The Alien Diaries

To Celebrate International Women's Day: Songs from the Balkans About Women and Girls

2012-03-05T09:39:00.007-05:00

A man's work is from sun to sun, but a woman's work is never done.
source unknown

One holiday that I particularly like is International Women's Day, March 8th. Although I knew of its existence, I didn't pay much attention to it until my daughters started elementary school. The school that they went to had a large population of Russian immigrants, and a number of their teachers had emigrated to the United States from Russia during the early 1990's.

The Russian faculty gave a celebration dinner at the school every year for International Women's Day and invited the entire student body and their parents. They gave carnations to the women and girls attending and after the dinner, the teachers spoke of the importance of this holiday and the achievements of famous women.

Although in the States March is Women's History Month, in general International Women's Day is unfortunately, not really observed here. Too bad, because we need a day of our own.

Today's post celebrates International Women's Day with some beautiful songs from the Balkans about women and girls, sung by women and girls (with the exception of Kune, Mome). After all, the Alien Diaries is an Equal Opportunity Blog :) You won't find any radical feminism in these folk songs, but that's the way things were back in the old days. You will find that out by reading the lyrics.

"There is no girl as beautiful as a girl from Macedonia" is the refrain of the song Makendonsko Devojce. The singer is Karolina Doceva, from Macedonia.

Lyrics for this song can be found here:

http://www.dunav.org.il/lyrics/makedonsko_devojce.html

The group, Semya, from Holland performs Rusi Kosi, a folk song from Bulgaria. Two women sing accompanied by two men (on cello and drums) and a woman on an accordion. The song is about a blonde named Elena who needs a comb, powder for her face, and a man to love. Too bad she doesn't have loftier ambitions :)

You can find the lyrics here (in Bulgarian and German, but not in English)

http://www.hopp-zwei-drei.de/Texte/einzeln/Kurzsicht_Lieder_20110507_109.pdf

The Alien Diaries is an Equal Opportunity Blog. Although the subject of the song is female (her name is Kune), the band is almost entirely male, although if you look closely you can find the single female flutist. This is a very modern and lively brass arrangement of a traditional Bulgarian folk song. I get the impression from the lyrics that the person singing to Kune is looking to seduce her with some wine and rakia. Hmmmm.....something a guy would do:) The gaida (bagpipe) solo in here is out of this world.

This little girl is a show stopper, and the voice on her is really amazing for someone so young. She sings the beautiful Macedonian folk song Jovano Jovanke about a woman named Jovana, who's washing some linens on the banks of the Vardar River. (Sounds like a woman's work is never done, and doing the laundry is all in a day's work). Her mom watches proudly from the sidelines.

According to the person who posted this video, it was taken in Semlitsa, Bulgaria, and if you look closely you can catch a glimpse of the Bulgarian flag. This song is popular in Bulgaria as well as Macedonia.

you can find the lyrics for Jovano Jovanke here:

http://www.dunav.org.il/lyrics/jovano_jovanke.html

If you enjoyed this you may also like:

Women's Dances from the Balkans (last year's International Women's Day post)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/03/in-honor-of-international-womens-day.html

If you like modern versions of traditional Bulgarian folk songs, this post is for you:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/06/modern-versions-of-traditional.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

A Dance for Baba Marta: Children's Celebrations in Bulgaria

2012-02-27T07:35:00.014-05:00

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" ~Robin Williams

The first of March is a day of celebration in Bulgaria, for it is the Day of Baba Marta, which means the beginning of spring! From what I've seen on the news, Europe has had a particularly bad winter, and Bulgaria was hit hard with freezing cold and snow.

Baba Marta is symbolized by an elderly woman. Her name means Grandma March. In temperate climates, the month of March is notorious for wild weather; there are days when you can walk around without a jacket; and other days when it's time for the parkas and snow boots. The saying "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb" describes how changeable this month can be.

Baba Marta is very moody and and can bring bad weather at a moment's notice. It is important to please her by wearing red and white threaded pieces of yarn, called Martenitsa, on your wrist as a bracelet or on your jacket as a brooch. She also likes it when you dress up in her colors, red and white. It is customary to wear the Martenitsa until the trees start to bloom, or when the first stork is visible. Then you put it on a blossoming tree.

This week's post features children's celebrations for Baba Marta with plenty of singing and dancing. They are entirely in Bulgarian, with no subtitles. Dance is a universal language, so there's nothing lost in translation :) The first group of children are festively dressed in red and white folk costumes. They are really cute :)

The next video is a celebration in a nursery school which includes a song and a dance for Baba Marta, led by the Babi (grandmothers). By the way, Честита Баба Марта means "Happy Baba Marta Day."

This link explains some more about the tradition of the Martenitsa, and the history behind it.

http://www.omda.bg/engl/ethnography/marten.html

Last year I posted a story about a Martenitsa tree in my back yard. These trees in Varna, Bulgaria, decked out with Martenitsas are so much fancier than mine. Check this out:

March first is also a name day for people with the names Martin, Martina, Marta, Dochka, Docho, Evdokia, Evdokim. By the way, one of my daughters is named Martina, and her favorite color is red :)

If you enjoyed this you may also like:

The Martenitsa Tree, A Modern Day Folktale

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/03/martenitsa-tree-modern-day-folktale.html

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Martenitsa, But Were Afraid to Ask: (includes pictures, the legend of the Martenitsa, and a Martenitsa fight). Lots of fun!

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/02/everything-you-always-wanted-to-know.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

The Duquense University Tamburitzans come to West Hartford, Connecticut

2012-02-20T09:37:00.017-05:00

Yes, that's me in the photo with the young man in a Bulgarian folk costume. No, I wasn't flirting with him but I wanted a picture as a souvenir of an unforgettable afternoon. He was part of a performing group from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Duquense University Tamburitizans.

On Saturday, February 18, I went with a friend to a Tamburitzans performance in West Hartford, Connecticut. Since the management forbade taking videos of the show, and no flash photography was allowed (the hall was quite dark), my friend took this photo of me with one of the dancers.

The Duquense University Tamburitzans are a student group from a school in Pennsylvania who perform music and dance from Eastern Europe. And they give a great show.

The Tamburitzans began as a small musical ensemble playing Croatian folk music back in 1937. More people joined as the years passed, as the ethnic community in Pittsburgh grew. This year they mark their 75th anniversary performing on stage delighting us with the folk music and dance of Eastern Europe. This is one of the longest-running folklore shows around. The Tamburitzans are full time students and amateur dancers and musicians who perform on weekends, traveling around the United States. Not familiar with Croatian folk music? Check out this video. This is a Croatian tamburitza ensemble, which is how the group started out.

For more on tamburitza orchestras and their instruments read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamburica

On the Universe of YouTube, I found a commercial about the Duequense University Tamburitzans. It gives a bit of the history of the ensemble with some excerpts from last year's show. I heard Macedonian,Bulgarian, Slovak, Serbian and Bavarian music in there. (by the way the best numbers in this year's show were from Macedonia, Bulgaria and Serbia).

For more information, you can go to the Tamburitzans website, where you can read a short history of the group, and find out if they'll be in your neighborhood anytime soon. It is a performance not to be missed.

http://www.duq.edu/tamburitzans/show-overview.cfm

If you enjoyed this you may also like: Folklore, Food and Fun at Festivals (with some Greek and Bulgarian live performances)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/08/folklore-food-and-fun-at-festivals.html

A Romanian Festival with an Albanian Accent: A writeup of a local festival that I went to last summer.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/07/romanian-festival-with-albanian-accent.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

A Birthday Celebration and a Source of Inspiration: The Music of Diko Iliev

2012-02-13T07:39:00.007-05:00

Where words fail, music speaks.
Hans Christian Andersen

Today's post features the music of one of Bulgaria's favorite composers, Diko Iliev, whose birthday falls on February 15th. He was born in 1898 in Karlukovo, Bulgaria.

Although he died in 1984, his music is very much alive especially during celebrations in Bulgaria. Many of his compositions are based on folk dances and are arranged for brass and woodwind instruments. Unfortunately, he is virtually unknown here in the States.

Let's start with a rachenitsa, the national dance of Bulgaria, composed by Diko Iliev. This is a short and powerful piece played by the Velingrad Brass Band. Turn up the volume, this will blast you right out of your chair.

At the age of 13, his parents sent him to study music with a military brass band. The bandmaster recognized his talent early on, and at 19 he composed his first piece, Iskarsko Horo.

Diko Iliev saw time on the battlefield during the Balkan Wars and World War I, as well as World War II. The next video, which commemorates the 100th birth anniversary of the composer, contains some ancient war footage, accompanied by his music. It begins with costumed folk dancers (at about 2:00) and ends with a waltz. Diko Iliev experimented with other genres besides Bulgarian folk dance, especially the march, the waltz, the rumba and the tango. He was quite versatile. There are no subtitles in this video, which is entirely in Bulgarian, but the music speaks for itself.

Diko Iliev lived for many years in Oryahovo, a town on the Danube, the River of Many Names, where he composed his most famous and popular piece, Dunavsko Horo. You will hear it in this video and see what inspired the music. The name of the video translates to Bulgaria, Where are We? The narration (in Bulgarian, no English subtitles) describes the town of Oryahovo, in part, though the eyes of a child. It is very well presented, with beautiful scenery, especially along the river. Even if you don't understand the language, it's a pleasure to watch. It is a bit of summertime in the middle of winter, which has been especially bad in Europe this year (so cold that the Danube froze over in Bulgaria.)

Although Diko Iliev's music is associated with celebrations, his life was marked by tragedy. His first child died of tuberculosis at the age of 14, and at the end of his life, he went blind and had to leave Oryahovo to live with his daughter. He wasn't officially recognized by the Union of Bulgarian Composers until a year before his death, partly because he was primarily a self-taught musician.

Diko Iliev is remembered as the soul of a nation and and in his music you hear the voice of Bulgaria, loud and clear. Happy Birthday!

If you enjoyed this you may also like:

Having a Blast With Diko Iliev a post with lots of music and dancing.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/having-blast-with-diko-iliev.html

Variations on a Theme by Diko Iliev (Dunavsko Horo in its different manifestations)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/07/variations-on-theme-by-diko-iliev.html

Diko Iliev had an interest in music from Latin America, especially the tango and the rumba. From what I've seen on the Universe of YouTube, Bulgarians have a fascination with Latin dancing. Read more here:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/11/bulgarians-and-latin-dance.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

A One of A Kind Club for Folk Dancers

2012-02-04T20:19:00.012-05:00

“Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.” Angela Monet

The Bulgarian National Radio website recently had an article mentioning the popularity of folk dance in Bulgaria which has gotten to the point there is now a 24 hour folk dance club in the capital, Sofia. Its name? клуб на хорото (Club of Horo). Promoted as a disco for folk dancers, it is the only club of its kind in the world.

http://bnr.bg/sites/en/Lifestyle/Life/Pages/1801folkdancesinthespotlight.aspx

You can read more about the club on their website:

http://club.horo.bg/enabout.php

Chanove is an organization and club which promotes and teaches folk dancing in Bulgaria. The club gives classes all over the country. Members of Chanove were instrumental in creating the клуб на хорото, in order to have a place for people meet, mingle and practice Bulgarian folk dancing, any time, day or night.

If you're a dance junkie and live in Bulgaria's capital, you have plenty of opportunity to get your fix. Since I live in the States, this is the kind of place that I can only dream about.

This is the link to Chanove's web site, which is entirely in Bulgarian. If you're Cyrillically challenged, like I am, use "Google Translate" to translate it. (Something is sometimes lost in translation, but you'll get the general idea of what they're about.)

http://chanove.com/

What is really cool is there is a mention of foreigners who have an interest in Bulgarian folklore. Here is an excerpt from the web page, in translation:

"It turns out that where any person in the world, Bulgarian folk dances are universal magic for good health and spirits."

If you're addicted to Bulgarian folk music, Radio Chanove, the club's radio station, will satisfy your soul. You can get it anywhere, anytime, as long as you have an internet connection. Can't wait to listen to all this good stuff? Click here:

http://www.streamingthe.net/Radio-Chanove/p/24282

Chanove has been featured on the Bulgarian TV dance reality show Nadigrame. Watch them in action on YouTube. This is the very popular Pravo Trakiisko Horo.

An excellent site for information on Bulgarian folklore and dance is the website horo.bg. They sell instructional DVDs (the DVDs review the dances step by step, and are in several languages, including English.) They also have over 100 YouTube videos of folklore shows and specific folk dances for your pleasure. Check them out here:

http://horo.bg/index.php?lang=en

Here is one of their videos. The dance is Opas, from the Dobrudja folklore region.

If you enjoyed this you may also like Bulgarian Folk Dance Around the World:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2012/01/bulgarian-folk-dance-around-world.html

An International Look at Reality TV Shows contains a behind the scenes look from the first season of Nadigrame:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/07/international-look-at-reality-tv-shows.html

If you like proverbs, here are some that have been a little lost in translation:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/09/sometimes-lost-in-translation-bulgarian.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Bits, Pieces, and Other Cool Stuff Stuff From the Universe of YouTube

2012-01-28T19:02:00.028-05:00

Today's post will feature some odds and ends from the Universe of You Tube, with videos from the United States, Bulgaria, and France.

Is this an earthquake? No, it's actually the synergy of vibrations from the brass band music and the dancers which shook up the chandelier in the room. This video was taken at the Zlatne Uste Golden Festival, a yearly celebration of Balkan music and dance which takes place the third weekend of January. Fortunately, the chandelier didn't fall, with the number of people at this festival it would have been quite a disaster.

These people at a wedding dance a rachenitsa (Bulgarian folk dance in 7/8 time) with a cake. Or two. That takes skill.

The next video is of IRé, a Bulgarian singer living in France, who mixes jazz with Bulgarian folk music. She and her friends are totally caffeinated and a joy to watch :)

Read more about IRé here (and you can watch the video again, as well)

http://zikata.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/ire-french-ethno-jazz-inspired-by-bulgarian-folklore/

And finally, there's physical education class in Bulgaria. Looks like these kids are combining folk dance with aerobics, a good way to work off the excess energy that is so abundant in young people. According to the video's creator, this is a group of kindergarteners and they look like they're having a great time! What's really cool is that they're wearing traditional Bulgarian costumes and dancing to music by Diko Iliev. This is definitely more fun than playing dodgeball or field hockey.

By the way, they are also very cute :)

Here are the answers to last week's Bulgarian Folklore Quiz: (no, I didn't forget!) How did you score? Come on, it wasn't that hard :)

1. Rhodope
2. Dobrudja
3. Severnjasko
4. Pirin
5. Thrace
6. Shope (Sopluk)
7. Strandza

If you enjoyed this you may also like:

On Ethnic Dance and Exercise, (why dance should be offered as an alternative to sports in the public schools)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/12/on-ethnic-dance-and-exericise.html

The "Flavors" of Bulgarian Rachenitsa (everything you always wanted to know about the Bulgarian national dance)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/flavors-of-bulgarian-rachenitsa.html

Modern Versions of Traditional Bulgarian Folk Songs (some interesting variations on a theme)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/06/modern-versions-of-traditional.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Today's Pop Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Bulgarian Folklore

2012-01-21T20:22:00.024-05:00

This is a test! This is only a test!

Now that I have your attention, it's time for a quiz on Bulgarian folklore. This is how it works: you watch seven videos and then name the folklore region in Bulgaria which best fits the video. At the bottom of this page is a list of the regions; your job is to match the region with the video. It's all in fun and not to be taken too seriously :)

The answers will be in the next installment of The Alien Diaries. Please feel free to post your answers in the "comments" section. Good luck!

1. This singer recently celebrated her 70th birthday. Her name is Valya Balkanska and this song, Izlel e Delyu Haidutin, was launched into Outer Space on the Project Voyager back in 1977 as a musical message to extraterrestrials (a.k.a. aliens). Her region is known for its gaida (bagpipe music).

2. Dances from this area of Bulgaria include lots of stamping and strong arm movements (which may have to do with the natives letting off steam). Some dances from this region include Opas, Tropanka, and Sborenka. Name the folklore region.

3. Diko Iliev lived in this region of Bulgaria, known for its brass band music. His most famous piece is about a river which flows along the border of Bulgaria and Romania. You'll see a hint in this video, (which has nothing to do with folk dancing) but there's lots of action in it and lots of explosives. No people were harmed in the making of it :) Name the folklore region.

4. This region is known for music played on an instrument called the tambura and singing done in unusual vocal harmonies, which you will see and hear in the next video. The area is mountainous and the old houses there were built in a distinct style (see link below)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Street_with_old_houses.JPG

What part of Bulgaria is this song from?

5. The most popular dance from this area of Bulgaria is the Pravo Horo, seen below. This region shares its name with regions in Greece and Turkey.

6. Dances from this region are very fast, with small steps. The dance shown, Petronino Horo, is typical of this area. The natives pride themselves on their sense of humor.

7. This area of Bulgaria is famous for people who dance on hot coals to the accompaniment of a bagpipe and drum. It is a ritual which honors the feast day of Saints Constantine and Helen (which is different from the date on the video). Name the region.

Your choices are from this list:

Dobrudja
Strandzha
Thrace
Rhodope
Severnjaško
Shope region (šopluk)
Pirin

It's OK to take wild guesses and if you're a regular reader of this blog this quiz will be a piece of cake. Have fun!

(Speaking of cake, you will see people dancing with one in an upcoming post. Look for it in about a week).

If you liked this you may also enjoy the finale of Nadigrame, Season Two from BNT World. Nadigrame is a dance competition show featuring amateur dance groups from different folklore regions of Bulgaria. Although it's nearly two hours and has no subtitles, it's worth the watch if you love Bulgarian folk dancing. The previous episodes which led to the final are also archived on this site.

http://bnt.bg/bg/productions/133/edition/19373/finalyt_na_nadigraj_me_2_silistra_e_pobeditel

If you don't have two hours to spare, here are the Ten Reasons Why You Should Read My Blog (an exercise in shameless self promotion :)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/01/ten-reasons-why-you-should-read-my-blog.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Dancing in Sevens....

2012-01-14T22:36:00.019-05:00

A man is like a fraction whose numerator is what he is and whose denominator is what he thinks of himself. The larger the denominator, the smaller the fraction.—Leo Tolstoy

Remember when you took fractions in school?

Some of us found them easy while others found them difficult to comprehenend. It all depended if you were mathematically minded or not.

Fractions are parts of a whole. As the fraction is part of a whole, the rhythm is part of a dance. In fractions, the pieces can be arranged in different ways, and in dances the same time signature (7/8) can have a different rhythm, depending on where the accents are.

This link, Math For Poets and Drummers describes the mathematics of music and poetry. This is especially good for right-brained people like myself who tend to see the whole first, then break down the parts. We don't analyze, we synthesize.

http://www.sju.edu/~rhall/Rhythms/Poets/arcadia.pdf

By the way I am a poet as well as a dancer so my sense of rhythm is very well developed. Math? Well, that's a different story.

I happen to be fond of dances with odd numbers in the time signature, and today we're going to examine the rhythms of the lesnoto, rachenitsa, and chetvorno, dances popular in the Balkans, and all of them with with seven beats to the measure.

The first example will be a lesnoto, a walking dance popular in Bulgaria and Macedonia. The rhythm for this is "galloping-apple-apple." The video is not in English but don't let that deter you; he does an excellent job teaching the dance even if you don't understand the language.

