John McLaughlin
In Bulgaria, there are numerous dances done in pravo rhythm. To add to the confusion, there are two types of pravo rhythm: 2/4 and 6/8. Each has a slightly different feel.
Today's dance, Novozagorsko Horo, from the region of Thrace in mid-southern Bulgaria is a pravo variation, one of many from that region of the country, where it is very popular.
Novozagorsko Horo means "dance from Nova Zagora." There are two towns in Bulgaria named "Zagora", one is old (Stara Zagora) and the other is new (Nova Zagora).
Pravo is usually a simple village dance, but not this one. The dance notes have Novozargorsko in 4/4 time. I believe it's a 2/4 because it's fast. The dance is done with a belt hold (na lesa). The stamping steps remind me of horses.
Speaking of horses, today's bonus video features the talking horse, Mr. Ed. He had a show on TV that was very popular in the United States from 1961-1966.
If you listen carefully to the song, it's a 6/8 pravo, something you can dance to! Don't let the lion in the beginning of the video intimidate you, he's all noise. All cats, even the big ones, are very demanding of attention. Why is he in color, and Mr. Ed in black and white? Inquiring minds want to know.
If you enjoyed this you may also like:
Bulgarian Folk Music for the Year of the Horse 2014
Bulgarian Folklore and Pop Culture
Dancing Across Bulgaria: The Pravo and Regional Folk Dance Styles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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