsky Cathedral, SofiaThe St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Built in Neo-Byzantine style, it serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, as well as one of Sofia's symbols...
- "Madrigal" Chamber Choir
- Sofia Boys' ChoirSofia boys choirThe Sofia Boys Choir is the first boys' choir founded in Bulgaria in 1968. The performers, aged 8–15, are selected from different schools in Sofia. The founder and first conductor of the choir from 1968 to 1989 was Lilyana Todorova. Since 1989 Adriana Blagoeva has been the conductor of the choir....
- Sofia Orthodox Choir
- Sofia Priest Choir
- Yoan Kukuzel ChoirJohn KukuzelisSaint John Kukuzelis or Kukuzel was a medieval Orthodox Christian composer, singer and reformer of Orthodox Church music....
- Opera singer Boris HristovBoris ChristoffBoris Christoff was a Bulgarian opera singer...
- Opera singer Nikola Ghuzelev
Classical
- Alexandra FolAlexandra FolAlexandra Fol in Sofia, Bulgaria is a Bulgarian-Canadian composer who resides in Montreal, Canada.Fol has composed more than 40 works in different mediums, which have been performed by ensembles such as Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, the orkest de ereprijs, Ossia New Music, the New Fromm players,...
- Anatoli KrastevAnatoli KrastevAnatoli Kratsev - Anatoli Kratsev - Anatoli Kratsev - (Bulgarian: Анато́ли Кръс́тев (September 6, 1947) is a prominent Bulgarian cellist and pedagogue. He is widely considered to be one of the most important Bulgarian performers...
- Anna Tomowa-SintowAnna Tomowa-SintowAnna Tomowa-Sintow is a Bulgarian soprano who has sung to great acclaim in all the major opera houses around the world in a repertoire that includes Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, and Strauss. She enjoyed a particularly close professional relationship with conductor Herbert von Karajan...
- Anna-Maria Ravnopolska-DeanAnna-Maria Ravnopolska-DeanAnna-Maria Ravnopolska-Dean is a Bulgarian harpist and composer.-Biography:Anna-Maria Ravnopolska-Dean was born in Sofia. She studied with the Italian Professor and Harpist Liana Pasquali and continued her education in the USA with the pre-eminent Harpist and Professor Susann McDonald, at Indiana...
- Ari Leschnikoff - actual name Asparuh Leschnikoff
- Boris ChristoffBoris ChristoffBoris Christoff was a Bulgarian opera singer...
- Dobri HristovDobri HristovDobri Hristov was one of the major Bulgarian composers of the 20th century. He wrote mainly choral music, as well as some church music and music for the orchestra....
- Dobrin PetkovDobrin PetkovDobrin Petkov was a Bulgarian conductor.-Life and career:Born in Dresden, Germany, Petkov was the son of a famous violin pedagogue, whose students were leading musicians in Bulgaria and abroad. His mother, Tsvetana Zografova, studied singing in Vienna, Austria...
- Dobrinka TabakovaDobrinka TabakovaDobrinka Tabakova is a British/Bulgarian composer.-Life:Dobrinka Tabakova was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. She won the Jean-Frederic Perrenoud Prize of the 4th International Competition of Music in Vienna when she was 14 years old...
- Emil TabakovEmil TabakovEmil Tabakov is a Bulgarian conductor, composer, and double-bass player. He is the former chief conductor of the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and Bilkent Symphony Orchestra. He has composed seven symphonies, instrumental concertos, and a requiem to date....
Orchestras
- New Symphony OrchestraNew Symphony Orchestra-History:The New Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1991 in Sofia, Bulgaria by the music critic Julia Hristova as an alternative to the existing Bulgarian musical institutions...
- Emil Tchakarov
- Georgi TutevGeorgi TutevGeorgi Tutev was a Bulgarian composer of contemporary classical music, one of the main representative of Bulgarian modernism.-Life:He was the son of a Bulgarian father and German mother...
- Ghena DimitrovaGhena DimitrovaGhena Dimitrova was a Bulgarian operatic soprano. Her voice was known for its power and extension used in operatic roles such as Turandot in a career spanning four decades.-Early career:...
- Gheorghi Arnaoudov
- Hristo Tsanoff
- Konstantin Iliev
- Mariana Paunova
- Milen NachevMilen NachevMilen Nachev is a Bulgarian/American conductor. He is the Principal Guest Conductor with the Romanian National Radio Symphony Orchestra & Choir. He also served as an Artistic Director with International Symphonic & Opera Workshops, Ltd. .-Biography:...