The next dance will be the ubiquitous national dance of Bulgaria, the rachenitsa, which can be done as a solo, couple, or group dance. The accents are on different beats than the lesnoto; apple-apple-galloping. This one is moderately fast and very macho :)

Chetvorno Horo, a dance from the Shope region of Bulgaria, is also in 7/8. The rhythm for Chetvorno is galloping-apple-apple, and has a slightly different feel from both the rachenitsa and the lesnoto. This group performs it in a shopping mall. How often do you see that?

By the way, chetiri is the number four in Bulgarian. If you look at the word in Cyrillic it looks like this: четири. The "ch" resembles a four. Which poses more questions: How does one do a seven beat dance in four? The steps themselves are in groups of two and three. (3+2+2=7) I have yet to figure that out.

If you enjoyed this you may also like:

Dancing to the Rhythm of a Different Drummer

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/01/dancing-to-rhythm-of-different-drummer.html

Dancing by the Numbers

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/10/dancing-by-numbers.html

Balkan Folk Dancing and its Relationship to Math
(a little geometry in this one)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/balkan-folk-dancing-and-its.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Bulgarian Folk Dance Around the World

2012-01-09T10:34:00.038-05:00

Elitsa Todorova, Bulgarian pop/folk singer plans to lead 50,000 young people from Bulgaria in the the longest folk dance in the world on June 9th and 10th, in Varna. She hopes this event (Horo 2012) will make it into the Guinness Book of World Records. Read more about it here:

http://www.elitsatodorova.com/public/news/

On my forays in the Universe of You Tube, I have found Bulgarian folk dancing in many locations around the world. You don't have to be Bulgarian to dance like one :)

Our journey begins in Kodiak, Alaska, a small town in the United States on an island in the Pacific Ocean. It is known mostly for one of the most fearsome creatures, the Kodiak bear. Before Alaska became a state it belonged to the Russians, who sold the land to the Americans for a bargain basement price. Alaska is sparsely populated, averaging about 1 person per square mile. What's surprising is that even in a remote location like this one, Bulgarian folk dance has made a foothold. About half the population in the state is here :)

There are a number of videos of this Chinese group on YouTube. They describe themselves as a "Bonding Folkdance Class." Here they perform Tervelska Tropanka, a dance from the Dobrudja folklore region.

Do you have a sense déjà vu? If you're a regular reader of this blog you'll recognize this group from Jerusalem, in Israel.

If this is your first time here, check out the Dunav website:

http://www.dunav.org.il/

Now we go south of the Equator. Bulgarians have settled in the most remote regions of the globe, and they have a sizable population in Australia. Everywhere they went they brought their culture with them, so they wouldn't get too homesick.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgarian_Australian

This group, Horo, is from Brisbane and they dance the Shopska Rachenitsa. Horo translates to "chain dance" in English, and as it turns out, this is not the only folk ensemble named after a dance.

At the bottom of the world in a land of ice and snow is the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute. There have been sightings of dancing penguins, this happens to be one of them. If this video looks familiar, you have probably seen the movie Happy Feet.

If you take a look at the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute's website, you'll see more dancing penguins. Rumor has it that the scientists there have been teaching them :)

http://www.bai-bg.net/index_files/Page304.htm

It's back to the European continent. This ensemble from Silistra, Bulgaria, performs in Spain.

If you enjoyed this you may also like Bulgarian Folk Music Travels Abroad
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/bulgarian-folk-music-travels-abroad.html

The national dance of Bulgaria is the rachenitsa. Read more about it here:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/flavors-of-bulgarian-rachenitsa.html

There are also ensembles named after folk dances.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2012/01/folk-ensembles-named-after-dances.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Folk Ensembles Named After Dances

2012-01-03T21:00:00.040-05:00

You can find almost anything on the Universe of YouTube, and what I've discovered is that there are quite a few folk ensembles named after dances.

The first group, Ciulendra, is from Vancouver Island in Canada. The song Ciulendra is very popular with folk dancers around the world, and it's from an old recording by Maria Tanase, a Romanian pop-folk singer who died in 1963. This ensemble performs their signature dance, followed by something that looks like a Hungarian csardas, and the finale is a rachenitsa done in true Bulgarian style.

For more on Maria Tanase, click here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_T%C4%83nase

Tropanka from SAP Labs in Bulgaria is a group of colleagues who have an interest in folk dancing, and they are quite good. I've seen a few of their videos on YouTube and I get the impression morale at this company is quite high, judging from their participation in company sponsored activities. Tropanka is a dance from the region of Dobrudja (northeast Bulgaria). This group performs it along with two other popular Bulgarian dances, Pravo Horo and Graovsko Horo.

Trite Puti is the name of a folk ensemble, a dance school in Sofia, and a popular folk dance from the central Bulgarian region of Thrace. Here the group is participating in an amateur folk dance competition held annually in Sofia. The first dance is Trite Puti, and the one immediately following is Chetvorno Horo.

If you enjoyed this you may also like Bulgarian Dances and their Greek Relatives:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/07/bulgarian-dances-and-their-greek.html

What's in a name? And why are there Balkan folk ensembles named after a River of Many Names? Read more here.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/10/river-of-many-names-part-3-folk.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Happy New Year 2012

2011-12-28T08:46:00.014-05:00

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in.
A pessimist stays up to make sure the Old Year leaves. Bill Vaughan

Some dire predictions for the year 2012 have been making the rounds, especially the one about the world coming to an end on December 21st, according to the Mayan calendar.

You can even buy an End of the World Calendar and have fun waiting for the Big Disaster (which could be alien invaders, floods, fire, earthquakes or even nuclear war):

Everything you always wanted to know about December 21, 2012 can be found here:

http://www.december212012.com/

2011 has been a difficult year for many people, for some, it has been the year for natural disasters. I experienced two in 2011. One was a tornado, which passed within a mile from here, the other was a freak October snowstorm which caused widespread damage and power outages. I was without power for a week in the cold and dark; there were downed trees everywhere, including one that fell on top of my garage.

Still I consider myself fortunate. Others, such as the Japanese, have had it much worse.

Here's hoping the 2012 will be a better year than 2011 :)

Today's post will ring in the New Year with music from the United States and Bulgaria.

Here in the States the biggest New Year's Eve party is held in Times Square in New York City. Although I lived in New York for many years I never went to a New Year's Eve in Times Square. It was too cold, it was infested with tourists, and there were no sanitary facilities or places to sit down. I went to parties with friends instead, and we watched the ball drop (a New York tradition) on TV.

In the first video, Imagine plays before the ball drops; then at midnight, Auld Lang Syne, based on a poem by the Scotsman Robert Burns (which became popular as the New Year Theme Song many years ago). The finale is New York, New York.. At parties, we'd link arms around each other, kick up our feet and sing along to Sinatra. It was fun, especially after a few drinks.

Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians made Auld Lang Syne a very popular New Year's song in the United States. read more about it and the band here:

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/newyearcelebrations.html

By the way, the tradition of using noisemakers and lighting fireworks on New Year's is supposed to scare away the evil spirits who bring bad luck. In this celebration from Bulgaria, the noise from the people and the pyrotechnics is so loud it drowns out the music!

If you listen carefully, you can hear the three traditional songs that Bulgarians play to bring in the New Year. They start with the national anthem, Mila Rodina, then an Orthodox chant sung by Boris Christoff, and the finale is Diko Iliev's Dunavsko Horo.

A New Year's celebration in Bulgaria would not be complete without dancing to Diko Iliev's Dunavsko Horo at midnight. This piece has become the second national anthem of Bulgaria, and the dance is second in popularity to the rachenitsa (the national dance of Bulgaria).

There are other musical versions of Dunavsko Horo, besides the one by Diko Iliev (although his is the most popular). The version these young people dance to at a Christmas show is played by a folk ensemble.

If you don't know how to dance Dunavsko Horo and would like to include this tradition in your New Years Eve party, here is a teaching video in Bulgarian which breaks down the steps for you. It's easy to follow even if you don't know the language. You can learn it in less than seven minutes.

For some more New Year music from Bulgaria, click this link from the Bulgarian National Radio:

http://bnr.bg/sites/en/Music/Pages/3012BellsAreRingingNewYear%E2%80%99sConcert.aspx

A Happy New Year to all!

If you enjoyed this you may also like Some Interesting New Year Rituals

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/01/some-interesting-new-year-rituals-and.html

Afterwards, you can Have a Blast With Diko Iliev. Do it before the world self-destructs on December 21...

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/having-blast-with-diko-iliev.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Christmas Folk Songs and Dances from Bulgaria

2011-12-17T16:12:00.063-05:00

In course of time, religion came with its rites invoking the aid of good spirits which were even more powerful than the bad spirits, and thus for the time being tempered the agony of fears. Paul Harris

You may be wondering...what do evil spirits have to to with Christmas? Read more and find out!

Today's post will feature Christmas songs and dances from Bulgaria. These videos will put you in a festive mood.

In Bulgaria, the word for Christmas is Koleda. It is one of the most important holidays on the Eastern Orthodox calendar. Although it is a religious holiday, pagan elements (such as the rituals to drive away evil spirits) co-exist harmoniously with the religious ones.

The first video of a children's group is really cute, with several boys singing and playing on traditional instruments (gadulka, tambura and drum). Their teacher must be so proud :)

More Christmas songs, but the setting here is not in synch with the season, except for the hats on these guys. What I find odd here are the flowery curtains. Where are the Christmas trees and decorations? Maybe they are dreaming of spring in the middle of winter.

In Bulgarian tradition the men do the singing and dancing at Christmastime. Groups of men (Koledari) go from house to house and sing (this takes place in the smaller towns and villages) and the the hosts at each home give them food and drink. In some respects it is like the Puerto Rican parranda, which I wrote about in one of last year's posts (the link to it is at the end of this one).

Now it's time for some pagan rituals which involve the driving out of evil spirits. The wail of the gaida (bagpipe) and the stamping of feet is supposed to frighten them.

Back in the old days people believed that the sun disappeared around the time of the winter solstice and that scaring the evil spirits would bring it back, which is why the Surva ceremonies were held during the time between the winter solstice and the last day of December. If I were an evil spirit I'd get the hell out of there. This guy looks pretty frightening with his mask, I wouldn't want to be messing with him.

For more on Surva, read: http://www.behance.net/gallery/Bulgarian-Surva/1126125

Cbristmas would not be Christmas without dancing. These Koledari begin with a rachenitsa (national dance of Bulgaria) then go into a buenek (walking dance). I posted something not too long ago about folk ensembles named Dunav, this is another group with the same name.

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by and a Merry Christmas to all!

If you enjoyed this you may also like A Bulgarican Christmas, a cross cultural comparision of Christmas traditions (this includes an old Sesame Street video with Oscar the Grouch!)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/12/bulgarican-christmas-cross-cultural.html

Dreaming of Spring in the Middle of Winter (if you like flowers and folklore you will love this one.)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/01/dreaming-of-spring-in-middle-of-winter.html

The River of Many Names Part 3: Folk Ensembles Named Dunav (there are lots of them!)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/10/river-of-many-names-part-3-folk.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Allusions, Musically Speaking

2011-12-10T22:47:00.035-05:00

Words are illusions.
Bodhidharma

First of all, let's begin with the definition of allusion. Most people confuse allusion with illusion. They are two totally different things, although the quote above states that "words are illusions." If you think about it, have you ever listened to a really good story that was the product of a crazy imagination? Most likely it was illusion and allusion at work.

Literary types would define it as a reference to something else in a written work, usually subtle or implied. An illusion, well, that's an idea that's taken up residence in your imagination, or something that you see when you've had too much to drink :)

Of course, to understand a literary allusion, you have to go back to the item it was originally written about. It's the same with music.

Today's post is about allusions in Balkan folk music. If you listen hard enough you will find them :)

The first video is of Gori More, a dance song which came from Serbia via Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Hidden somewhere in the music is an allusion to another folk song, which leads me to believe the composer knows something about Macedonian folk music. (Hint: it's at 1:38). Listen carefully, because it's short, maybe about 20 seconds.

Now listen to the song Zajko Kokorajko, from Macedonia. The story behind this song is about a rabbit and his surprise bride (the fox who wants to eat him). The dance is Arap.

Berkovksa Duhova Muzika, a brass ensemble from Bulgaria, crosses the line between traditional and modern. They use an allusion to an American pop song in this rendition of their signature piece, Chichovo Horo, a folk dance from northwestern Bulgaria. This time it's up to you to find it. It's somewhere in the middle, and very well woven into the musical fabric.

Here's the original song, a one hit wonder from the 1950's on the original 78 rpm record.

If you are over 50 you probably remember 78's. If you're younger, your grandparents or parents may have a few gathering dust in the basement.

They were big clumsy things, 10 inches in diameter, made from vinyl and played on a turntable with a stylus. The sound came from the needle moving along the grooves as the record turned. You could get about three minutes of music on each side. They skipped when they got scratched, which was often, which is where the expression "you sound like a broken record" came from.

By the way, if you're interested in Tequila, click this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tequila

If you enjoyed this, you may also like Bulgarian Folklore and Pop Culture

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/11/bulgarian-folklore-and-pop-culture.html

And if you didn't get enough of pop culture and folklore, here's more:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/11/bits-and-pieces-more-folklore-and-pop.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Classical Composers Inspired by Balkan Folk Dances

2011-12-03T22:37:00.024-05:00

Musicians from the beginning of time have been there to express the mood and the musical feelings in the air for whatever's going on in that particular culture. It's the greatest joy as a musician to be able to translate that, be part of something and watch the scenery around you.
Trey Anastasio

In today's post we'll explore music by classical composers who were inspired by folk dances from the Balkans.

The Romantic Period in classical music, which took place during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was a time of musical nationalism, and composers from several countries used folk motifs as part of their compositions. Some famous examples from the 19th century include Brahms (who wrote 21 Hungarian Dances); Smetena (his folk opera The Bartered Bride is very popular to this day), and Franz Liszt, who wrote a set of Hungarian Rhapsodies.

There were also composers in Balkan countries who wrote music based on folklore themes; most of them they are unknown in the States, except for George Enescu, who did quite a bit of traveling. He gave concert tours in the United States and Europe and spent his final years in Paris, France, after the Communist takeover of Romania. They had confiscated his home in Bucharest, and he never returned there.

This video of Romanian Rhapsody #1, composed in 1901 by George Enescu features some beautiful scenery from his homeland. The work was based on songs and dances from Romania; it's a very dramatic and beautiful piece. Although it's a bit long (13 minutes) it's worth a look and listen.

The next piece is by Bulgarian composer Petko Stainov (1896-1977). Stainov composed a number of works based on Bulgarian folk dances, this one is simply titled Rachenitsa. The concert commemorates a Bulgarian holiday, March 3, 1878, celebrating the liberation of that country from Ottoman rule.

The last video is of a kolo (circle dance) from the folk opera Ero s onoga svijeta (Ero the Joker). The composer, Jakov Gotovac, was a native of Croatia. When the opera made its debut in 1935, Croatia was part of a larger entity, Yugoslavia.

I heard the orchestral version of the Kolo many years ago on a New York classical music station and maybe once or twice. I searched for it on YouTube using the words "folk opera Yugoslavia kolo," since had no idea who the composer was, and I had forgotten the name of the opera, but I recognized the music when I heard it.

This is the lively finale from Ero the Joker, Zavrsno Kolo, done in true Croatian style, with tamburitza and accordion accompaniment.

There is an article on Wikipedia about Jakov Gotovac, click here for information about his life and music.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jakov_Gotovac

If you enjoyed this you may also like:

Having a Blast with Diko Iliev (Bulgarian composer of the 20th century who wrote music based on folk dances)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/having-blast-with-diko-iliev.html

The "Flavors" of Bulgarian Rachenitsa (national dance of Bulgaria)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/flavors-of-bulgarian-rachenitsa.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Bits and Pieces: More Folklore and Pop Culture From the Universe of YouTube

2011-11-25T20:11:00.024-05:00

I love many kinds of music: world music, jazz, classical, pop. Anita Diament

Those of you who regularly read this blog know that I have a fascination with folklore and pop culture, especially that related to music from the Balkans. Today's post gives you both with music from Greece, Bulgaria and Macedonia.

The Muppets are extremely popular; a new Muppet movie was released recently. There was also The Muppet Show which was broadcast on TV in the 1970's and 80's. Everyone knows them from the show Sesame Street. The Muppets have even ventured into Greek folk music as you will see in the first video.

A friend sent me this excerpt from a 1978 episode of The Muppet Show. Miss Piggy sings Never on Sunday, accompanied by dancing pigs, a Greek folk ensemble, explosions, and plate breaking. This is the wildest crowd of Muppets that I've seen :)

There are bottles of Ouzo on the table, which is a liqueur similar to anisette, it has a strong licorice taste. It's the national drink of Greece.

Part of the Balkan cultural experience involves booze. This is a Bulgarian commmercial for rakia (brandy) with men in kilts performing a folk dance, accompanied by a Scottish pipe band (playing Bulgarian music). It's very cleverly done.

The next video is an Audi commercial from the late 1990's, with a bit of the Bulgarian folk song Polegnala e Todora,by the Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir (a.k.a. Mystery of Bulgarian Voices). I'm still trying to figure out how Bulgarian folk music sells cars. Maybe it has a hypnotic effect.

The final video in this post is a rap song with a Jamaican accent and a Romani beat. The performers are Ras Tweed from Jamaica and Esma Redzepova from Macedonia. This delightful and eclectic mix of folklore and pop culture is Raise Up Your Hands.

If you enjoyed this you may also like: Bulgarian Folklore and Pop Culture:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/11/bulgarian-folklore-and-pop-culture.html

Folklore and Pop Culture (again!)Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Count Dracula (this one includes a vintage Sesame Street clip)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/10/folklore-and-pop-culture-again.html

How Bulgarian Folk Music Induces Altered States

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-bulgarian-folk-music-induces.html

For more on The Muppets read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Muppets

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

The Bagpipe in Macedonian Folk Music

2011-11-20T08:19:00.015-05:00

"Gaidasheep", photo from Uncyclopedia

These are bagpipes. I understand the inventor of the bagpipes was inspired when he saw a man carrying an indignant, asthmatic pig under his arm. Unfortunately, the man-made sound never equalled the purity of the sound achieved by the pig.
Alfred Hitchcock

If Alfred Hitchcock had lived in Macedonia, the pig probably would have been replaced by a goat.

Today's topic is the bagpipe in Macedonian folk music, also known as a gaida. The gaida plays a very important part in the music of Macedonia, and they love it as much as the Bulgarians, if not more.

If you are a regular reader of The Alien Diaries, you've probably noticed that I'm fond of music played on the gaida (Eastern European bagpipe). It has a unique sound, and can be haunting and annoying at the same time. For example, when one or more members of my family start to get on my nerves I find the loudest and most obnoxious piece of gaida music and play it from my computer. That usually keeps them in line. They think of it as an instrument of torture. To some people, it is.

Traditional instruments in the Balkans are created from the skins of animals; sheep, goats, or pigs. For example, the gaida is made from the hide of a sheep or goat, and the tupan (double headed drum) is often made from a pig's hide.

Balkan cuisine is very heavy on the meat; the farmers utilized just about every part of the animals they slaughtered. The skins came in very handy in the creation of musical instruments.

What really caught my attention in the first video is that the man plays a gaida made from the body of a goat, with the head still attached. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) would not approve, despite the fact that these instruments are very much part of the cultural fabric of Macedonia.

The musician is a Macedonian living in Australia who makes his own bagpipes, tupans, and kavals and advertises them on YouTube. If you're looking for a one of a kind gift that stares back at you send Risto Todoroski an email at sirulsko@gmail.com. If you order one soon, it just may get to the recipient in time for Christmas :)

This eponomous piece is Gaidarsko Oro. It is also known as Narodno Oro, which means simply "folk dance." The piper is accompanied by an ensemble of traditional instruments; the tambura (lute), the tupan (drum) and the kaval (flute).

The Tanec folk ensemble of Skopje are ambassadors of Macedonian folklore. They have given numerous performances in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas since the group was founded in 1949. In this video, there's a great gaida solo (sans goat head). This video is a part of Tanec's 60th anniversary celebration in 2009. The group performs Osogovka Oro, a men's dance. Notice the men wearing short skirts, these are called "fustanella" and are part of the traditional costumes of Macedonia and Greece.

You can read about Tanec here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanec

If you liked this you may also enjoy:

The Bagpipe and Bulgarian Folk Music:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/bagpipe-and-bulgarian-folk-music.html

Another Country Heard From: The Bagpipe in Romanian Folk Music:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/08/another-country-heard-from-bagpipe-in.html

More Interesting and Unusual Instruments in Balkan Folk Music

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/04/more-interesting-and-unusual.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

A Romani Potpourri

2011-11-12T18:21:00.017-05:00

You cannot offend anybody by a song. Romani proverb

If you like Romani (Gypsy) music you have come to the right place. Today's post features some lively songs and dances played by talented Romani and non-Romani musicians. All songs are in the Romani language. Romani has many dialects, and it's one language you won't find on Google Translate. For more info on the language, read this article from Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_language

The Roma people, who originally came from the Indian subcontinent, were nomads. They made their way westward to Europe, and many of them settled in the Balkans. They encountered much discrimination because their customs and physical appearence were different than the mainstream population. Despite the prejudice, the Roma managed to survive wherever they settled. They found they could make a decent living as musicians; and were very good at it.

The first video is of a very popular dance song, Opa Cupa, performed by a band from the west coast of the United States, Brass Menažeri (pronounced "menagerie") Their specialty is Romani and Serbian brass music. It will make you want to get up and dance, and the enthusiasm from the audience is contagious!

The next video is a song from Macedonia very popular amongst folk dancers all over the world, Rumelaj. The Dunav group is based in Jerusalem, Israel. They have numerous teaching videos on YouTube; this is one of them, and their website is one of the best places on the Internet for information on Balkan music and dance.

To visit the Dunav website, click here:

http://www.dunav.org.il/index.html

Here is a totally different rendition of Rumelaj, performed by the Hungarian band Besh O Drom. If you like music on steroids, you'll love this.

You can read more about Besh O Drom here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Besh_o_droM

Esma Redžepova, the "Queen of the Gypsies" is a very well known singer, songwriter and humanitarian from Macedonia. She has been performing since 1957, when she was "discovered" during a singing contest sponsored by a radio station, back in the day when Macedonia was part of a bigger country, Yugoslavia. You can read more about her here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125580636

In this video she sings the anthem of the Roma people, Djelem, Djelem., a very emotional and beautiful song.

The translation can be found here:

http://www.dunav.org.il/lyrics/djelem_djelem.html

And finally, here's Esma performing her most famous song: Chaje Shukarije with the Gyspy Kings and Queens. She puts her body and soul into it, which is why she's been so popular, not just in Macedonia, but all over the world, for over 50 years.

If you enjoyed this you may also like People Are Afraid of What They Know Little About which describes the situation of the Roma in Eastern Europe, and includes lots of music.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/09/people-are-afraid-of-what-they-know.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

The Gadulka in Bulgarian Folk Music: Another Instrument of Torture Heard From (fifth in a series)

2011-11-06T08:23:00.018-05:00

photo by KDB of "Oreo"

"The gadulka just isn’t meant to bring happiness to modern people." Rayko Baychev, from The Gadulka is Burning

You're probably wondering...why is there a picture of a cat here? Read on, you will find the answer later.

This is a musical intrument most people (except for Bulgarians) know little about, and some would consider it an instrument of torture like the bagpipe (gaida) or the accordion. People either love it or hate it. I describe it as a fiddle with attitude.

To get a sense of what a gadulka is about, first read this article from Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadulka

Now it's time to hear what a gadulka sounds like when played by a virtuoso. This is a solo performance by Nicolai Kolev. The piece is a rachenitsa, a Bulgarian folk dance in 7/8 time (apple-apple-pineapple).

Here is another piece with some beautiful scenery in the background...a gadulka serenade, how romantic :)

The gadulka is an integral part of the Bulgarian folk ensemble, and not usually featured as a solo instrument. It gets lonely all by itself, and prefers plenty of company. One of my favorite bands, Kabile, plays Bulgarian wedding music, and they go on tour in the United States every couple of years. I have danced to their music on several occasions, and they are one of the best groups around! In this video the gadulka is accompanied by its friends the gaida (bagpipe), accordion, clarinet, tupan, (drum), kaval (flute) and of course a singer! Synergy at its finest :)

A little gadulka humor is in order. This link goes to a memoir (in English translation) by a Bulgarian musician and gadulka player, Rayko Baychev. You will especially enjoy his description of how the Bulgarian folk orchestras use dead animals (cats, goats and pigs) to make music. Don't worry, it's funny, not gory. This is some excellent writing, enjoy!

http://www.granta.com/Online-Only/The-Gadulka-is-Burning

If you enjoyed this you may also like The Accordion in Bulgarian Folk Music

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/10/accordion-in-bulgarian-folk-music.html

The Bagpipe and Bulgarian Folk Music

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/bagpipe-and-bulgarian-folk-music.html

The Clarinet in Bulgarian Folk Music

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/01/clarinet-in-bulgarian-folk-music-third.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Folklore and Pop Culture (again!) Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Count Dracula, Transylvania, Sesame Street and Cereal

2011-10-23T13:25:00.092-04:00

I read that every known superstition in the world is gathered into the horseshoe of the Carpathians, as if it were the centre of some sort of imaginative whirlpool; if so my stay may be very interesting.
Bram Stoker, Dracula, Chapter 1

Today's post is about Count Dracula and some pop culture related to him.

The character that Count Dracula was based on was Vlad Tepes, a nobleman who lived in Wallachia (present day southern Romania) during the 15th century. His favorite way of disposing of his enemies was impaling them on stakes. He had one hell of a reputation, even the Ottoman Empire functionaries, who ruled the Balkan lands in those days were terrified of him. I wonder why....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_tepes

Let's fast forward 400 years to Ireland, the homeland of Bram Stoker. Stoker was a writer fascinated by Eastern European folklore. He read Emily Gerard's travel book The Land Beyond the Forest (the Latin name for Transylvania). It was from this book that he found information about the folkways of that part of the world, including legends about vampires. The peasants of the region were quite superstitious and had a fear of the creatures that wandered in the night.

Stoker was so fascinated by the vampires (nosferatu) in Gerard's book that he created a novel that took place in Transylvania. In the novel, Count Dracula is an undead creature who feeds on the blood of unsuspecting victims, creating more of them in the process. Part of the idea must have had something to do with the evil reputation of Vlad the Impaler.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula

Dracula is a popular book even now, and there are many references to it in popular culture as you will see later.

The castle of Vlad Tepes (Dracula) is an important Romanian national treasure, located in Transylvania, in the northwestern part of the country. It was one of Vlad's temporary residences. Here is some background and video about the castle.

Transylvania, back in the old days, was a part of the great Austro-Hungarian empire. To this day there is a large minority of ethnic Hungarians who live there. This region was given back to Romania after the first World War.

The next video is a folk dance from Transylvania, with a mixture of both Romanian and Hungarian influences. There was a lot of cultural-cross pollination in this part of the world. If you watch closely, you'll see lots of stamping, which is typical of Romanian dances, mixed in with a Hungarian csardas, a couple dance with lots of turning.

Now it's time for Count Dracula in popular culture.

First, there's the 1931 movie. Bela Lugosi was a natural for the role because of his looks and that strong Hungarian accent.

Your kids will certainly recognize this guy, he's the Count on Sesame Street. He even sounds a little like Bela Lugosi!

There is also a cereal, Count Chocula, with 100% of your children's daily requirement of sugar, artificial colors and artificial flavors. It is guaranteed to turn them into monsters. I remember eating it as a kid; I picked out the marshmallows and ate them before eating the cereal. And as for the sugar, it made me want to dance all day and night.

I prefer this kind of cereal...oops, I meant Siriul. This is a folk dance from Romania, and is not a favorite of serial killers, at least not the ones I know :) I don't think Vlad Tepes was the dancing type.

If you enjoyed this you may also like Bulgarian Folklore and Pop Culture.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/11/bulgarian-folklore-and-pop-culture.html

And you may want to try some Dancing by the Numbers.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/10/dancing-by-numbers.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Leb i Vino: Traditional Music from the Pirin Region of Bulgaria

2011-10-22T16:51:00.016-04:00

Interested in some very unusual and primitive folk music? Look no further. If you like odd rhythms, hypnotic drumming, super-loud bagpipes, dissonant harmonies and musical instruments that you've never heard of, such as the kemene, zurna, and tarambuka, this stuff is for you.

The group Leb i Vino (Bread and Wine in English) specializes in authentic Bulgarian folklore, which includes singing, dancing, playing handcrafted musical instruments, and the creation of traditional artworks. In this video, the dancers are accompanied by a zurna (a double reed horn often used in Middle Eastern music) and a tupan (large double headed drum). These instruments are the legacy of the Ottoman occupation of Bulgaria, which lasted about 500 years.

Bulgaria has six folklore regions. The music of each has a distinct character. Leb i Vino specializes in music from the Pirin, the area of southwestern Bulgaria, which shares a border with the country of Macedonia. Music and dance often cross borders, and sometimes it's hard to distinguish between music from the Pirin and music from the Republic of Macedonia. This has been the subject of a lot of contention on YouTube. I personally don't care about ethnic rivalry, which has no place on this blog. The important thing is the creativity of the artists, and the beauty of the music, which transcends national borders. The little kids in folk dress are really cute, and the food pictures will make you hungry :)

Songs in the Pirin are often accompanied by a tambura. It's a member of the lute family and it's strummed with the fingers. The woman plays a tarambuka, a small drum that looks like a large goblet.

The kemene resembles another Bulgarian folk instrument, the gadulka. The gadulka is so named because it makes a buzzing sound, and is a string instrument played with a bow.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadulka

The tarambuka and the kemene create a very hypnotic combination in the next piece, and they are accompanied later by a kaval, which is an open-ended flute.

There are three distinct rhythm changes, which correspond to the following Bulgarian dances: lesnoto (pineapple-apple-apple), rachenitsa at 3:18 (apple-apple-pineapple) and devetorka at 5:10 (a kaval player joins in during the devetorka.) All three are in odd time signatures, 7/8 and 9/8 respectively, for you music theorists out there.

You can read about the group Leb i Vino on their website:

http://lebivino.com/index.php

If you enjoyed this, you may also like How Bulgarian Music Induces Altered States:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-bulgarian-folk-music-induces.html

For more on the different folklore regions of Bulgaria and some information on the country's national dance, the rachenitsa, read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/10/flavors-of-bulgarian-horo-and-diversity.html

Since my last post was about food, and I've gotten a few requests for recipes, click the next link for some traditional Bulgarian bread recipes. You can enjoy them with some of your favorite wine while listening to Leb i Vino. Don't forget to spread some lyutenitsa on that bread. Delicious!

http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/bulgarianbreads/r/basic-white-bread.htm

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Blog Action Day 2011: A Look at Peppers in Bulgarian Food and Folk Songs

2011-10-15T06:22:00.043-04:00

(Pepper plant photo by KDB; Shopska Salad from Wikipedia Commons)

Here's the link to the 2011 Blog Action Day webpage:

http://blogactionday.org/

In keeping with Blog Action Day, today's post will be about food. Since food is such a general subject I decided to focus on that multinational and multicultural staple, Capsicum, otherwise known as the pepper. They come in many varieties from the sweet bell pepper, the somewhat hotter jalapeño, and then there's the hottest pepper in the world, the ghost chili. Capsaicin is the chemical in hot peppers that makes them spicy. It has medicinal qualities and can be used to treat minor aches and pains. Ironically it's also the same substance that fires up your mouth when you eat a hot pepper.

Peppers are used in a wide variety of cuisines, such as Latin American, Italian, Chinese,and Eastern European. They add flavor and sometimes heat, depending on the type. The milder ones are used in salads, and the hot ones as a garnish, or an ingredient. They are very nutritious. Peppers have Vitamin C and beta carotene, and are a good source of dietary fiber. Did I forget to mention they also taste good?

Bulgarians are quite fond of peppers. They are eaten raw in salads, or stuffed with rice, vegetables and cheese and baked.

One of the key ingredients in the Shopska Salad is red sweet peppers (either raw or roasted). Shopska Salad is very easy to prepare, and the ingredients can be found in any supermarket: sweet red peppers, tomatoes, white brined cheese (similar to the Greek Feta), onions, cucumbers and parsley, mixed with sunflower oil and vinegar. The colors in the Shopska salad are also the colors of the Bulgarian flag.

There is also a relish made from hot peppers, Lyutenitsa, which is usually spread on bread. It is a traditional Bulgarian staple; pepper concoctions similar to this are very popular all over the Balkans, and known under different names with slightly different recipes. There is Serbian ajvar, Romanian Zacuscă, and Turkish Biber salçası.

You can find the recipe for Lyutenitsa here:

http://www.bettycrocker.com/community/blogs/viewblog/andiblog/2009/2/17/lyutenitsa-a-delicioustomato-and-red-pepper-spread

Peppers, sweet and hot, are very important in Bulgarian culture, and also in their folk music. Here are some pepper songs from the Universe of YouTube. Although some people in the United States have never heard of Bulgaria (and probably think it's a planet in outer space), Bulgarian traditional music is quite popular among folk dancers in this country (and around the world).

The first song, Dilmano Dilbero, is a lighthearted ditty about a girl planting peppers.

There is a phenomenal group from the Washington, DC area who performs Bulgarian folk music. The name of the band is Lyuti Chushki, which translates to hot peppers in English and their music is quite spicy, kick it up a notch! At the end of the video you can hear their signature song, which is, of course, about hot peppers!

Here is some more music from Lyuti Chushki along with a link to their website.

http://www.lyutichushki.com/

If you enjoyed this you may also like Folklore, Food and Fun at Festivals:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/08/folklore-food-and-fun-at-festivals.html

A cross-cultural post on butchers' dances can be found here:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-butchers-did-for-fun-butchers.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Dancing by the Numbers

2011-10-08T09:10:00.045-04:00

Music is the pleasure the human mind experiences from counting without being aware that it is counting. ~Gottfried Leibniz

People in the Balkans seem to have an obsession with numbers. Which is probably why they're so good at math. They are good at dancing as well, after all it's just a matter of counting.

Today's post is about dances named after numbers. The first one, from Serbia, is the Five Figure Cacak. If you watch carefully, you'll notice a three-two-one pattern very common to Serbian dances. There are five different sequences (figures) and each one is repeated. Twice.

Chetvorno is a dance connected with the number four, which is четири,(chetiri) in Bulgarian. In Cyrillic, the "ch" resembles a 4.

If you are looking for the children's game "Connect Four", you'll find it here :)

http://host.exemplum.com/hasbro/connect-four/connect-four.html

Trite Puti, another dance from Bulgaria, translates to "three times." Three times what? Despite the fact that math was not my favorite subject, I like this dance very much. Three happens to be one of my lucky numbers. In numerology, three is the number of artistic talent, creativity, and a way with words. In astrology it corresponds to the sign Gemini. Yes, I know Gemini is the sign of the twins, but it's also the third sign of the zodiac. (I think the guy commenting in the next video must be a Gemini....he's a bit on the chatty side. Just ignore him and his running commentary...he's a distraction. Watch the dancers instead.)

The third time is a charm. Here is another dance with the number three, which must be a lucky number in the Balkan world. The dance Trei Pazesti de la Bistret is from Romania. If you listen closely, you can hear them count uno, doi, trei. And they sound like they're having a good time.

By the way, the most famous vampire in the world, Count Dracula, was based on an actual person, the Romanian nobleman, Vlad Tepes. I mention this bit of trivia because it's October, and Halloween falls on the very last day of the month. This holiday is a big deal in the States. After dark on Halloween, children (accompanied by adults) traipse from house to house, and some of them dress as vampires. Scary costumes are the norm on Halloween; it is the holiday of ghosts, ghouls, monsters and vampires. The purpose of this activity is to acquire as much free candy as possible. The adults come home exhausted after making the rounds of the neighborhood; the children get a burst of energy from a sugar overdose.

Dracula (Romanian for devil) was quite the character and his favorite method of putting people to death was impaling them on wooden stakes. According to some estimates, he may have killed up to 100,000 people in this manner.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_tepes

You can see a more benign version of the Count on the children's show Sesame Street.

If you enjoyed this, you may also like Balkan Folk Dancing and its Relationship to... Math?

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/balkan-folk-dancing-and-its.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

The River of Many Names Part 3: Folk Ensembles and Performing Groups with the name "Dunav"

2011-10-03T10:46:00.028-04:00

Rivers are roads which move, and which carry us whither we desire to go. ~Blaise Pascal

Today's post is a another Close Encounter of the Danubian Kind. You get to visit different countries by way of music, enjoy some beautiful scenery and watch some fantastic folk dancing from Bulgaria.

During my forays in the Universe of YouTube I have found several groups that play, sing or dance to Balkan music. They all have one thing in common, the name "Dunav," which is Bulgarian/Serbian for Danube.

This river has been an inspiration for many artists, musicians and poets, from Germany all the way to Romania, but the Bulgarians seem have been the most smitten by the river that forms their northern border with Romania.

The ensemble Dunav, from Vidin in Bulgaria, is an example of Bulgarian artistry inspired by the River of Many Names. The beginning of this video is especially worth watching. Notice that the man shakes his head from side to side after seeing the images in the water. Are they a figment of his imagination? The dancers are amazing, and so is the scenery, the ship in the background, however, is a distraction. But, then, that's minor.

If you are a regular reader of The Alien Diaries, you have seen these people before. Their teaching videos are all over YouTube, and their specialty is dances from the Balkans and the Middle East. Dunav, a group from Jerusalem, Israel, describes their website as "the sharing place for Balkan music and dance." Check out their link:

http://www.dunav.org.il/

Here they perform Talima, from Dobrudja, the northeast region of Bulgaria which just happens to be along the River of Many Names.

In the States, folklore and culture are often found at church festivals. These events are held during the summer at Eastern Orthodox churches located in large cities on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Many immigrants from Eastern Europe settled there because they were able to find work in the factories and in the steel mills. They wanted to keep the traditions alive for the next generation; the church had a hand in this by sponsoring classes in traditional music, dance, and the language of the old country. In turn, the festivals raised money for the church. The greater community benefits by being exposed to a foreign culture. I've been to Greek, Serbian, Albanian, Romanian, and Bulgarian festivals, to me it's like visiting another country without leaving my own.

The Dunav Orchestra performs at a Serbian festival in Indiana. This, to me sounds like Croatian tamburitza music. The country doesn't matter, it's a pleasure to listen to.

The last "Dunav" group is from London. This performance, from their trip to Romania in 1993, is of a lively Romanian folk song.