- Nayden TodorovNayden TodorovNayden Todorov is a Bulgarian conductor.- Positions :*Plovdiv Youth Orchestra *Vratza Philharmonic Orchestra *Sofia Festival Orchestra...
- Neva KrystevaNeva KrystevaNeva Krysteva , born on August 2, 1946 in Sofia, Bulgaria, is the most notable Bulgarian organist and also professor of music, pedagogue and composer. She was graduated in Moscow P. I. Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, majoring in organ and musicology. She also studied in Prague and Zürich with Prof....
- Nicola Ghiuzelev
- Nicolai GhiaurovNicolai GhiaurovNicolai Ghiaurov was a Bulgarian opera singer and one of the most famous bass singers of the postwar period. He was admired for his powerful, sumptuous voice, and was particularly associated with roles of Verdi.Ghiaurov married the Italian soprano Mirella Freni in 1978...
- Pancho VladigerovPancho VladigerovPancho Haralanov Vladigerov was a Bulgarian composer, pedagogue, and pianist....
- Raina KabaivanskaRaina KabaivanskaRaina Kabaivanska is a Bulgarian opera singer, one of the leading lyrico-spinto sopranos of her generation, particularly associated with Verdi and Puccini, although she sang a wide range of roles....
- Ralitsa TcholakovaRalitsa Tcholakova-Early life:Tcholakova obtained a Master's degree from the State Academy of Music in Bulgaria, and a Diploma from the Hochschule fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna. She has been a Long Term Artist in Residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts...
- Rossen Milanov
- Svetla ProtichSvetla ProtichSvetla Protich , born on July 24, 1939 in Sofia, is a notable Bulgarian classical pianist and professor of music.-Biography:Svetla Protich started taking piano lessons at the age of 5 under prof. Dimitar Nenov, and performed her first solo-recital when she was only 8 years old...
- Veneta Vicheva
- Vesselina KasarovaVesselina KasarovaVesselina Kasarova is a Bulgarian mezzo-soprano opera singer.- Early life and education :Vesselina Kasarova was born in the central Bulgarian town of Stara Zagora. Under the communist regime she studied Russian as a second language and had an early start in music education...
Pop
Some of the most popular artists include:- Argirovi Brothers
- Bogdana Karadocheva
- Domino
- Doni
- Elitsa TodorovaElitsa TodorovaElitsa Todorova is a Bulgarian folk singer and professional percussionist.- Career :It is the first Bulgarian who led Bulgaria to the 5th position in the world in Eurovision 2007 with the song "Water" with Stoyan Yankulov....
(Eurovision Song Contest 5th) - Emil DimitrovEmil DimitrovEmil Dimitrov was a popular Bulgarian singer. He made his debut in 1960 and recorded about 30 albums altogether. In the 60s Lili Ivanova and Emil Dimitrov were the most popular singers of modern songs...
- Galya
- Grafa
- Jony Iliev
- Karizma
- Lea Dimitrova
- Lili IvanovaLili IvanovaLili Ivanova is a popular Bulgarian singer.-Discography:Lili Ivanova has released 65 albums Lili Ivanova (born April 24, 1939 in Kubrat) is a popular Bulgarian singer.-Discography:Lili Ivanova has released 65 albums Lili Ivanova (born April 24, 1939 in Kubrat) is a popular Bulgarian...
- Maria IlievaMaria IlievaMaria Ilieva is a Bulgarian singer and producer recognized by some as the most successful female vocal artist of the contemporary Bulgarian music scene. Judge on the upcoming first season of X factor Bulgaria.-Early life:...
- Mariana PopovaMariana PopovaMariana Popova is a Bulgarian singer. She is known for representing Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006.- Biography :...
- Mary Boys Band
- Mimi Ivanova
- MiroMiroslav KostadinovMiroslav Kostadinov born 10 March 1976 in Bulgaria is a singer and songwriter who represented Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song Angel si ti....
- Neti
- Pasha HristovaPasha HristovaParashkeva Hristova Stefanova , known artistically as Pasha Hristova was a Bulgarian singer, best known for performing one of Bulgaria's most popular songs "Една българска роза"...