If you enjoyed this post, you will also like The River of Many Names (parts one and two). Part one is a musical journey.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/10/river-of-many-names-musical-journey.html

Part two has songs and dances from Bulgaria related to the Danube:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/10/river-of-many-names-part-2-danube-in.html

For more on ethnic festivals, read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/08/folklore-food-and-fun-at-festivals.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

I Can't Believe They're Not Bulgarian :)

2011-09-24T21:35:00.031-04:00

Music happens to be an art form that transcends language.
Herbie Hancock

Today's featured group on The Alien Diaries is the Yale Women's Slavic Chorus.

The Chorus has been in existence since 1969, and they perform a wide variety of songs from Eastern Europe. Here is a little background on them with links to their YouTube Channel and Facebook page.

http://yaleslavicchorus.com/about/

The Yale Slavic Chorus does a fantastic job with Bulgarian music, which sounds a little strange at first to those who haven't heard it before; the dissonant harmonies and uneven rhythms take some getting used to. What makes this music so beautiful is its uniqueness.

This video is an unusual performance of the folk song Ergen Dedo. If you watch it on YouTube, the description underneath reads "impromptu Bulgarian genius." The rhythm they're tapping and clapping so enthusiastically is 7/8 (apple-apple galloping), the meter for the rachenitsa, the national dance of Bulgaria. You can feel the love when they sing.

If you had been on a Manhattan bound N train in Brooklyn at 3 a.m. the third weekend of January you may have seen the takeover of a subway car by the Yale Slavic Chorus. They happened to be on the way home from a really good party, and the subway was the logical place to continue. (Is that a werewolf I hear at the end of the song?)

The party was the Zlatne Uste Golden Festival, held every year on the third weekend in January. The Golden Festival is a showcase of Balkan bands and musicians; people come from miles around to watch them perform and to dance the night away.

For more about the Golden Festival read:

http://www.goldenfest.org/about/

Finally, here they are singing Shto Mi E Milo. Bulgarian they're not, but you'd never know :)

If you enjoyed this you may also like Bulgarian Singing De-Mystified:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/08/bulgarian-singing-demystified.html

For more on Zlatne Uste, the band who started the Golden Festival back in 1985, read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/08/band-from-new-york-city-competes-at.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

"Those Who Can't Dance Say the Music is No Good" (Jamaican Proverb)

2011-09-17T21:34:00.027-04:00

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
~Kurt Vonnegut

There are times I find myself dancing in the living room, usually when no one is home. My husband and daughters don't appreciate Bulgarian folk music, especially when it's played on loud "obnoxious" bagpipes and accordions. You couldn't pay them to dance to what I listen to which is why joined a group of like minded friends who dance on Friday (and sometimes Sunday) nights.

I enjoy dances from all over the Balkans, but am particularly partial to those from Bulgaria. Here a few of my favorites, complete with the aforementioned obnoxious musical instruments.

I originally learned Mitro from watching it on YouTube. I was delighted when one of the leaders of the Sunday night group introduced this dance, since I already knew it! Mitro is a modern version of Pravo Horo (the most popular dance in Bulgaria). It's from the Rhodope region, where they can get a little crazy with the bagpipes, the introduction will certainly get your attention. And the stamping is one way to get your frustations after a rough day.

Another of my favorite dances is Vlaško. This was originally a men's dance, complete with stamping and fast footwork (so the guys could show off their stuff), but nowadays, women get in the line (and even lead!) since the macho dances are much more fun. The name Vlaško comes from the Vlachs (Wallachian) people who were originally from southern Romania. They got around, and there are signficant numbers of them in Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece. There are many dances in the Balkans with the name Vlaško , this one is from Bulgaria.

The lesnoto, or pravoto, is very popular, especially in the Pirin region of Bulgaria, which shares a border with Macedonia. The lesnoto is one of those dances in an odd rhythm (7/8 for your music theorists out there); "pineapple-apple-apple", and it's very easy. It's basically walking with a few step-lifts thrown in. Even little kids can do it.

This band does an excellent job with Idam ne Idam; the dance that goes with the song is a lesnoto variation. The gaida player is fantastic, and so is the singing, although I know some people who would disagree with that. Bulgarian folk music, especially when played on bagpipes, is something people either love or hate. A Jamaican proverb describes it best: "those who can't dance say the music is no good."

For more on lesnoto read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesnoto

If you enjoyed this you may also like my series on the clarinet, the accordion and the bagpipe in Bulgarian folk music.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/01/clarinet-in-bulgarian-folk-music-third.html

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/10/accordion-in-bulgarian-folk-music.html

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/bagpipe-and-bulgarian-folk-music.html

If you're looking for a socially acceptable way to rid yourself of stress, read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-stamp-out-your-frustrations-and.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Glendi, A Greek Celebration (Dancing as a Spectator Sport, Part 2)

2011-09-12T09:11:00.041-04:00

A yearly ritual of mine is to go to the Glendi (Greek Festival) held at the Greek Cultural Center in my area. This event draws crowds from miles around; there is authentic Greek food, music and dancing. It lasts for three days and is always held on the second weekend of September.

A band plays on Saturdays and Sundays, and Saturday night, especially is party night, with large groups of people dancing Syrtos, Hasapiko, and Tsamikos until the the band packs up shortly before 11 p.m. The Glendi is less crazy on Sundays, so there is much more room to dance; the party crowd from the evening before is just too tired, and perhaps a little hung over :)

Live music is what draws people to the festival, and the band performs in this video, along with my friends doing the Syrtos, the most popular Greek dance.

One of the highlights of the festival is the performance of the young dancers from St. George Greek Orthodox Church. They give several performances on Saturdays and Sundays and they are very good. Here are some videos I took of them on Sunday afternoon.

The first dance (Syrtos) done to some very modern music...notice the little kids at the end of the line.

This is Pentozali, a dance from the largest Greek island, Crete.

For some background on Pentozali, read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentozali

This dance looks and sounds (almost) Bulgarian, its name is Zonaradikos, the Bulgarian version is Pravo Horo. There is a Thrace in Greece, and a Thrace in Bulgaria, and those are the regions where this dance originated. Zonaradikos is usually done with the dancers holding on to each other's belts (Zonaria is the Greek word for belt), but these young people are using a "basket hold" instead.

For information on Zonaradikos read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zonaradiko

If you enjoyed this you may also like:

Dancing as a Spectator Sport: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/09/dancing-as-spectator-sport.html

Bulgarian Dances and Their Greek Relatives:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/07/bulgarian-dances-and-their-greek.html

Folklore, Food and Fun at Festivals:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/08/folklore-food-and-fun-at-festivals.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Dancing as a Spectator Sport

2011-09-04T07:59:00.028-04:00

“Dancers are athletes of God.” Albert Einstein
- Albert Einstein

Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music. ~William Stafford

It's fun watching young people dance. They have more enthusiasm and less self-consciousness than we older folks. They have lots of energy, and some of them have plenty of talent, as you'll see here.

The irregular rhythms of Balkan music take some getting used to but it seems that the kids have the easiest time picking them up because they don't have preconceived notions about rhythm. And if you grow up listening to this stuff, dancing to it becomes second nature, anyway.

I have seen children and teens performing at festivals, and they never fail to amaze me. I took this video at a Greek festival last fall, the young men add some acrobatics to the mix, which was something I didn't expect.

These girls perform the Romanian folk dance Itele. At this age they're really cute, and even more important, they're having fun, which is what it's all about, right?

These talented young people at a festival in Orhid, Macedonia perform a medley of dances from Bulgaria. Those who are familiar with Bulgarian dances will recognize Elenino Horo (Eleno Mome), Pravo, and Petronino Horo, along with this group's specialty, the Rachenitsa (national dance of Bulgaria). Back in the old days, the village dances were venues for young people to meet and mingle, and the boys did the fancy footwork to attact the girls. There is a flirtatious element in rachenitsa and you can see it here (at 4.30, 8.15, and 13.30) The twirling of handkercheifs is also also worth noting...the Bulgarian word for handkercheif is "rŭčenik." Although the video is nearly 15 minutes long it's well worth watching.

For an in-depth look at the rachenitsa, read Dick Oakes' writeup in his Dance Descriptions:

http://www.phantomranch.net/folkdanc/dances/rucenica.htm

If you enjoyed this, try some ethnic dance and exercise. In this post you will read why dance should be offered as an alternative to sports in physical education programs.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/12/on-ethnic-dance-and-exericise.html

For more on Bulgarian rachenitsa read: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/flavors-of-bulgarian-rachenitsa.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Another Country Heard From: The Bagpipe in Romanian Folk Music

2011-08-26T13:05:00.009-04:00

Bagpipes are the missing link between music and noise. E. K. Kruger

The Eastern European gaida, or bagpipe, is an instrument that gets around the Balkans. It's extremely popular in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Greece. Believe it or not, the Romanians like it too.

Romanian music is usually associated with panpipes (also called panflutes), and with another unusual folk instrument, the cimbalom. A cimbalom is also known as a hammered dulcimer, and belongs to the percussion family of instruments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimbalom

You can read about the panpipes and Romanian folk music here.

http://www.eliznik.org.uk/RomaniaMusic/nai.htm

In this video is some traditional Romanian music played by a bunch of Dutch guys in Amsterdam on clarinet, accordion, violin, cimbalom and panpipes, and they are pretty damned good. This instrumentation is typical for folk ensembles in Romania.

I don't know if the Romanians got their liking for the bagpipe from their Bulgarian neighbors across the River of Many Names, but you'll find that the music of southern Romania is very big on the cimpoi (Romanian for bagpipe). Don't confuse it with the cimbalom, the cimpoi is a totally different animal. (Just so you know, the cimpoi is made from either goat or sheep hide). Both panpipes and bagpipes have been used as instruments of torture on susceptible people (but not on Bulgarians). I'm sure that the Bulgarians are flattered that their friends across the Danube have taken up the gaida.

Last year, I wrote about the bagpipe in Bulgarian folk music, you can read the post here:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/bagpipe-and-bulgarian-folk-music.html

Now it's time to hear those bagpipes in action, along with cimbalom and panpipes, the "unholy trinity" of instruments of torture :) This dance is Hora de Mina. Hora means "dance" in Romanian, and can be easily confused with horo, the Bulgarian name for the same thing.

Sârba pe Loc, a dance from the region of Muntenia in southern Romania, is another example of the gaida (oops, cimpoi) in action. Sârba is a generic name for energetic dances from Muntenia and Oltenia (another province in southern Romania) with lots of stamping. This dance is extremely popular among folk dance groups, probably because it's a socially acceptable way to get your frustrations out.

This hora from the Oltenia region of Romania is titled simply Cimpoi. You'll understand why when you hear it.

The dance notes for Cimpoi can be found here:

http://www.phantomranch.net/folkdanc/dances/cimpoi.htm

If you're interested in more interesting and unusual Eastern European folk instruments, including the kaval, the gadulka, and the panpipes you may enjoy this post:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/04/more-interesting-and-unusual.html

If you've had a bad week, here are some socially acceptable ways to relieve stress:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-stamp-out-your-frustrations-and.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Some Different and Modern Arrangements of Bulgarian Folk Dances

2011-08-18T22:26:00.019-04:00

Although I like traditional instrumentation in Bulgarian folk dances, once in a while something different catches my attention.

The first one is a very modern version of Pajduško Horo, played by the Bulgarian Police Band. (I think the combination of career in law enforcement and a career in music is little bit odd, although their musicianship is excellent). The Pajduško is a dance with an odd rhythm, like a heartbeat. The time signature is 5/8 (quick-slow). The Bulgarian Police Band has a varied repetoire, which includes American big band tunes, military marches, and Bulgarian folk dances, and there are many videos of them on The Universe of YouTube. Check them out.

Gankino Horo on an accordion and a gadulka is a more traditional version of this folk dance from northern Bulgaria. La Vieja Orkestina performs it in a bar in Barcelona, Spain. (Which makes you wonder, why does a band with a Spanish name play Bulgarian music? Bulgarians, I've noticed, are quite fond of music from Spain and especially Latin America, and one of the musicians in this duo is a Bulgarian). The musicians jazz it up in the middle, which makes it rather interesting. This is a very danceable piece in 11/16, the time signature for kopanitsa.

For an explanation of kopanitsa read:

http://www.dunav.org.il/dance_research/bulgaria_kopanica.html

This is a modern version of a rachenitsa, the national dance of Bulgaria, played by a Greek ensemble. The rachenitsa is another dance in an odd rhythm, 7/8 or 7/16, depending on how fast it is. The clarinet really stands out here, and so does the accordion. This is an excellent performance!

If you enjoyed this, you may also like Dancing to the Rhythm of a Different Drummer, everything you always wanted to know about rhythm in Balkan music (but were afraid to ask..)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/01/dancing-to-rhythm-of-different-drummer.html

For an in-depth look at the different "flavors" of Bulgarian rachenitsa read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/flavors-of-bulgarian-rachenitsa.html

You can also read about the Travels of Pajduško Horo:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/09/travels-of-pajdusko-horo.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Age is an Issue of Mind over Matter: Old People in Balkan Folk Songs

2011-08-12T22:51:00.056-04:00

(picture from Wikipedia)

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. ~Mark Twain

If you live long enough aging is inevitable. You look in the mirror and wonder where those gray hairs and wrinkles came from. Your body hurts in places it hasn't hurt before, although in your heart and mind you feel the same as when you were twenty, only a lot wiser. The thought of your eventual demise becomes more a reality than an abstraction as you see friends and relatives make their way to the Great Beyond.

That is why you should have a blast while you last and enjoy life as much as you can.

The elderly are celebrated in Balkan folk songs, and sometimes become the butt of jokes. In this Bulgarian song, a young woman looking for a man should be careful where she tosses her apple. It lands on a man old enough to be her grandfather. The girl, Lenche, begs Mom to get rid of him. Mom sends him out to the forest to cut wood hoping that a falling tree will hit him or a bear will eat Mr. Pedophile for lunch. The video is funny and the dance, from the Pirin region of southwest Bulgaria, is a rachenitsa.

This song, about grandparents and their love which lasts into their golden years is Dedo Mili Zlatni. It's also a popular folk dance from Macedonia.

A famous female vocal group from Bulgaria, the Bistritsi Babi (babi is plural for grandmothers) shows that fun doesn't stop after fifty. Age is just a number after all. Although they usually perform in traditional costumes, this is what they REALLY look like, and they dance as well as sing.

Here's more about them from the UNESCO World Heritage site:

http://www.unesco.org/culture/intangible-heritage/08eur_uk.htm

This is a crazy Croatian dance song, Sučacko Kolo, about a cook who was (supposedly jinxed) when the old man looked at her and the gibenitsa (cheese pie) burned. Most likely the evil eye was involved because the situation became a humorous recipe for a kitchen disaster. According to the song "the turkeys had gotten singed, the cook roasts a chicken and all the water comes out of it." (Aren't translations fun?) One of the couples in the video has done a role reversal which makes the dance even funnier :)

The refrain for the song (and the solution to the problem) was to throw some cold water from the Danube on the burnt food. Then "they danced the whole night, and ate a hen, feathers and all."

You can find the translation for this and many other folk songs in the Songbook for Nearsighted People.

http://www.hopp-zwei-drei.de/Texte/einzeln/Kurzsicht_Lieder_20110507_191.pdf

http://www.hopp-zwei-drei.de/Texte/Kurzsicht_Lieder_20110507.pdf

The woman who compiled it had difficulty reading small print in dark rooms when performing; and the Songbook was born. The Songbook For Nearsighted People is a excellent source if you're searching for lyrics to your favorite folk dances, with songs for more than ten different countries, translated into German and English.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Sometimes Lost In Translation, a humorous take on Bulgarian proverbs.

For more on the rachenitsa, the national dance of Bulgaria, read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/flavors-of-bulgarian-rachenitsa.html

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/09/sometimes-lost-in-translation-bulgarian.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Modern Versions of Traditional Bulgarian Folk Songs (part 2)

2011-08-05T14:49:00.064-04:00

Bulgarian folk music has a quality which transcends time and leaves lots of space for improvisation, much like jazz in the States. The songs featured here, in their modern incarnations, remind me a little of American jazz, while retaining their distinct Bulgarian sound.

In a previous post, I wrote about modern renditions of some well-known traditional Bulgarian folk songs. You can read about them here:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/06/modern-versions-of-traditional.html

Today's post features more Bulgarian folk songs, along with their modern incarnations performed by Diva Reka, a band which mixes traditional music with modern jazz. Here is a writeup on them from the Bulgarian National Radio along with some of their music.

http://bnr.bg/sites/en/Music/Pages/2605divareka.aspx

Diva Reka was also the featured band on a very popular Bulgarian TV reality series, Nadigrame, which finished its eight week run in July, 2011. The show featured dance competitions between rival cities from different regions of Bulgaria. It was very well done, and despite the fact that I understand very little Bulgarian, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The show can be found here (episodes are each about an hour except for the finale).

http://bnt.bg/bg/productions/133/edition/14530/nadigraj_me_22_maj_2011_varna_pobedi_burgas_v_pyrvoto_izdanie_na_folklornoto_tancovo_shou

The first song is a traditional interpretation of Nayden, performed by Pavlina Gorcheva.

This is the Diva Reka version, recognizable as a folk song and yet...different.

The Pirin Ensemble does some fantastic renditions of folk songs and dances from southwestern Bulgaria. Here they perform the traditional version of Dobra Nevesto. The rhythm is 7/8, the dance is a rachenitsa.

This is the modern interpretation of a group of songs from the Pirin region. Dobra Nevesto is somewhere in the middle, at about 2.40.

If you enjoyed this post you may also like An International Look at Reality TV Shows.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/07/international-look-at-reality-tv-shows.html

For more on Bulgarian rachenitsa (dance in 7/8 rhythm like the songs featured here) read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/flavors-of-bulgarian-rachenitsa.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Cowboys, Aliens, Pop Culture and Čoček

2011-08-01T17:53:00.013-04:00

There is an interest in aliens out there, judging from the release of the recent movie Cowboys and Aliens. It's an unusual combination of shoot 'em up Western and Science Fiction. Although I haven't seen the movie yet, this short clip was enough to get my attention.

Unfortunately, the aliens are the bad boys in the film. Aliens, in general, have a bad reputation. They are seen as invaders and threats to society. I'd be willing to bet they are living among us and most people, except for the enlightened few, are not even aware of that.

Are you looking for proof that aliens exist and live among us? According to Bulgarian physicist Lachazar Filipov they do. Read on...

http://bnr.bg/sites/en/Lifestyle/Profiles/Pages/1403Bulgarianscientistamong10topbelieversinaliens.aspx

The Mothership must have landed in Bulgaria recently, and I found this video on the Universe of YouTube. By the way, these aliens are excellent dancers, although they can use a little fattening up. Perhaps aliens are supposed to be slender but they look a litle anorexic to me. A little food and wine should do the trick. They do a really great Čoček, a dance of Roma (Gypsy) origin, which is very popular in the Balkans. And if they take over the planet with music and dance, I'm all for it :)

If you want to see earthlings dancing Čoček, watch this video.

For more on movies about aliens read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/03/outer-space-bulgarian-connection-we-are.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Zlatne Uste Plays for Surprise Wedding :)

2011-07-25T18:49:00.024-04:00

(photo 1, Sandy and Ken) (photo 2, Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band)

Have you ever been to one of those "cookie cutter" wedding receptions?

During the years when my friends were getting married, I went to plenty of them, and they were pretty much interchangeable, except for the couples. My husband and I had one. The format is familiar: appetizers followed by bland prime rib and then the wedding cake, all of it washed down with gallons of booze. The bride and groom entering, the first dance, the first kiss, the throw of the garter, the dance with Mom, the dance with Dad. The music, performed by a band or a DJ, is a mixture of sappy love songs, pop music, the Chicken Dance and Alley Cat.

In my next life I'd like to have a wedding reception like the one I went to recently. It was delightfully different.

The couple, Sandy and Ken, have been together a long time and surprised everyone when they announced their marriage during one of the band breaks. We all thought it was a party showcasing the Balkan brass band from New York City, Zlatne Uste.

Sandy and Ken are dancers and musicians, and play for Panharmonium, the Amherst International Folk Dance house band:

http://sward.smugmug.com/Music/Panharmonium/457985_vMuHR#494125227_vmFzA

Sandy also writes a monthly article for the Danvers Herald, and a blog about growing up in Danvers, Massachusetts:

http://rememberingdanvers.blogspot.com/

During the month of May, at one of the Friday night dances, they announced that Zlatne Uste was going to play locally, a rare event, since they usually do gigs in the New York City area (where I danced to their music at the very first Golden Festival in 1985). This was something I was not going to miss, and I marked it prominently on my calendar as soon as I knew.

It was an unforgettable experience, and the music was loud enough to wake the dead (believe it or not a few people wore earplugs).

Here's one of the videos I took during the party. This is a dance very popular in the Balkans, Devatorka.

Here's another, are we having fun yet?

I wish the happy couple the best, and I thank them for arranging one of the the most enjoyable events I have ever been to!

For more on Zlatne Uste read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/08/band-from-new-york-city-competes-at.html

Their web site can be found here:

http://www.zlatneuste.org/

The Zlatne Uste Golden Festival, which celebrated its 26th year, has been held the third weekend of January in New York City every year since 1985. It has gotten so big that they had to move to Brooklyn.

http://www.goldenfest.org/

And finally, this is a group who performed at the Golden Festival this year who took over a subway car on the Manhattan-bound N train at 3 a.m, which was also known as the Bulgarianization of the BMT.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Bulgarian Dances and their Greek Relatives

2011-07-22T21:55:00.036-04:00

A lot of cross-cultural pollination takes place in the Balkans. Today's post is about Bulgarian dances that have cousins in Greece. Both countries have a region named Thrace, and it is from this area that these dances originate. Thrace includes what is now southern Bulgaria, northern Greece, and a part of Turkey.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrace

The Pravo is a dance that has been around. It is known by different names in different countries; it is supposedly the most widespread dance in the world.

http://www.phantomranch.net/folkdanc/dances/pravohor.htm

This is a basic Bulgarian dance, the one everyone does at weddings and parties. Its name is Pravo Trakiisko Horo, which in English means "straight Thracian dance." Bulgarians do crooked dances too, these are called Krivo and they will be described in a future post.

This is a slightly faster and more challenging Pravo from the same region. Notice the "basket hold" in which the dancers place arms over each other, like the weave of a basket. This alone makes the dance a little harder...if you screw up the steps, you can mess up the line, which is why you should always pay close attention to the leader. These guys know exactly what they're doing, and they are a pleasure to watch.

The Greek version of the Pravo is the Zonaradiko. The name comes from the belt hold that the dancers use; the Greek word for belt is zonaria . It's similar to the basket hold in the previous video.

Trite Puti is a favorite of Balkan dancers, and it's from the Thracian region of Bulgaria. It means "three times", which has to do with the movement of the feet. It's an odd number of steps in an even tempo (2/4).

The dance doesn't undergo much of a change when it crosses the Greek border, except for the name, Troiro. The arm swinging and the steps are very familiar and so is the gaida (bagpipe) music.

If you enjoyed this, you may also like Bulgarian Folk Music Travels Abroad, a cross-cultural experience beginning in Bulgaria.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/bulgarian-folk-music-travels-abroad.html

Dances in the same family can be found here:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/03/family-resemblance-theme-and-variations.html

Euclid was from ancient Greece, and he was the father of geometry. Read about the relationship of geometry to Balkan dancing here:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/balkan-folk-dancing-and-its.html

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A Romanian Festival with an Albanian Accent

2011-07-17T21:37:00.066-04:00

Summertime is festival time, and today's post is about an unusual church picnic that I went to this past weekend with a group of dance friends.

It was held as a fundraiser for the Romanian Orthodox Church in Southbridge, a small town in south-central Massachussetts. During the beginning of the last century,immigrants from Romania came to the United States seeking opportunity. They established churches and social halls for worship and to celebrate cultural events. St. Michael's Church in Southbridge has been a part of the Romanian community since 1924.

http://www.stmichaelorth.org/history.htm

The odd thing about this Romanian picnic/festival was that the band played Armenian and Greek music, and the costumed folk dance group presented dances from Albania. Not one Romanian dance or song was performed. This festival was Romanian in name only.

The social hall displayed some very old photos from the church's history, and I got into a conversation with an older woman who was a longtime parishioner. She told me that years ago the church had organized folk dance groups and they performed Romanian dances. What had happened was that the immigrants' children and grandchildren had assimilated into the mainstream culture and lost touch with their roots. So the church invited an Albanian group from an Orthodox church in Worcester to perform.

The Albanian folk dancers, most of who were were recent immigrants to the United States, did a very nice job. They were young and energetic, but they weren't Romanian. Even the Pajduško that they did (which they said was Romanian) was not. The music was definitely Albanian. Albanian music is very heavy on the clarinet, and you can hear it in this video.

Contrast it with this Romanian Pajduško which is faster. It looks and sounds totally different:

The group performed a number of Albanian folk dances, this is a very popular one called Pogonishte.

Albanian music contains a strong Turkish influence. The Ottomans had ruled the country for over 500 years. You can hear it in this modern folk song, Valle Kosovare. Check out the beautiful costumes on the dancers, they were all handmade.

Even though there was no Romanian music, I had an enjoyable time at the festival and it was an interesting cultural exchange. By the way, if I go next year, I may bring a boom box and a CD of Romanian music to play while the band has a break :)

For more about the Pajduško and its popularity in the Balkans read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/09/travels-of-pajdusko-horo.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

An International Look at Reality TV Shows

2011-07-11T22:45:00.077-04:00

The beauty of the Internet is that it can transport you to faraway places. And it is so much better than the garbage that is routinely broadcast on TV in the States. Despite the 200+ cable channels that I get, there is nothing good to watch, which is why I prefer the Universe of YouTube and foreign shows that I can access with a few clicks of the mouse.

Watching TV for the most part, is bad for you. When you are watching TV you are usually not exercising. It atrophies your brain, and if you snack in front of the tube (those fast food commercials with fried chicken and sizzling burgers accompanied by french fries are tempting, aren't they?) you can become a mindless piece of lard.

In general, the programs on American TV are not much better than the commercials, in my humble opinion, although I know some people who are like druggies without a fix when they miss their favorite TV shows.

The programs that the people I know get most excited about are Dancing With the Stars and American Idol, which originated in Great Britain, and now have clones all over the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_with_the_stars

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idol_Series

I hear people discussing them at work and at social gatherings. Reality TV shows are extremely popular. I seldom see them, and when I do, it's usually because a member of my family is watching one on TV.

The bad performers are sometimes the best part of the shows. It's a form of schadenfreude I engage in. Here's an example of some really bad singing from American Idol.

This is a clip from the Bulgarian Music Idol, which is much more fun to watch. Isn't this guy aware that he's wearing a shirt that says that his mother's a prostitute? In Spanish?

There are some excellent performers from Music Idol. This young lady, who sings the well known Bulgarian folk song Izlel E Delyu Haidutin, accompanied by a bagpipe, is one of the best that I've seen on YouTube.

Many people are into Dancing With the Stars, a series in which celebrities compete as teams in ballroom dancing. I watched it a couple of times when I visited my mom, who is a big fan of the show. Although I was able to appreciate the ability and athleticism of the dancers, ballroom dancing just isn't my thing. Here's a clip from a recent episode.

Recently I've been captivated by a dance show from the Bulgarian National Television, Nadigrame, which has just concluded its eight week run.

You can find an explanation of the program here (in English)

http://www.balkanfolk.com/news.php?id=261

From what I've read on the Bulgarian National Television website (since I'm Cyrillically challenged I cheat with Google Translate), Nadigrame, a show in which folk dance teams from rival cities compete, was extremely popular in Bulgaria. After I watched the first few episodes, I was hooked. It is something I can relate to, since it involves Bulgarian folk dancing, and the live music performed by the ensemble Diva Reka is top notch!

For the past eight weeks, teams from different folklore regions of Bulgaria have competed on the show. This video features an interview with the group from Plovdiv and contains a few short excerpts from Nadigrame.

If this has whetted your appetite for Bulgarian folk dancing, you can watch archived episodes of each show on the BNT's website (there are eight of them). This is the link to the finale, broadcast on the 10th of July, in which the seven semi-final teams, after a process of elimination in previous episodes, competed for the winning position. (Just to let you know, it's is almost two hours long, but well worth watching.) After the winning team was announced, the show finished with all teams performing the most popular dance in Bulgaria.

http://bnt.bg/bg/productions/133/edition/15605/nadigraj_me_final_10_uli_2011_pobeditel_e_otboryt_na_goce_delchev

If you enjoyed this you may also enjoy this post about the different "flavors" of Bulgarian horo.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/10/flavors-of-bulgarian-horo-and-diversity.html

Interested in a new fitness routine? Try some ethnic dance and exercise.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/12/on-ethnic-dance-and-exericise.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Variations on a Theme by Diko Iliev

2011-07-05T22:56:00.029-04:00

Today's post is about one of the most popular dances in Bulgaria, Dunavsko Horo (Danubian Horo).

Although there are other versions of Dunavsko with different music (you can find them on my blog and on the Universe of YouTube), the one everyone knows and loves was written by Diko Iliev, a Bulgarian composer who lived from 1898 to 1984. Although the lighting isn't so good, you can see a picture of the composer in the background, and costumed dancers in the foreground. This is the original brass arrangement.

The next Dunavsko is an arrangement for accordion and played by an American musician who does a phenomenal job with Bulgarian folk music. A number of folk dances are posted on his channel, plus a tutorial on how to play Elenino Horo (Eleno Mome), another very popular Bulgarian dance. You can find links to the sheet music on his YouTube profile if you're feeling ambitious. And is that a Martenitsa I see on his wall?

There are some people, however, who consider the accordion an instrument of torture, like my husband. One day he returned home from work while I played the previous video and the first words out of his mouth were "Turn that damned accordion off!"

If you enjoy accordion music, or are interested in using it for pain and torture purposes, this post is a must read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/10/accordion-in-bulgarian-folk-music.html

The Bulgarian Police Band is a fine group of musicians. When they're not out in the streets keeping order and arresting the riffraff, they're playing some really good stuff. They have a varied repetoire, which includes American big band music, military marches, and Bulgarian folk dances. This piece is Memorial For Diko Iliev, based on his Dunavsko Horo. It's a modern version which took some getting used to, but now I really like it.

For more about Diko Iliev, his life and his music read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/having-blast-with-diko-iliev.html

More music by Diko Iliev can be found here:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2012/02/birthday-celebration-and-source-of.html

You can find other variations of Dunavsko Horo (not by Diko Iliev) in the following posts. The first one is played on traditional Bulgarian folk instruments:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/04/more-interesting-and-unusual.html

This one is a brass band rendition, with dancers in colorful folk costumes.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/10/river-of-many-names-part-2-danube-in.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

How to Stamp Out Your Frustrations (and relieve stress)

2011-06-28T18:55:00.012-04:00

One of the benefits of dancing is stress relief. And if you've had a particularly bad day these dances are for you, because they have lots of stamping. You can pretend you're two years old again and indulge your inner toddler, while having lots of fun at the same time.

One feature of Balkan dances, especially those from southern Romania and northern Bulgaria, is that they have lots of stamping in the footwork. This is most likely connected with the influence of the Vlachs. The Vlachs, also known as Wallachians, are an ethnic group of Roman origin most of who settled in what is now Romania. Wallachia is the southern region of Romania, across the Danube from Bulgaria.

Why Romanians stamp and shout when they dance, I don't know. Maybe life in their country is stressful, and taking your frustrations out this way is a lot better than getting into arguments with the neighbors. It's also possible that they believed that stamping drove out evil spirits. Back in the days when people were very superstitious, they needed all the help they could get. This is a very popular dance from the Oltenia region of southern Romania, Florecica (Little Flower). The music is unusual in that it's played on a drîmba. In English it's known as a Jew's Harp.

If you're interested in politically incorrectly named musical instruments, you will find them on Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews_harp

This Chinese group performs another Romanian dance. Stamp Stamp Stamp. Maybe they had a rough week :)

There is actually a T-shirt you can buy that reads "Help Stamp Out Romanian Dances."

http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.205531732.jpg

The people of Dobrudja, in northeast Bulgaria, incorporate a lot of stamping in their dances. Dances often cross borders, and although they take on different nationalities, those from neighboring regions often have something in common. This one is Sitna Zborenka.

Stamping dances are common to other parts of the Balkans, because the Vlachs got around, and wherever they settled they took the stamping dances with them. This one from Serbia is Vlashki Sat.

For more on how dances change from country to country read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/09/travels-of-pajdusko-horo.html

If you like northern Bulgarian dances with lots of stamping, this post is for you.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/10/river-of-many-names-part-2-danube-in.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Bulgarian Folk Songs with a Hungarian Accent....

2011-06-18T21:28:00.036-04:00

One of my longtime friends, a folklore fan born in Budapest, Hungary, visits the Universe of YouTube when she has a few minutes to spare. She is an avid dancer, like myself, and we have gone to dances and festivals together many times over the years.

She enjoys music from the Balkans and knows that I'm fond of unusual folklore videos. One of the signs of a good friendship is that she knows my taste in music, and she has emailed me some really good stuff. Judging by what she's sent, the Hungarians admire Bulgarian folk music.

The first video is a rachenitsa (Bulgarian folk dance in 7/8 time), Young Girl at the Spinning House. The performer is Szilvia Bognar, who sings this delightful and lively song in Hungarian. Note: Hungarians have this odd habit of putting the last name before the first. This article on Wikidpedia explains why.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_names

This high energy song Meggyujtom a Pipam (I light my pipe), is performed by the Hungarian group Besh O Drom. Those who are familiar with Bulgarian folk music will recognize it as the dance Graovsko Horo. It has English subtitles, so I didn't have to resort to Google Translate :)

Bulgarian folklore fans will also recognize the next song, the Hungarian version of Dilmano Dilbero. It has been renamed Falcon Song and it's based on a poem by László Nagy. Márta Sebestyén is a well known performer of Hungarian folk music, and here she's accompanied by Szilvia Bognár, Palya Beáta, and the Sebő Ensemble.

The original song, performed by the Mystery of Bulgarian Voices, is the one most people know.

If you enjoyed this you may also like Bulgarian Folkore Travels Abroad and Modern Versions of Traditional Bulgarian Folk Songs.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/bulgarian-folk-music-travels-abroad.html

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/06/modern-versions-of-traditional.html

For more on Bulgarian rachenitsa read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/flavors-of-bulgarian-rachenitsa.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Some Balkan Dances with Very Strange Names

2011-06-12T08:00:00.025-04:00

Today's post is about Balkan dances with strange sounding names.

When your native language is English, there are bound to be some foreign words that look and sound downright odd. Balkan dances, for the most part, have Slavic names (except for Romania, Albania, and Greece).

The Romanian language is based on Latin, although even with my background in Spanish, I can only understand a few words, most of them pertaining to dances. It has strayed that far from its original Latin roots.

The Albanian language is even stranger. It may have had Greek and Latin roots, but has incorporated other regional dialects. What is weird is their fondness for umlauts, (like the Germans). For example, this is the world for nose (hundë).

As for Greek, it's one of those languages I can't read because of the alphabet. Many English words have roots in Greek, so it's a language that is very useful, especially to scholars.

The first video is a fun and very macho dance from Serbia. Some people call it the "ooh-ahh" dance. The actual name for it is Sestorka. (pronounced shes-tur-ka). This dance is usually done with a belt hold, which makes it more difficult, but the Chinese group here uses a hand hold instead.

Macedonian words, when transliterated into English, become an alphabet soup full of consonants. Even though this dance is almost unpronounceable (by English speakers, anyway), it's energetic and fun to do. The name is Crnagorka.

This is a rachenitsa from Dobrudja, a region in Northeast Bulgaria, with a very odd name. A leader at one of the dances told me that this dance was connected with planting peas, and although it's slow compared to Sestorka, it's a lot tricker than it looks. Can you say "sej sej bop?"

For more on the rachenitsa, the national dance of Bulgaria, read

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/flavors-of-bulgarian-rachenitsa.html

This is a very beautiful, slow and easy dance from Albania, Cobankat. The pronounciation is almost like Italian (cho-ban-kat). Albania is a part of the world that most people hear and know very little about. The music has a very haunting and beautiful sound. The song is about women weaving blankets for the men, who are off fighting in the mountains during the dead of winter.

If you enjoyed this, you may like:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/09/travels-of-pajdusko-horo.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Modern Versions of Traditional Bulgarian Folk Songs

2011-06-04T21:53:00.027-04:00

The theme for today's post is modern versions of traditional Bulgarian folk songs.

Some of these modern interpretations are quite interesting, creative and unusual. The first song, Katerino Mome, sung by Tatiana Sarbinska, is familiar to those in the international folk dance community. The dance for this is Arap.

The lyrics and translation can be found here:
http://www.dunav.org.il/lyrics/katerino_mome.html

I first heard Katerino Mome performed by Desislava on the Bulgarian National Radio several years ago. I didn't care for this performance at first, because I was used to the traditional version. After listening to this a few times, I found that I liked Desislava's dynamic and passionate interpretation of Katerino Mome as much as the original.

The next song is Izgryala e Mesechinka, traditionally performed without background music (a capella) by a women's choral group. In this video, the ladies are accompanied by a drum, which does not detract at all from their beautiful voices. The dance for this song is a rachenitsa. I couldn't find a link to the lyrics, but it's essentially a song about the full moon rising, big, beautiful and orange, while a girl picks flowers in the garden.

Another version of Izgryala e Mesechinka, this time with one female singer accompanied by five men. Four of them play traditional folk instruments (gadulka, accordion, kaval, and tambura). One of them keeps time on what looks like a metal cup, and the other plays guitar. The non-traditional instruments and the solo female give this song a unique and modern intepretation that is delightful to listen to!

The next video was taken during the inauguration of a Bulgarian Radio affiliate station in Vidin back in 2009. Vidin is located on the Danube River, and that is the subject of the next song: Dunave, Beli Dunave.

This is the modern version which was probably played at clubs all over Bulgaria, and, unlike the previous song, is a tune you can actually dance to. What really makes it unusual the techno music accompanied by a gaida (bagpipe). This is definitely an unusual take on a traditional song and took some getting used to, although I like it a lot now. If you listen to it more than once or twice it will take up residence in your head and stay with you all day. It's a very catchy tune.

If you like variations on a theme, check out this post.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/03/family-resemblance-theme-and-variations.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

The Different "Flavors" of Macedonian Folk Music

2011-05-29T20:00:00.037-04:00

I love Macedonian folk music.

The reason for that is that it's a blend of multiple cultures, and uses motifs from Greek, Turkish, Roma (Gypsy) and Bulgarian folk music to create a distinctly Macedonian sound, which is almost, but not quite, Middle Eastern. Macedonia was under Turkish rule from the 1400's until 1912.