- Riton Duet
- Rushi Vidinliev
- Stoyan Yankulov (Eurovision Song Contest 5th)
- Svetla Ivanova
- TonikaTonikaTonika is a Bulgarian Pop Music group similar in style to the Italian group, Ricchi e Poveri-History:Tonika was first formed in Burgas in 1969 by a graduate of Bulgaria's National Music Academy, Stefan Diomov...
- Traichevi Duet
- Vasil Naidenov
- Yordanka Hristova
Chalga(Pop-folk) music
Chalga (Pop-folk)Chalga
Chalga is a Bulgarian music genre. It is a blend of Arabic, Balkan, Bulgarian, Greek and Turkish influences, as well as motives from flamenco, filmi and klezmer music...
is a contemporary music style that combines sexually oriented Bulgarian lyrics with popular Eastern European and Arabic music. It is the Bulgarian version of the corresponding variations in neighboring countries such as Greece (Laika) and Serbia (Turbo folk).
Jazz
- Acoustic Version
- Anatoly Vapirov
- Hristo Yotzov
- Jivko Petrov
- Michail Yossifov
- Milcho LevievMilcho LevievMilcho Leviev is a Bulgarian composer, arranger, jazz performer and pianist.Milcho Leviev graduated from the State Academy of Music in 1960 majoring in Composition under Professor Pancho Vladigerov and in Piano under Professor Andrei Stoyanov...
- Rossen Zahariev
- Rumen Toskov
- Simeon ShterevSimeon ShterevSimeon Shterev is a Bulgarian footballer who plays for Belasitsa Petrich. He is a fast forward, currently playing by winger. His father Simeon Shterev is a former wrestling champion.-Career:...
- Simeon Venkov - Moni
- Theodosii SpassovTheodosii SpassovTheodosii Spassov is a Bulgarian jazz musician who plays kaval.*birth date:4 March 1961*musical training:The Music School in Kotel andThe Academy of Music and Dance in Plovdiv.*Awards:The Special Prize of Detroit Flute Festival, 1994...
- Vasil Parmakov
- Veselin Veselinov - Eko
- Yildiz IbrahimovaYildiz IbrahimovaYıldız İbrahimova is a Bulgarian singer of Turkish ancestry. She is one of the most popular jazz singers in Europe. Besides jazz she has also recorded Bulgarian, Turkish, Gypsy and Russian folk songs. Yildiz Ibrahimova has participated in tours in over 40 countries in Europe, North America, Asia,...
Electronic
- Deep Zone Project
- EsemEsemEsem is the stage name of Georgi Hristov Marinov, a Bulgarian electronic music artist, . Esem is formerly known as the tracker musician StereoMan, a member of the demoscene group NOiSE.-Musical career:...
- Mira AroyoMira AroyoMira Aroyo , born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1977, and now living in London, is a member of the electropop band Ladytron. She is also keyboardist, songwriter and producer. She writes and sings her songs for Ladytron in her native Bulgarian as well as in English....
(of LadytronLadytronLadytron are an English electronic band formed in 1999 in Liverpool, Merseyside. The group consists of Helen Marnie , Mira Aroyo , Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu .Their sound blends electropop with New Wave and shoegazing elements. Ladytron described their sound as "electronic pop"...
) - Bulgaro
- Georg Hekt
- KiNKKinKKinK was a Canadian documentary television series, which first aired in 2001 on Showcase. The series profiled some of the more unusual edges of human sexuality, primarily the kink and fetish scenes. It was filmed in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg; the fifth season, set in Halifax, Nova...
- Res Corporales
- Star TattooedStar TattooedStar Tattooed is an indie vocal house music project by popular Bulgarian award winning songwriter and producer Miro Gechev and Dary Oreshkova featured on many compilation CDs released in Europe, Russia, and Israel, including the likes of David Guetta, Bob Sinclar, Fedde Le Grand, Pakito and Benny...
- trxTRXThe three-letter abbreviation TRX may refer to:* Michelin TRX, a radial tire produced from 1975 primarily for high-performance automobiles* Transceiver, a combination of a transmitter and a receiver* TraXion, a defunct Danish railway company...
- Tkrst
- Gain Reduction
- Brain Disputer
- COOH
- Disco Nutter
- Balkansky
- Drum Kid
- Hyperqube
- OgonekOgonekThe ogonek is a diacritic hook placed under the lower right corner of a vowel in the Latin alphabet used in several European and Native American languages.-Use:...