One of my favorite folk ensembles is Tanec, from the Macedonian capital of Skopje. In this video, a musician plays the zurna (at 6.13) a double reed instrument which looks like a wooden horn with finger holes. It has a loud and piercing sound, and was used in Ottoman military bands (presumably for war dances and to intimidate enemies). Notice the "skirts" on the men (these are similar to the Greek folk costumes, and can be compared to the kilts worn by men in Scotland).

More information on male folk dress in the Balkans can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fustanella

Some Macedonian folk music and dances are similar to Bulgarian and there is a bit of overlap in the border region of southwestern Bulgaria, Blagoevgrad Province, also known as Pirin Macedonia.

The languages of the two countries are very similar (much like the speakers of Spanish and Italian, they can understand each other), and both countries use the Cyrillic alphabet.

Here Tanec performs music from the Pirin region. The second song, Snoshti E Dobra, (at 1:45) is popular in Bulgaria, too.

Here is the same song performed by the Pirin Ensemble of Blagoevgrad.

In the next video, the Pirin Ensemble performs a very beautiful folk song: Glasat Na Pirina (Voice of Pirin). Pirin is a derivation of Perun, who is the Slavic god of thunder and lightning, and is also the name of the mountain range in this part of Bulgaria (remember, lightning always hits the tallest objects!)

There are several countries which include the name of Macedonia as part of their territory. Although I don't want to get too much into politics (and start World War III), there is a lot of contention regarding the use of the name "Macedonia". Back in the days before political borders, Macedonia included territory now in Bulgaria, Greece and the Republic of Macedonia. The area now in Greece is Aegean Macedonia, and the next video is a sample of the folk music of that region.

The Greek Macedonians and the Slavic Macedonians don't always get along, which is something I don't understand. But unfortunately the Balkans have always been a hotbed for ethnic tensions, even in modern times, and these disputes sometimes get played out on YouTube, which is why comments have been disabled on many Macedonian folk music videos.

As for me, I enjoy the music, and think that people should set aside their differences and get along.

If you enjoyed this you may also like Ten Reasons Why You Should Read My Blog

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/01/ten-reasons-why-you-should-read-my-blog.html

For a look at the Roma influence in Macedonian music read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/09/people-are-afraid-of-what-they-know.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

The Cyrillic Alphabet: cracking the code, and pondering why there is no such thing as Cyrillic Alphabet Soup....

2011-05-19T22:09:00.048-04:00

(Saints Cyril and Methodius, photo from Wikipedia)

One afternoon one of my daughters came home from class, and I was sitting at my usual spot, in front of the computer.

What really puzzled her was that I had a webpage from Radio Bulgaria on the screen. It was not in English.

“Mom, can you read the acrylic alphabet?"

That malapropism was so cute, although it didn't come from a child, but from an intelligent young woman who just completed her third year in college.

“Marty, I can pick out a word here and there, but if I really want to read this I have to use Google Translate. It translates entire webpages into English (from over 50 different languages, although sometimes something can be lost in translation along the way). And by the way, did you mean the Cyrillic alphabet? I remember you guys learning that in elementary school."

When my daughters started school our town had a large influx of Russian immigrants, and their school offered, as part of the curriculum, classes in spoken and written Russian. I picked up a little Russian and a few words in the Cyrillic alphabet during this time, which helped me with Bulgarian later on.

My daughters have long since forgotten what they learned, and Marty, I remember, had a lot trouble with the “acrylic" alphabet." If you don't use it, you lose it.

I was always fascinated by the Cyrillic alphabet. Two brothers from Greece, Cyril and Methodius, devised a writing system based on the Greek alphabet during their missionary work in Slavic lands. Disciples of Cyril and Methodius, one of whom was St. Clement of Ohrid, created what is now the Cyrillic alphabet, named, of course, after St. Cyril.

Although most people associate the Cyrillic alphabet with Russia, Bulgaria was the first country to adopt it, and it is now one of the official alphabets of the European Union, along with the Roman and the Greek.

In Bulgaria, the Cyrillic Alphabet, or azbuka, has its own holiday on May 24, known as "Bulgarian Education and Culture and Slavonic Literature Day." There is even a song about it:

Although I can recognize a number of words in Cyrillic, and can understand a few words of Bulgarian, this alphabet is still very much a mystery to me. I still have trouble cracking the code, and I don't know how many times I've resorted to Google Translate to decipher Bulgarian web pages.

According to my mom, I taught myself how to read before I started school, and by the time I entered the classroom, I was already ahead of the other kids. I found school boring since a lot of what was taught was stuff I already knew, and I had a knack for getting into mischief.

By the time I was in 6th grade, passing notes to my friends got me into trouble on many occasions. Since part of the problem with the teacher was her ability to read the notes, I invented a code, with a symbol corresponding for each letter of the alphabet, gave my friends each a copy, and we committed it to memory. From then on we were able to write notes that the teacher found impossible to read......

Back in the day, I probably could have learned Russian, or Bulgarian, or any language with a different alphabet, but they weren't taught at my school and I didn't plan to work in the CIA, where I'm sure they had classes in Russian for those considering a career in espionage.

As for the "acrylic" alphabet, for the most part it's still "Greek" to me, and I'm a big fan of Google Translate.

For more on "lost in translation" read my post on Bulgarian proverbs, a humorous take on what happens when folk sayings are translated from Bulgarian to English:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/09/sometimes-lost-in-translation-bulgarian.html

The webpage for Google Translate can be found here:

http://translate.google.com/#

If you're interested, you can read about the history of the Cyrillic alphabet on Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrillic_alphabet

And a final thought: Has anyone ever come up with the idea of Cyrillic alphabet soup?

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Days of Wine And Roses: Balkan Style

2011-05-14T19:48:00.020-04:00

(photo from Wikipedia commons)

The expression "days of wine and roses" was originally used by Ernest Dawson, a British writer of the 19th century. It's from a stanza in his poem Vitae Summa Brevis:

They are not long, the days of wine and roses:
Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while, then closes
Within a dream.

There was also a movie from the 1960's Days of Wine and Roses, a drama about alcoholism. I don't watch depressing films like these but here's the link if you're interested.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Days_of_Wine_and_Roses_(film)

Since The Alien Diaries is about fun, there will be nothing on this blog of a sobering nature. Here the Days of Wine and Roses will be entertaining and enjoyable. You can even drink a toast to me while you read this :)

Wine and roses are popular themes in Balkan folk music, as you will see here.

The first video is of a Bulgarian song set to Greek music. These men are ready for a serious evening of wine and dancing; the song is Give Us Some Wine. Notice the women dancing the Hasapiko, which was originally the dance of the butcher's guild in Greece during the Middle Ages.

For more on the Hasapiko and other butcher's dances from the Balkans read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-butchers-did-for-fun-butchers.html

The next song is a satirical one from Macedonia, Imate Li Vino. Bring on the wine, the money, and the young women. But you can keep the old ladies!

The lyrics can be found here:
http://www.hebrewsongs.com/?song=imatelivino

Roses are beautiful flowers, and they are everywhere during late spring and early summer. The rose is the symbol of Bulgaria, and rose oil is a very important export for this country; it's used as an essential ingredient in perfumes. In this video the women celebrate the rose harvest and get a little crazy throwing petals at each other; the music is by the Trio Bulgarka.

The Days of Wine and Roses would not be complete without a short film clip of the Rose Festival which takes place every June in the town of Kazanluk, Bulgaria. The celebration includes dancing Pravo Horo in the town square, it's a simple dance that everyone can do.

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How Bulgarian Folk Music Induces Altered States....

2011-05-07T21:09:00.050-04:00

It's not unusual to get into a trance when listening to certain types of music. If you click the link below you can get an idea of how that happens. Although the article is primarily about modern techno and house music, people have gone into trances while dancing long before electronic music came into existence. Shamans in primitive societies have beaten on drums and performed ceremonial dances as a means of communicating with the spirits.

http://www.suite101.com/content/trance-consciousness--enlightenment-or-illusion-a220399

It is very easy to escape reality while dancing and listening to Bulgarian folk music. Some of it, especially pieces with bagpipes and drumming, borders on the hypnotic. The rhythms are ancient and transcend time and space.

In the first video, a group of dancers in traditional dress, with live musical accompaniment, perform in the town square, with the townspeople joining in. The piece that the musicians play has a mesmerizing quality, and you could very easily go into a trance while dancing to it. (I couldn't help but notice the flashing signs from the spa hotel. If you stare at them and listen to the drumbeats long enough, you will get hypnotized, or at the very least, have this uncontrollable desire to find the nearest casino and gamble away your life's savings.) Is there a subliminal message here?

The Nestinari ritual involves dancing in a pit of hot coals which have been burning all day. Hypnotic music is especially important to the performance of this ceremony. Although modern science has proven that just about anyone can walk on coals if they use the proper technique, many believe that the Nestinari have magical abilities and can communicate with God and the saints by going into a trance while dancing. The music used in the Nestinari ceremony is very primitive, the wail of a gaida and the beat of a drum (tupan). Even the little kids have no fear, they hold their arms out so the woman can carry them over the fire!

You can read last year's post on Nestinari, see the Myth Busters video, and learn about the science behind fire walking here:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/05/fire-walking-myth-or-magic.html

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More Interesting and Unusual Instruments in Balkan Folk Music (part 4 of a series)

2011-04-30T19:59:00.050-04:00

This is part 4 in a series about musical instruments in Balkan and Bulgarian folk music. Today's featured instruments are the panpipes, the gadulka, and the kaval.

Some people regard them as instruments of torture, and they are entitled to their opinion. They should also avoid The Alien Diaries like the plague, because the music here may give them a splitting headache, or worse, make them want to jump off the nearest bridge :) You can read about some of my favorite "instruments of torture" and their use in Bulgarian folk music here:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/01/clarinet-in-bulgarian-folk-music-third.html

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/10/accordion-in-bulgarian-folk-music.html

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/01/clarinet-in-bulgarian-folk-music-third.html

These are not the musical instruments that you'll find in your local band or symphony orchestra; although they may have some distant cousins there. You can learn to play them if you can make it to a Balkan Music and Dance Camp (if you're lucky enough to have one nearby), and you can maybe find a gadulka teacher in a large city, let's say, New York. Otherwise you'll have to do some traveling.

The first video is a that of a young woman playing a Romanian folk dance on the panpipes. The panpipes, also know as the panflute, are a multiculturally friendly instrument, like the accordion and the clarinet (both of which I've covered in previous posts). The panpipes has been around the world, but are most often associated with the music of South America (especially music of the indigenous people in Peru and Bolivia), and with Romania.

The gadulka is a string instrument, similar to the the fiddle, used in Bulgarian folk music. Nikolay Kolev, who plays solo gadulka in this video, is one of musicians of Kabile, a wedding orchestra from the Thracian region of Bulgaria. This piece is a rachenitsa, a Bulgarian dance in 7/8 rhythm (think apple-apple-pineapple).

The kaval, also known a shepherd's flute, is an instrument used in Bulgarian, Romanian and Macedonian folk music. In this performance, a kaval player, accompanied by two drummers plays a piece from Macedonia. It's in the odd time signature of 9/8.

Music in odd time signatures is typical of the Balkans, especially in Bulgaria and Macedonia. For more on this read :

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/01/dancing-to-rhythm-of-different-drummer.html

The next video was taken during a performance of the Bulgarian band Lyuti Chushki at Mt. Holyoke College last year. The musicians play a very popular Bulgarian folk dance, Dunavsko Horo, on tambura, gadulka and kaval. For some reason you can't see the kaval player, but you can hear him loud and clear.

The tambura is an instrument used throughout the Balkans, where it's also known as a tamburitza. The strings are plucked with the fingers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamburitza

The tambura/tamburitza will have its own writeup in a future edition of The Alien Diaries., since it's played widely throughout the Balkans and is especially popular in Croatian folk music.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-23T09:11:00.028-04:00

(photo from Wikipedia commons)

Wishing all my readers a Happy Easter! Today's post will focus on Easter eggs, since they are so popular in Easter celebrations around the world.

Here are some beautiful Bulgarian Easter eggs from the Universe of YouTube:

Although it's a lot of work making them, if you're interested, this video will show you how: (Note: the music in this video is not Bulgarian, but Serbian, but that's OK, they do a fantastic job with those eggs!)

Although eggs can be many different colors (and some are multi-colored), according to tradition, at least a few must be dyed red. The red is the symbol for the blood of Jesus, who died on the cross on Good Friday, and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. Easter is a holiday celebrating new life and the Resurrection, and the most important festival in the Eastern Orthodox church. The Easter egg tradition was originally of pagan origin, and later incorporated into Christian celebrations.

There are some beautiful Easter eggs on the Bulgarian National Radio's website, along with some information on the holiday and some great music.

http://bnr.bg/sites/en/Lifestyle/Folklore/Pages/2004TraditionalwaysofdecoratingEastereggs.aspx

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A Celebration of Life and a Tribute to my Music Buddy 1998-2011

2011-04-19T18:12:00.013-04:00

Tomorrow would have been his thirteenth birthday.

Recently I lost a very good friend and member of the family. He has been featured on this blog a number of times because he was my partner in musical crime, that is, he liked Bulgarian folk music. He had a loving family, and a wonderful life, his loss has left a void in our lives and a paw print on our hearts.

My cat, Fatso, died after a five month battle with heart disease, eleven days short of his birthday, on April 9. He has been with us since he was ten months old, when we adopted him from a shelter. My children grew up with him, he was their constant companion during the trials of adolescence, and their comfort when life was difficult.

Congestive heart failure is a terrible way to go, in both people and animals. The heart doesn't pump efficiently, and the result is fluid buildup in the body. Medication helps, but all it does is prolong life for a short time by eliminating the excess fluid; the heart becomes progressively weaker, and death ensues.

An aunt and a close friend have succumbed to heart disease during the past year, which has made Fatso's death especially painful. It's the people who are left behind who suffer the most. The deceased are in a better place.

You can read the tribute to my aunt here: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/when-i-die-dont-cry-for-me.html

The best way to remember those who passed is to celebrate their lives, and this I will do with video and music.

In this clip, Fatso's playing a game with my daughter. And that's not Bulgarian folk music in the background, but In the Hall of the Mountain King by Grieg.

If you click this next link, you'll see him lying on the bed, relaxing to some music by the Bisserov sisters, a folklore group from the Pirin region of Bulgaria. His tail flicks in time to the music.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/katley99/4171917242/in/photostream/

There is a tradition of playing bagpipes at funerals. This custom started with the Irish immigrants who came to the United States. Many of them were in a dangerous line of work such as police or fire fighting, and death in the line of duty was frequent. It became a tradition to send the deceased off with bagpipe music which was loud and mournful and suited the mood of those left behind.

http://www.bagpipebrian.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/funeralbrochure.pdf

Since my Fatso liked the gaida, the Eastern European version of the bagpipe, here's Valya Balkanska's version of the Bulgarian folk song Izlel e Delyu Haidutin. It's very haunting and beautiful and her voice is accompanied by a gaida. This song was shot into outer space many years ago during the Project Voyager in 1977 as a greeting from earthlings to extraterrestrials. I hope Fatso can hear it up in the Great Beyond. He is with me in spirit, I know.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Daichovo, Plain or Fancy? Take your pick.....

2011-04-10T16:06:00.023-04:00

Daichovo Horo is one of my favorite dances because it's exuberant and lively, and so is the music that accompanies it!

Here's a little background on the Daichovo from the Phantom Ranch website, with the story behind it and a description of several variations.

http://www.phantomranch.net/folkdanc/dances/zizajnan.htm

The Daichovo is a dance from the northwestern (Severnjasko) region of Bulgaria. Although it's danced all over all over the country (and around the world), this is the area where it's most popular. Like many dances from the Balkans, it's in an odd rhythm. For those interested in time signatures, it is in either 9/8 or 9/16 (depending on the speed) and the rhythm is quick-quick quick-slow. The accent is on the first beat, although the fourth is the longest.

Here's another dressed up version of the Daichovo.

After watching these two performances you may be somewhat intimidated by this dance. Not to worry, there are easier versions out there, although to best enjoy Daichovo Horo, you need a little stamina. Maybe more than a little, because it can be quite a workout, so some conditioning helps. If you're interested in incorporating some ethnic dance in your exercise routine, read this post, it's a good place to start :)

On Ethnic Dance and Exercise http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/12/on-ethnic-dance-and-exericise.html

The next video proves that Daichovo is a dance for everyone. This group includes people of all ages, some of them quite young. They are probably in excellent shape, since the music goes on for nearly five minutes, and from what I can see no one's left the line....

Here's what I call "Daichovo for Dummies" :) Though I have to admit the instructor does a good job breaking down the steps.

If you'd like to read more on folk dances from Bulgaria and other Balkan countries, you may find these links of interest.

The Flavors of Bulgarian Rachenitsa : http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/flavors-of-bulgarian-rachenitsa.html

The Travels of Pajduško Horo:
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/09/travels-of-pajdusko-horo.html

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Stars of Bulgarian Folklore: Zvezditsa Ensemble of Dimitrovgrad

2011-04-05T22:46:00.012-04:00

From time to time we get a number of Bulgarian students at our Friday night dances who take classes at Mt. Holyoke College.

One young woman was particularly memorable, in that she was part of a folk dance ensemble in Dimitrovgrad. She was a delightful addition to our Friday night dances, although her stay with us was short. She taught us a few dances from her repetoire, and she even complimented me on the way I led Eleno Mome (Elenino Horo). When she finished the semester, she returned to Bulgaria.

I saw her just a few times, so I didn't get her email address, or her Facebook page. She did, however, mention that her dance ensemble, Zvezditza, was on YouTube. Zvezditsa means "evening star" in Bulgarian.

In a recent post I described the Bulgarian fascination with stars, planets, and outer space, and the frequent mention of them in folklore. Read more about this here:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/02/moon-stars-and-suna-look-at-celestial.html

Here are several videos of Zvezditza, a very spirited and talented group. The first one features a rachenitsa, the national dance of Bulgaria.

These are dances from the Pirin region.

And finally, the student I met mentioned she had marched in a parade during a festival on the Mosel River in Germany. This was an area I knew well and I had been to numerous wine festivals in that region.

Here they are dancing a daichovo horo during a parade in the wine village of Kröv.

The world is a small place indeed.

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A Cat Who Likes the Gaida, and The Cat of Gabrovo

2011-04-01T19:57:00.020-04:00

Note: Fatso went to kitty heaven the morning of April 9, 2011 after a five month battle with congestive heart failure. During his final hours with us, he was surrounded by love and Bulgarian folk music. This was written a about a week before his passing when he was doing well and we had hoped that he would make his thirteenth birthday on April 20. Such was not the case, and during the morning of April 9th, we took him to the vet when he stopped eating and had difficulty breathing despite medication and oxygen treatment. His transition was peaceful, and he was surrounded by his loving humans and the staff of the veterinary clinic. He will be missed very much.)

My Fatso is totally blissed out in the picture because he's sitting with his favorite humans.

Last spring, when I was out of town (I was at one of Zlatne Uste's gigs in NYC), my daughter called me, a little worried. She mentioned that Fatso seemed a little depressed, and he wasn't very hungry. When I returned home the first thing I did was turn on some Rhodope gaida music that I had downloaded on the computer and then I fed the kitty. He gobbled his food and then settled into his blanket lined cardboard box near the computer, totally contented.

He's my music buddy. He's a Taurus, and the two things he likes most are food and music.

We have a nighttime ritual, in which he sits or lies down nearby while I listen to Radio Bulgaria's folklore broadcasts on the computer, which come on early in the morning over there and at about 10 p.m. here.

I've noticed that he has a liking for the bagpipe (Gaida).

Why critters like musical instruments made from the bodies of other critters is a mystery to me. (The Eastern European gaida is made from goat or sheep hide.) When my husband hears one he always asks me "Who's strangling the cat?"

This is some of Fatso's favorite music. The woman playing it is amazing!

Since today is April Fool's Day, the House of Humor and Satire in Gabrovo is celebrating an anniversary. It first opened to the public on April 1, 1972. Here's the link to their site.

http://www.humorhouse.bg/engl/attractions/gabrovocats.html

It is said that people in Gabrovo cut off their cat's tails to save money on heat. The Gabrovo Cat, who is a symbol of the town, is also the guest of honor at the Carnival parade.

Many years ago, Fatso lost a bit of his tail. It got caught in the door as he was trying to escape. The end of his tail was fractured and infected,and he had it surgically removed by a vet.

One morning Fatso fell asleep while I was listening to the story of the Cat of Gabrovo on BNR. He had a very strange dream, and he tells his story here.

http://www.helium.com/items/1726571-a-cats-dream

By the way, if you like gaida music, you will love this post:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/bagpipe-and-bulgarian-folk-music.html

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A Family Resemblance: Theme and Variations....

2011-03-26T19:28:00.007-04:00

Have you ever been to a family gathering and noticed how all those relatives look and sound alike? That's what happens when a bunch of people share similar DNA. They are all branches of the same tree.

Some interesting things happen when there are dances in the same "family." It's called a family resemblance. Here are several examples, from the Balkans, of dances that resemble each other.

One of my favorites, Graovsko Horo, a dance from Bulgaria, is almost an identical twin to Kystendilska Rachenitsa. Here's the Graovsko (in 2/4:)

Speed it up, change the tempo and the music and you have Kyustendilska Rachenitsa (in 7/16.)

To add even more to the confusion, this is Kyustendilsko Horo, which looks and sounds similar to the first dance, Graovsko. See a pattern here?

Here are two dances from Macedonia which are very similar in music and choreography. The first is Tropnalo Oro.

The second is Sadilo Mome. They both have that Macedonian slide and the hop-step-step.

For more on dances in the same "family" read my post on Pajduško:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/09/travels-of-pajdusko-horo.html

You can also try The Flavors of Bulgarian Rachenitsa for a tasty look at a traditional Bulgarian dance.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/flavors-of-bulgarian-rachenitsa.html

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Balkan Music Night 2011: More Balkan March Madness

2011-03-19T08:19:00.100-04:00

I enjoyed last year's Balkan Music Night so much that I had to go a second time, which I did on March 19, 2011. For me it means an all-nighter, since it's some distance from my home. The actual event lasts from 7 a.m. until 2:30 the next morning. My friend and I are usually wiped out by 1 a.m. and we arrived home very tired, but happy, a couple of hours before sunrise.

For this year's coverage of Balkan Music Night, I decided to focus more on the madness that goes on during these events, just to give you an idea on how easy it is to get carried away with the music and dancing. Balkan Music Night draws a sizeable and diverse crowd, consisting of young and old, Americans and foreigners, and this blend of people and music makes it something truly special, as you can see in this video.

Bands and dance ensembles, mostly from the Boston area, were featured. The photos above are of two dance groups: Mladost and Ludo Mlado. This area has a very large population of Eastern European immigrants; and there were many young people getting in touch with their roots at the festival. Here is a list of this year's performers:

http://www.forsyths.addr.com/bmn/index.html

There is something bewitching, seducing, and magical about Balkan music. Although it's not to everyone's taste, those who love it find it addicting, and the unusual rhythms compel you to dance. This is why Balkan Music Night draws thousands of people from miles around every year. It's like a group of religious people going on a pilgrimage.

This is a glimpse of what went on close to midnight, when everyone in the place was high on endorphins. (Although there are plenty of refreshments and delicious ethnic food, no alcohol is served). If you haven't tried Croatian dancing, you should, the steps are very easy to learn and it's lots of fun. Should you get pulled into the line of dancers, go with the flow.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

East Meets Barry West: An Irishman's Adventures in Bulgaria

2011-03-16T11:49:00.029-04:00

A Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!

In the States, St. Patrick's Day is a big celebration. Everyone wears green, eats corned beef and cabbage, and has a drink in his honor. It is the day when everyone is Irish. All over the country, there are parades celebrating the Saint, with the largest taking place in New York City. (check out those bagpipes!)

The Irish are proud of their heritage and keep it alive in a faraway land, even though it's been many years since the mass migration caused by the Potato Famine.

The Potato Famine occurred in Ireland during the 1840's. Most of Ireland was owned by British landlords, who used tenant farmers to work the fields. These farmers subsisted on potatoes and milk, as they were very poor. Potatoes were easy to grow, and a small plot fed an entire family.

When a blight hit the potatoes in 1845, many Irish people starved to death. Those healthy enough to emigrate left the country, mostly to the United States.

The Irish in the United States, at first, had a difficult time economically, taking the lowest paying jobs. They suffered from discrimination, mainly because they were Catholics in a mostly Prostestant country. Eventually, they prospered, and became prominent in the professions. Many became involved in politics, the most famous example is former president John F. Kennedy.

Today's post is not about politics, however, but about the connection between Ireland and Bulgaria via an excerpt from a romantic comedy (a.k.a. "chick flick"). The protagonist is a young man from Ireland, Barry, who is searching for adventure and sexy women while on vacation in Bulgaria. He loses his clothes on the bus to Varna, and gets involved with the Bulgarian Mafia, some local people, and a British woman looking for her sister. You can see the entire movie on YouTube.

Today's post features part two, in which Barry gets lost, hitches a ride on a donkey cart, and meets a young woman who invites him to a party in her village. The women teach him a Bulgarian folk song; he teaches them Molly Malone. In the meantime, Barry's enjoying some Bulgarian hospitality, and drinks a little too much rakia. It's a delightful cultural exchange and quite funny. Enjoy!

By the way, if you like bagpipes, check out my post on the Bagpipe and Bulgarian folk music: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/bagpipe-and-bulgarian-folk-music.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

The Martenitsa Tree-A Modern Day Folktale (Inspired by the Internet)

2011-03-12T22:23:00.016-05:00

It's now almost mid-March, and Baba Marta is finally starting to smile on Massachusetts. The snow is almost gone, and the air is noticeably warmer. Even the ice cream truck made the rounds for the first time today.

Recently I read a post on the internet about Martenitsa trees springing up (pardon the pun) all over the world. Here is the link:

http://www.martenitza.org/content/about-project

In response to a fellow blogger (a young lady from Bulgaria), this is my Martenitsa tree. Actually two views of it, since my yard still has the leftovers of January and February's snow, which is fast disappearing.

My tree looks nothing like the ones I saw on the Project Martenitza site, but after all, each tree is as different as its creator.

Here is the story of the Martenitsa Tree:

Once upon a time, many years ago, a little girl brought a pine tree seedling home from school. She wanted to plant it, so she asked her mother to find a home for it. Mom found the least crowded spot in the backyard, dug a hole, and forgot about it for a long, long time.

It took many years to grow. For the longest time it was dwarfed by the surrounding bushes and plants, for Baba Marta had not yet seen it.

Then one spring, the tree had a growth spurt because Mom had tied a Martenitsa on it after the first flowers bloomed in the neighborhood. Baba Marta came all the way from Bulgaria to see this tree, was pleased, and put a growth spell on it.

The tree nearly tripled in size!

It got so big that Mom decided it needed some decoration, so she tied more martenitsi on it. Then she read the martenitsa had to be placed on a fruit tree, and since a pine tree does not bear fruit, she found some apples that had been previously used as Christmas ornaments. Since Mom likes odd numbers, especially Balkan dances with nine beats to the measure, there are nine apples on the tree.

The tree grew even more. The tiny seedling that was brought home and planted over thirteen years ago is now a little over 5 feet (1.55 meters) tall!

Mom had read something on the internet recently about Martenitsa trees and mentioned them to one of her blogger buddies, a young woman from Bulgaria who went to college in Boston, and now studies in England. The young woman had mentioned that she wanted to send the picture of a Martenitsa Tree in Massachusetts to her family in Bulgaria.

Although it's nothing fancy, and it's (technically) not a fruit tree, this Martenitsa Tree is the only one in her town, and brings good luck to all who reside there. (so far this month there haven't been any snow storms).

Baba Marta now smiles on Massachusetts.

THE END.

For more on the Martenitsa, read: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/02/everything-you-always-wanted-to-know.html

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In Honor of International Women's Day: Women's Dances from the Balkans

2011-03-08T19:25:00.017-05:00

Today, in honor of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, here are several women's dances from the Balkans. In this part of the world, back in the day, dances were often used as the venue for men and women to meet, (and eventually marry) under the watchful eye of the older women.

The first, from Romania, is the very beautiful and graceful Hora Fetelor (Women's Dance). Since The Alien Diaries is an equal opportunity blog, the dance immediately following is the very masculine Calusari, a springtime dance performed by men wielding sticks.

The next video is of Dobrudjanska Reka, from Bulgaria, also a women's dance, performed by a group in a mall. Notice that a woman is leading it. Nowadays, this too is an equal opportunity dance, even the men are allowed to join the line :)

The third women's dance is Tresenica, from Macedonia, performed by Tanec, a folk ensemble from Skopje. The backdrop is beautiful, a springtime setting by a river, and the dancers are fantastic!

For some men's dances, click the next link (as I said before this is an equal opportunity blog!)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-butchers-did-for-fun-butchers.html

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What Butchers did for Fun: The Butcher's Dance in Balkan Folklore (another cross-cultural comparison)

2011-03-06T08:24:00.004-05:00

(Picture from Wikipedia, depicting the occupation of butcher in the Middle Ages)

In the Balkans, meat is an significant part of the diet, and the butcher played an important role in the community. His job was a dirty, but essential one, slaughtering animals, cutting them into smaller pieces, and preserving meat in the form of sausage, back in the days when there was no refrigeration.

I used to accompany my dad to the butcher shop and the live poultry market every Saturday morning. The butcher shop, owned by a Spaniard who was a friend of my father, was a traditional one, complete with sawdust on the floor, and a meat grinding machine. He took large cuts of meat and prepared them for you personally, his steaks and pork chops were the best I'd eaten. The meat was wrapped, not in plastic, but in brown waxed paper. As for the poultry market, that place was pretty nasty, with the stink of chicken crap permeating the establishment, and rows of chickens in cages waiting their turn for the chopping block. Although it was disgusting, I was more in touch with where my food came from than my kids, who see meat packaged in plastic, in refrigerated display cases at the supermarket.

When butchers weren't busy slaughtering animals, cutting, grinding, slicing and dicing or otherwise playing with their meat, they were dancing.

The first dance, Hasapiko, is often performed at Hellenic festivals, and usually by men showing off their fancy moves. Hasapiko means butcher in Greek, and this was originally the dance of the Butcher's Guild in Greece, which in those days was a part of the Ottoman Empire. The etymology of Hasapiko can be found here:

http://www.google.com/search?q=define:Hasapiko&hl=en&defl=de&sa=X&ei=jwpwTbHhItDSgQev5JBW&ved=0CAQQpQMoAQ&defl=all

Hasapiko can be freestyle (the leader calling the steps), or it can have a designated choreography (folk dance groups often prefer the latter). This dance is one of my favorites, and although it's challenging, it's lots of fun. Although traditonally, Hasapiko is a men's dance, we women like to crash the line. If they don't let us in the line, we make our own!

The next Butchers' Dance is from northwestern Bulgaria. The word "Kasap" means butcher in Turkish, and since the Turks dominated Bulgaria for over 500 years, a few Turkish words made their way into the language. The word for butcher in Bulgarian is kasapin, the dance shown here is Kasapsko Horo.

Notice in these two videos the groups use a shoulder hold, which is common in men's dances.

The Macedonians, not to be outdone, have their own version of the butcher's dance, Kasapsko Oro. This dance, like the previous one, is equal opportunity, both men and women dance in this video.

For more on Balkan cuisine (especially the different meat dishes), read: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/08/folklore-food-and-fun-at-festivals.html

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Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Martenitsa (but were afraid to ask :)

2011-02-27T13:22:00.006-05:00

What's red and white and has travelled all over the world? What do Bulgarians wear every year on March 1st to hasten the arrival of spring? Why is it important to make Baba Marta happy? (She's prone to mood swings). It's all in this video.

The custom of wearing the Martenitsa has become widespread outside Bulgaria, and non-Bulgarians, including myself, are wearing them in the hope that Baba Marta (Grandmother Martha) will bring an early spring, since this past winter has been especially cold and snowy. I saw a number of people wearing them at last year's Balkan Music Night, an event held in the Boston area in mid-March. The bands had them on their instruments, especially on their tupans (large double-sided drums).

There is no "right" way to make a martenitsa. They are an exercise in creativity. They come in red and white tassels, tied together. They can be made as bracelets or necklaces, ornamented with beads, or in the form of boy and girl dolls named Pizho and Penda.

I prefer to make the martenitsa as a bracelet, and I can do one in about 15 minutes. The custom is to give them as gifts to friends and relatives, for good luck and good health. One lady, at the Friday night dances, a native of Bulgaria, was quite impressed with the ones I made. She told me in Bulgaria nowadays, people are more likely to buy them from street vendors than to make their own. They are not difficult to create if you've been to summer camp, and I made the ones in the picture #2.

Making lanyards was an activity we engaged in on rainy days at camp and making a martenitsa is just like making a lanyard, except that you use red and white yarn, instead of that plastic lace used to make keychains. The colors, ideally, match the skeins of yarn in picture #1.

The Martenitsa has even travelled to the coldest place on Earth. Handmade ones have been mailed to Antarctica, according to this article from the Bulgarian National Radio.

http://bnr.bg/sites/en/Lifestyle/Life/Pages/0203martenizata.aspx

The Bulgarian Antarctic Institute has a really cool website, and it looks like the people stationed there have been teaching the penguins to dance :) Wherever Bulgarians go, they take their traditions with them!

http://www.bai-bg.net/index_files/page0001.htm

I grew up in the South Bronx, in a housing project. It was a rough neighborhood, and nowadays is one of the most gang-infested places in the United States. These dreary look-alike apartment complexes have counterparts in Eastern Europe, and this neighborhood is the setting for a pair of dueling Martenitsas. Note: Neither one was harmed in the taking of this video, which was done strictly in the spirit of fun.)

For more about the Martenitsa in Bulgarian folk tradition, click this link:

http://bnr.bg/sites/en/Lifestyle/Folklore/Pages/2602marteniziFolkwise.aspx

For last year's post about my fascination with this Bulgarian folk craft, click here:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/02/baba-marta-and-springtime-in-bulgaria.html

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The Moon, the Stars and the Sun...a look at Celestial Objects in Bulgarian Folklore

2011-02-21T20:12:00.041-05:00

(photo from Wikipedia commons)

Bulgarians are really into outer space judging from the number of references in their folklore about the Sun, the Moon, and the stars. Here's a glimpse into their fascination with heavenly objects in folk songs and folk music.

Zornitsa means morning star and probably refers to the planet Venus. Although Venus is technically a planet, it looks like a star and is one of the brightest objects (after the moon) in the predawn/evening sky. (Venus can only be seen two hours before sunrise and two hours after sunset). Zornitsa is a popular female name, which is most likely given to girls born just before sunrise. The morning star must be something really special to the Bulgarians because there are so many folk ensembles with that name. Here's Zornitsa, from Sofia, performing at a festival in Luxembourg:

This beautiful song is Izgrejla e Mesechinka (the moon has risen). The moon is often seen as a feminine object; if you know a language in which nouns are considered masculine or feminine, for example, Spanish, the moon is feminine (la luna). What's really unique about this version of Izgrejla e Mesechinka is that there's only one female singer in the group, and it gives this "feminine" song an interesting masculine quality.

Fire rituals were used in the old days, before Christianity, to summon the sun back around the time of the winter solstice and to chase away evil spirits. Although modern people know that the the sun will eventually triumph over winter, the Surva celebrations are held in Bulgaria every year. Which is a good thing, because if they weren't, everyone would probably freeze to death :)

This video, depicting another ritual which takes place shortly before Lent, gives a new meaning to the term "fire dancing," and the brass band music accompanying the dancers is loud enough to wake the dead. That and the bonfires will certainly keep those evil spirits away, especially the cold ones that bring long, snowy winters. Lent falls at the very end of winter, and is the start of the 40 day fasting season before Easter.

For more on the Shrovetide (pre-lenten) ritual, read:

http://bnr.bg/Audio.aspx?lang=1033#http://bnr.bg/sites/en/Lifestyle/Folklore/Pages/2602Shrovetide(firstSundaybeforeLent).aspx

For more on the sun in Bulgarian folklore, here's a link to a broadcast from the Bulgarian National Radio.

http://bnr.bg/sites/en/Lifestyle/Folklore/Pages/0906folkloreslunze.aspx

For more on the Bulgarian connection with outer space, read:
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/03/outer-space-bulgarian-connection-we-are.html

For the Bulgarian take on astrology and folklore read:

http://bnr.bg/sites/en/Lifestyle/Folklore/Pages/0504Folkloreastrologyandnumerology.aspx

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To Bavaria, Bulgaria, and Beyond....a Multicultural Look at Brass Band Music

2011-02-14T15:01:00.051-05:00

Brass music is a multicultural and multiethnic phenomenon. The reason it's so popular around the world is that it's dynamic and exciting, and it's hard to sit down while listening to it.

Brass orchestras or bands are usually accompanied by a percusssion section, and often woodwinds, such as clarinets and flutes. They play music that makes you get up and move, such as marches and dances, unlike a symphony orchestra, in which the primary purpose of the music is to be listened to in a concert hall.

I grew up with the Latin rhythms of Tito Puente. He popularized salsa and mambo back in the 1960's and 1970's, to the point this music eventually became mainstream. His parents were born in Puerto Rico. Tito Puente himself was a native of New York City and grew up in Spanish Harlem. The world lost a great musician when he died in the year 2000. Check out the brass and percussion in this performance, it's great!

Brass music is very popular in Germany. When I lived there, I couldn't get enough of it, especially at the Munich Oktoberfest. This music is native to Bavaria, in southern Germany, and goes well with beer and pretzels :), the name of the song is The Happy Woodcutters.

After I returned to the States, I took up Balkan dancing. At the place where I danced, the Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band did one of their first gigs. Back in the mid-1980's this kind of music was virtually unknown in the States, although it's very popular in Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Romania. Here's a bit of their history from the trailer to their upcoming film: Brasslands: (Note, Brasslands was filmed in Serbia during the summer of 2010, and is scheduled to be released sometime this year.)

This is the first band from the United States to compete at the Guča Festival in Serbia. These New Yorkers have come a long way and Zlatne Uste is known way beyond the borders of the five boroughs. They hold a Golden Festival every January that's become so huge that that they had to move their venue to Brooklyn. The festival lasts for two nights, with bands playing simultaneously on four stages.

For more on Zlatne Uste, read:
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/08/band-from-new-york-city-competes-at.html

The next video is that of a Balkan Brass Band workshop, led by the members of Zlatne Uste. Turn up the volume on this one, it will blow you away!

Diko Iliev, a Bulgarian composer, who lived from 1898-1984, popularized brass music in his homeland. His speciality was marches and folk dances,and his birthday falls on February 15. This piece is a Daichovo, a dance from northern Bulgaria.