- RokaRokaRoka is a khum of Sangkae District in Battambang Province in north-western Cambodia.-Villages:* Chhung Tradak* Pou Batdambang* Ambaeng Thngae* Roka* Ta Haen Muoy* Ta Haen Pir...
- ThoughtThought"Thought" generally refers to any mental or intellectual activity involving an individual's subjective consciousness. It can refer either to the act of thinking or the resulting ideas or arrangements of ideas. Similar concepts include cognition, sentience, consciousness, and imagination...
- Stephan Panev
- Shamanez
- 1000names
Rap
Some of the most popular artists include:- DRSDope Reach SquadDope Reach Squad or DRS is a Bulgarian hip-hop and reggae group. They originated as a graffiti crew in the city of Dobrich in 1998.In 2001 they collaborated with many other artists such as Nokaut, 187 Clan, DJ Ivo Glavata, Scum, Naste, Kaska, Dani, and Juliana to produce their first album, "Urok...
- Romaneca & Enchev
- Spens
- UpsurtUpsurtUpsurt is a Bulgarian rap-band founded in the beginning of 1996 by childhood friends Itso Hazarta, Butch, Bat Ventsi and Panchev. Their first records were recorded in Sudibula studio in January 1996. After a while, Shlevi Panchev left the band and only three members remained...
- Vanko 1
- X-Team
- Mangasarian Bros
Rock and metal
Some of the most popular artists include:- AhatAhat- History :The group was created in 1986 in Sofia by talented students from the National Academy of Music and the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy. The group first live performance was on December 22, 1986....
- Analgin
- Another Day
- Asylum
- BAHUR
- Bai Vute - actual name Georgy Vutov
- BalkandjiBalkandjiBalkandji is a folk metal band from Bulgaria. They freely mix traditional Bulgarian music with hard rock and heavy metal. As Bulgarian folk music is very complex, in Balkandji songs odd time signatures and constant time signature changing are very common...
- Bandaracite
- Banzig
- Barabi Blues Band
- B.F.H.
- Brothers In Blood
- B.T.R.B.T.R.B.T.R. is a Bulgarian modern rock band, founded in 1984.- Formation & Early Years :The band was formed in the NGDEK, the National High School For Ancient Languages and Cultures, in 1984 by Valentin Guevski , Milen Marchev , and Yasen Petrov . During the early years up to 1991 there are nearly...
- Claymore
- Crowfish
- Darkflight
- DemenziaDemenziaDemenzia is a Metal band from Bulgaria, that plays a mixture of classical death metal, melodic death metal, doom metal and metalcore.-Current members:* Vladimir "Valdemar" Bochev – vocals, guitar* Deyan Videv – guitar* Georgi Gigov "Hollow Heart" – bass...
- Diana Ekspres
- Distorment
- EpizodEpizodEpizod is a Bulgarian heavy metal band formed in 1988 in Sofia. The first songs of the band were inspired by the French poet François Villon. Epizod are famous in Bulgaria for their concerts which include theatre, an Orthodox church choir, and an ensemble for Bulgarian folk songs and dances.-...
- Face Up
- Faktor
- Frontpoint
- FSB(formatsia studio balkanton)FSB (band)FSB are an influential Bulgarian progressive rock band, started in 1976 in Sofia as a studio project. FSB achieved great success in the 1980s and performed in numerous countries across Europe...
- Gabana
- HipodilHipodilHipodil is a Bulgarian rock band, founded 1988 in Sofia by four classmates from the local Mathematics High School. The band describe their music as alco-agro-porno-punk though elements of ska, hard rock and heavy metal are used en masse as well....
- Holera
- Indignity
- Kale
- KlasKLASKLAS may refer to:* KLAS-TV, a television station licensed to Las Vegas, Nevada, United States* The ICAO airport code for McCarran International Airport, in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States...
- The Revenge Project
- CREEP
- KPD-0
- KontrolKontrolKontrol is a Bulgarian rock band from the 1990s, reunited in 2009 for several shows.Albums:* BG Rock I * BUMM * Lele Kako * Kontrol 88–92 * Lyuboff * Pazete si detzata...
- Kukeri
- Last Hope
- Marin YonchevMarin YonchevMarin Petkov Yonchev is the winner of the first Star Academy reality show in Bulgaria in 2005.Marin showed a particular interest in music in his earliest childhood.At the age of four Marin began playing the piano...
- MonolithMonolith (band)-Members:*Tony Chembara - vocals & guitars*Pavel Vassev - guitars*Emmerich Ambil - bass*Kaloyan Hristov - drums-Discography:*1992 "One more chance"*1993 "Heads or Tails"*1994 "Ballads"*1996 "Monolith 3"*1997 "Sisyphus"*1999 "Dr. Rock 'n' Roll"...
- Never Again
- Neopit Pilski
- Not Broken In Spirit
- Nova GeneraciaNova GeneraciaNova Generacia, Нова генерация, is a Bulgarian new/cold/dark wave musical group. It was founded in 1987 by Димитър Воев who was well known for his profound lyrics. However Voev died suddenly in 1992 at the age of 27. During his life and especially after his death Nova Generacia achieved cult status...
- Obraten Efekt
- OstavaOstavaOstava are an alternative rock band from Bulgaria. They formed in 1991, but it was not until 2000 that they released a long-playing record .- Formation and early years :...
- Overdawn
- Pantommind
- the paperbax
- Pizza
- Poduene Blues Band
- ReviewReview (band)Review is a Bulgarian new wave band that spawned in the late 1980s and has been one of the most influential acts in the history of Bulgarian rock music. It was founded by Vasil Giurov, Kiril Manchev, Boicho Karaboichev and Милена in 1985 in Sofia. Their first album is called “Reviu-ІV.88-V.89” and...
- ShturtziteShturtziteShturtzite is a Bulgarian rock group. They are one of the most successful bands in Bulgaria during the 70's and 80's and still have many fans...
- SignalSignal (band)-Members:*Yordan Karadzhov - vocals, bass guitar*Vladimir Zahariev - drums*Alexander Marinovsky - guitar*Georgi Yanakiev - bass guitar-Discography:...
- Skinflick
- Srebyrnite grivniSrebyrnite grivniSrebyrnite grivni was one of the first rock music groups in Bulgaria.The band was created in 1964 in Sofia, with founding members Valentin Stefanov , Aleksander Petrounov , Troshan Vladovski and Zhorzhan Banov...
- Sunrize
- Tangra
- Voice of Glass
- WickedaWickedaWickeda is a Bulgarian rock band. It is quite popular in Bulgaria, and has occasionally topped the charts. Its style comprises punk, ska, reggae, funk and some traditional Bulgarian folk music elements...
- Zayo Bayo Gives Me The Creeps
Reggae
Some of the most popular artists include: Root Souljah - roots reggae pioneers in Bulgaria, Jahmmi Youth, NRG D, Ragga one, Samity - Dub Master.World
- Bulgara
- Bulgarka Junior Quartet
- Georgi Yanev and Orpheus Orchestra
- Ikadem Orkestar
- IrfanIrfan (band)Irfan is a Bulgarian World Music & Ethereal Wave band. The name of the band is borrowed from the Sufi terminology and can be translated from Persian and Arabic as “gnosis”, “mystic knowledge” or “revelation” . Irfan’s music is an invitation for a mystical trip in and beyond time, a message,...
- IsihiaIsihiaIsihia are a Bulgarian music band founded in 2000, the style of which unites elements of Bulgarian folklore and Hesychast Christian chant of the 14th century to create an atmosphere of Balkan spiritual mysticism...
- Ivo Papasov and His Wedding Band
- Karandila Gypsy Brass Orchestra
- KorovaKorovaKorova may refer to:* Korovakill, an Austrian band formerly named Korova.* Korova , a Scottish band.* Korova , an American band.* Korova , a record label.* Korova , a bar in Liverpool, England....
- Lot Lorien
External links
Audio clips: Traditional music of Bulgaria. Musée d'Ethnographie de Genève. Accessed November 25, 2010.- Audio clip: Caval. The "Alexandre Dumas" School of Foreign Languages, Bulgaria. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Audio clip: Gaïda. The "Alexandre Dumas" School of Foreign Languages, Bulgaria. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Audio clip: Tupan. The "Alexandre Dumas" School of Foreign Languages, Bulgaria. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Audio clip: Tarambuke. The "Alexandre Dumas" School of Foreign Languages, Bulgaria. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Audio clip: Gadulka. The "Alexandre Dumas" School of Foreign Languages, Bulgaria. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Audio clip: Tanbura. The "Alexandre Dumas" School of Foreign Languages, Bulgaria. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- - Bulgarian music collection with video clips
- - Lyrics, Biographies and Artist's albums
- Bulgarian folklore - Petar Ralchev & Jasen Atanasov Bassoon