For more on Diko Iliev and some of his delightful music, read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/having-blast-with-diko-iliev.html

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"Blessed wine, cursed drinking" A look at St. Trifon, the patron saint of vintners

2011-02-05T20:01:00.061-05:00

I lived in Germany for several years, in a wine producing region. The growing of wine grapes was important to the economy as well as the culture; after a good harvest, the people had much to celebrate. And celebrate they did: with festivals, lots of music and dancing, delicious food, and enough wine to float a ship on the Rhine :) They even lit up the river with fireworks during a festival called "Rhein in Flammen".

Wine is a very important part of the culture of many European countries, such as Italy, Hungary, Austria, Spain, and Bulgaria. Today's post is about St. Trifon Zerazan, the patron saint of wine, whose feast day falls in February.

Here are several proverbs just to give you an idea of the importance of wine in Bulgarian folk tradition:

Blessed wine, cursed drinking!

The first glass is for health, the second - for joy, the third - for fun, the fourth - for madness.

If the priest is used to get drunk, the people does not sober at all.

These proverbs are literal interpretations from Bulgarian, which is why something is lost in translation. For more on this subject read:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/09/sometimes-lost-in-translation-bulgarian.html

Here's a video taken in a Bulgarian wine cellar, with a peek at the final product.

Several weeks before the start of spring, there is prep work to be done in the vineyards. You can read about this here:

http://sofiaecho.com/2006/02/13/643178_trifon-zarezan-day

This is a folklore video of the St. Trifon's Day ceremony. Even if you don't understand Bulgarian you can see the vintners pruning the vines, sprinkling them with wine, and asking for God's blessing for a good year. A special bread is made for this occasion, everyone shares a piece, along with some roast chicken, and they wash it down with a sip of wine. Bread and wine are the symbols of communion, in this case, the communion of winegrowers. This ritual ensures the fruitfulness of the harvest, and once the ceremony's done it's time to dance!

St. Trifon's Day falls at about the same time as Valentine's Day in the States, on February 14th.

As for me, I'd rather celebrate the wine. Here are the reasons why:

Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.
Ben Franklin

Men are like fine wine: They all start out as grapes, and it is your
job to stomp on them and keep them in the dark until they mature into
something you'd want to have with dinner. (source unknown)

Wine is bottled poetry. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Na Zdrave!

For more on wine in Bulgarian folklore, read: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/05/significance-of-wine-in-bulgarian.html

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This Brings Out the Animal in Me...Critters in Balkan Folk Music

2011-02-01T14:15:00.052-05:00

(rabbit photo from Wikipedia; cat photo is of "Fluffy" by K.D. Brown)

Happy Year of the Rabbit!

The Chinese New Year begins on February 3rd, 2011. The first New Moon in late January/early February starts another cycle in the Chinese Zodiac.

For those of you who follow astrology, the Chinese Zodiac is different than the Western, in that in consists entirely of animals. In the Western Zodiac, there is one inanimate object, Libra, the Scales, and several human figures: Virgo (the virgin), Sagittarius (half-human and half horse, and Aquarius, either a man or woman pouring water.

The word "zodiac" means a "circle of animals", and is of Greek origin.

Today's topic will be songs and dances about critters in Balkan folklore. Folk songs and folk tales often use animals to describe human qualities, both good and bad (without offending the humans!)

The first dance-song, from Macedonia, is about a rabbit, in honor of the Chinese New Year. The song is Zajko Kokorajko, the dance is called Arap.

Mr. Rabbit wanted to get married, but little did he know about the surprise that awaited him :) You can find the lyrics here: http://www.dunav.org.il/lyrics/arap_zajko_kokorajko.html

Foxes are wily, clever creatures, and fortunately the rabbit in our story what the fox had in store for him before it was too late.

The next video is a dance from Romania called Vulpita (little fox). I've never seen a fox dancing, but I'm sure if they do it's fast.....

One of my favorite animals is the cat. One thing cats like to do is steal food, and Fatso, my current kitty is no exception. As a result, he weighs over 20 pounds, and he refuses to go on a diet. He think our food tastes better than his, this explains why he jumps on the table when nobody's looking.

The next dance is Ripna Maca, about a cat who steals sausage, much to the annoyance of his humans. Version one is from Serbia.

The lyrics are here: http://www.dunav.org.il/lyrics/ripna_maca.html

The priest's wife in the song didn't take too kindly to the cat stealing food. In my house it's not a big deal because Fatso is spoiled. Besides, cats do whatever they damn well please, and there's no stopping them.

Version two is from Bulgaria.

May the year of the Rabbit bring everyone health and happiness!

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Dreaming of Spring in the Middle of Winter: Flowers in Bulgarian Folklore

2011-01-28T21:56:00.025-05:00

Living in the deep freeze is not easy. The temperatures have been so cold recently that you can throw boiling water from a container and it will freeze before hitting the ground.

Not only has it been extremely cold, we have been doused with large quantities of snow every week! According to the statistics for this region, we have had at least 40 inches (a little over a meter) of snow during the month of January alone.

Since I hate winter and can't wait for it to end, today's post is about flowers, springtime and Bulgarian folklore. I am dreaming of spring in the middle of winter.

Here's one of my favorite folk-pop songs from Bulgaria, Biala Roza (white rose). The dance is a Devetorka. A white rose is beautiful and symbolizes innocence, but watch out for those thorns!

Are any of you old enough to remember the "flower children" from the 1960's? I think the Bulgarians were the original flower children judging from the number of videos I've seen with them wearing flowers in their hair. This little girl has one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard. She has flowers in her hair, and is wearing a traditional Bulgarian folk costume. And it's springtime....

Here is a dance-song called Karamfil (Carnation.) According to the song, the red carnation is the symbol of the rebel (haiduk) who leads the struggle against Ottoman Turkish rule, the mother of the partisans and the leader of the Slavs. He is a true son of the Balkans, born in the Valley of the Roses. For some reason, the Chinese love Bulgarian folk music. Must be that connection they have with the ancient Bulgarian calendar, which is the same as the Chinese zodiac!

The Year of the Rabbit is just around the corner. Click here to read about the ancient Bulgarian calendar and the Chinese zodiac:
http://www.helium.com/items/1512507-ancient-bulgarian-calendar-and-chinese-zodiac

The rose is the national flower and a symbol of Bulgaria. In spring, the Valley of the Roses comes alive with the color and fragrance of millions of flowers. The Rose Festival is held in June. Rose oil from Bulgaria is exported all over the world, to be used as an ingredient for perfumes. In this video, girls in traditional dress wear flowers in their hair. They're dancing a Pravo Horo, which is the one of the most popular dances in Bulgaria.

For more on the Rose Festival, click here:
http://www.rose-festival.com/valley-roses.shtml

Unfortunately, there's more than 6 more weeks of winter left.....but I can dream, can't I?

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Ten Reasons Why You Should Read My Blog :D

2011-01-19T19:58:00.104-05:00

If you accidentally ended up here, welcome! You are in for a fun and enjoyable experience. If you have been here before, welcome back!

My blog is different in that it's unusual. I saw the need for a humorous Balkan folklore blog. It's a subject few people on the internet have written about, and I enjoy writing about it. Although a few bloggers have ventured into "alien" territory, I have decided to make it my home. You won't find E.T. here, although you will find Alf :)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/04/you-know-you-are-alien-from-planet.html

The Blogosphere is a fascinating place. People share their most intimate thoughts and feelings, describe people and places, rant about dysfunctional families and politics, and write poetry on blogs. You can find a little bit of everything here, except for dysfunctional family situations and hard core politics.

Here are ten reasons why you should read my blog:

1. It's entertaining and it's funny. I write to make people think and make people laugh. Hopefully after reading a post or two, it will brighten up your day. And, best of all, it costs nothing!

2. You get to travel to interesting places via multimedia. So you have me to blame for your itchy feet. You can even visit Scotland and Bulgaria at the same time!

3. If you like music, especially music in odd rhythms played on exotic sounding instruments such as the gaida, the gadulka and the kaval, you've come to the right place. This is a rachenitsa, a Bulgarian folk dance in 7/8 meter, played on a gadulka.

4. According to the blog stats, American readers were in first place, and Bulgarians came in second. It's not easy to read my ramblings in a foreign language. Google Translate works well from Bulgarian to English, I don't know about the other way around. I'm honored that you stopped by to read, it means a lot to me.

The Germans came in third, is there a big interest in Balkan folklore in Germany? The fact that people all over the world are reading The Alien Diaries means that it's become a truly multi-national (as well as multi-media) blog.

5. If you've missed a festival or band performance and I've been there, you can be sure I've written it up and taken some videos of the event. This is from last year's Balkan Music Night, which takes place in the Boston area every March, featuring the Serbian dance group Grachanitsa.

For more on Balkan Music Night: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/03/balkan-music-night-2011-more-balkan.html

By the way, I was unable to make the Zlatne Uste Golden Festival this year, but I found some video on YouTube. I was at the very first one 26 years ago.

6. This blog will help you become physically fit. If you're out of shape try some ethnic dance and exercise.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/12/on-ethnic-dance-and-exericise.html

7. If you're interested in a creative way to stop annoying neighbors from playing obnoxious loud music you will find the solution here.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/08/bulgarian-singing-demystified.html

8. You get to watch people in elaborate embroidered costumes performing complicated folk dances in strange rhythms.

9. We are all citizens of the world and are interconnected. Chauvinism and ethnic rivalry have no place here. The definition of "Balkanization" is a little different on my blog than it is in the dictionary.

"Balkanization: to divide (a country, territory, etc.) into small, quarrelsome, ineffectual states." from Dictionary.com.

"Where there is dancing and singing there is no fighting." Ciga, dancer from the Kolo Ensemble, Belgrade. This was his epitaph.

On The Alien Diaries, Balkanization means everyone holds hands, dances, and gets along, unlike in the real world. Maybe one day that will actually happen.

10. You will find a little bit of everything here, including poetry and a short story featuring my cat, who has a very strange dream:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/03/cat-and-dream.html

You can also read about about Hristo Botev, poet and revolutionary.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/05/hristo-botev-poet-and-revolutionary.html

If you've enjoyed what you've read here, please let me know in the "comments" section. Thank you!

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The Clarinet in Bulgarian Folk Music (third in a series on "instruments of torture")

2011-01-15T22:04:00.028-05:00

(photo from Wikipedia)

"Clarinet: An instrument of torture operated by a person with cotton in his ears. There are two instruments worse than a clarinet – two clarinets."
Ambrose Bierce

My parents and my younger brother would have certainly agreed with that.

Many years ago, when I was in the 7th and 8th grade, I took a music class in school which was mandatory. Over 40 years later, I'm glad I had the experience. It gave me some basic grounding in music theory. My best friend and I had a blast poking fun of the music teacher, who was a bit eccentric.

There were two types of instrumental music offered at my school: orchestra and band. I was assigned to band; my instrument was the clarinet. Little did I know that many years later I'd develop a passion for Bulgarian folk music, much of which is played on the clarinet. http://www.clarinet.org/clarinetFestArchive.asp?archive=77

If I had known now what I knew then, I would have continued taking lessons. Would I have been good at it? I don't know.

No one in my family was musically literate. There just wasn't any money for music lessons or any of that stuff when I was growing up, so when my parents heard I was assigned to a music class, they were dreading my bringing home the clarinet that I had to practice for a half hour every day. They complained constantly about the squeaks coming from the bedroom, and my brother couldn't hear his favorite TV shows. In my family, the clarinet was considered an "instrument of torture", except when played by Benny Goodman, whose music my mom danced to during World War II.

I did fairly well with the clarinet after the "squeaky" phase, when I was struggling to learn the upper register. I considered it an accomplishment when I was able to play Greensleeves without peppering it with squeaks.

When I went to high school, there were no instrumental music classes, and I developed interests in other things. Many years later, when I discovered the clarinet was an essential part of Bulgarian folk music, especially in wedding bands, I wanted to take it up again, to the point of trying to bribe one of my daughter's friends to give me lessons in exchange for favors. She wasn't buying. My daughter didn't want her to teach me. The last thing my daughter wanted to listen to was me practicing narodna muzika on the clarinet.

So I may take it up sometime in the future, when the kids are out of the house.

Here's a band from Greece who do an excellent job with Bulgarian rachenitsa. The clarinetist is amazing and the accordion player is good too!

Ivo Papazov, a Bulgarian of Roma descent, is a master of the clarinet. His speciality is ethno-jazz and wedding music. Listen to him and his band here:

Wedding bands usually have a clarinetist. Here's one of my favorite bands, Kabile, who have been on a couple of U.S. tours.

And finally, here's one of my favorite combinations, a clarinet and an accordion. If you know someone who hates either one or both of these instruments, you will be subjecting them to some wicked musical torture. This is payback for my daughter when she plays that awful country music on her computer.

If you are interested in other instruments of torture and their use in Bulgarian folk music, these posts are required reading :)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/bagpipe-and-bulgarian-folk-music.html

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/10/accordion-in-bulgarian-folk-music.html

The human voice is also a considered a musical instrument, and in the right situation can be used to torment annoying neighbors.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/08/bulgarian-singing-demystified.html

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Dancing to the Rhythm of a Different Drummer, or Why I like music in odd time signatures

2011-01-11T22:08:00.046-05:00

Part of the fun of Balkan dance is learning the rhythms. People who are accustomed to "western" music often find that Balkan dancing and the assymetrical rhythms take a little getting used to.

Many years ago, I took a band class in school. Nearly all the music was in common time signatures, such as 4/4, 2/4, 6/8, and the occasional waltz (in 3/4 time). I found the waltz intriguing because it has an odd number of beats in each measure. When I first heard a rachenitsa from Bulgaria, I was totally smitten, by both the sound and the rhythm. It was beautiful and different!

In the Balkans, musicians like pieces with odd meters, such as 7/8 and 11/16, although in the villages, they played by ear, and sheet music to them was a foreign concept. They didn't let little things like quick-slow beats concern them, and the dancers had a lot of room for improvisation. If you're into music theory you may find this link of interest.

http://www.debone.com/MasteringOddComplexTimeSigsAndRhythms.html
One of my favorite dances is the kopanitsa, popular in Bulgaria and Macedonia. It has 11 beats to the measure. It's one of those rhythms that's a little tricky to internalize. The accent is on the 4th beat.

I have internalized the kopanitsa to the point that at a Bulgarian event I went to last year, no one got up to lead the dance. Whatever possessed me at the time commanded me to lead, and I did. Before I knew it I had about 50 people dancing in a line behind me, many of them exchange students from Bulgaria. The song lasted about 10 minutes, and I was exhausted when the music ended. This is the poem I wrote about the experience:

http://www.helium.com/items/1811432-kopanitsa-bulgarian-folk-dance

Dances often cross borders. Here are two dances from Serbia in 7/8 time which look and sound like Bulgarian rachenitsa. There are two versions of 7/8 rhythm: the rachenitsa is "apple apple galloping."

The drummer is amazing, he's playing and dancing at the same time. How many people can do that?

For more on the rachenitsa (the national dance of Bulgaria), read:
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/07/flavors-of-bulgarian-rachenitsa.html

Here is the other version of 7/8 rhythm, which makes for a completely different dance, the Lesnoto or Pravoto. This dance is from Macedonia. The beat is "galloping apple apple."

One of the first dances I learned many years ago was this lively Serbian number, Niska Banja, which is in 9/8. (This time signature is also used in the Bulgarian dance Daichovo Horo).

Niska Banja is a very catchy drinking song. This link will take you to the lyrics, and an English translation, so you can sing along :)

http://www.dunav.org.il/lyrics/niska_banja.html

This is a Daichovo, also a 9/8 dance, (quick-quick-quick-slow). Although the first beat has the accent, the fourth is the longest.

Since music is related to math, and since many people who take up Balkan music and dance are often math and physics people, here is an unusual take on that subject: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/balkan-folk-dancing-and-its.html

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Some Electric Balkan Music: Rakiya

2011-01-08T22:33:00.024-05:00

This post is not about booze. It's a writeup about one of my favorite Balkan bands. If alcohol is what you crave, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakia

On January 2nd, I went to a dance party featuring the band Rakiya. Their high energy electric music was very intoxicating, and the endorphins generated by dancing to them more than made up for the fact this was an alcohol-free event.

The first time I saw them perform was at Balkan Music Night in Concord last March. I was so taken by their dynamic musical style that I took this video, which is also on their web site. The song is Zajko Kokarajko from Macedonia.

http://rakiya.com/

For more on Balkan Music Night, which takes place in Concord, Massachusetts every March (this year the date is March 19), click here http://www.forsyths.addr.com/bmn/

Last year's recap of Balkan Music Night can be read here: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/03/march-madness-balkan-style.html

The band is from Boston. Most of their gigs are in New England, except for the Zlatne Uste Golden Festival in New York City, which is a huge Balkan event with numerous bands, now celebrating its 26th year. The festival will be held in Brooklyn on the 14th and 15th of January. It is definitely worth a visit.

This video of Rakiya is from a recent party in Wethersfield, CT. Here they perform a Serbian pop-folk song, Gori Mori. I love the way the singer dances and gets into the music, is she having fun yet?

Besides Balkan, Rakiya plays Roma (Gypsy) and Middle Eastern music. This is a mellow Armenian song: Sweet Girl.

It was an enjoyable event. I was tired and a little sore the next morning, with happy memories of the night before.

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Some Interesting New Year Rituals and More Cross-Cultural Celebrations

2011-01-03T15:39:00.048-05:00

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(photo from Wikipedia)

Today's post will be about some interesting New Year rituals.

In Bulgaria, the New Year is welcomed with a ritual called Surva. According to the Bulgarian National Radio website, "very early in the morning on 1 Jan. boys (survakari) tour the community with best wishes for the New Year. They use decorated cornel twigs gently beating neighbors on their backs, for the sake of health, endurance and prosperity."

The noise and the cowbells in this video serve to frighten away the evil spirits and the fire symbolizes the return of the sun in this very noisy Surva celebration. The fun doesn't end on New Year's Eve, at least not in Bulgaria!

Jumping into a frigid body of water in January seems to be the thing to do to stave off the boredom of winter, and in my humble opinion, you have to be either drunk or out of your mind to think about it. If you live in New England, like I do, the ocean is freezing cold even in mid-July, and I've compared it to taking the Kneipp Cure.

Sebastian Kneipp, a monk from Germany, was one of the first to popularize the cold water treatment. He claimed it cured him of tuberculosis, which was a very common ailment in those days. He may have been on to something. http://www.kisthydrotherapy.com/cms/history.php

The Polar Bear Club, founded over 100 years ago in Coney Island, New York, was one of the first organizations to begin the New Year by taking a dip in the icy ocean. Any hangovers from the previous night will certainly be obliterated in that 38 degree water.

For more on the Polar Bear Club, read: http://www.polarbearclub.org/

The Christian holiday of Epiphany falls on January 6th. In Latin America, Epiphany is Three Kings Day. It is said that this on this day the Kings arrived at the manger of the infant Jesus and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Three Kings Day celebrations involve lots of singing and dancing as you can see in this video from Puerto Rico.

Epiphany takes on an interesting twist in Eastern Europe. There, the focus is more on commemorating the baptism of Jesus. Another name for the holiday is St. Jordan's Day, and it involves a group of men plunging into freezing cold water to retrieve a cross thrown into it by a priest. This custom is practiced by those of the Eastern Orthodox faith, which is the predominant religion the Balkans and in Russia. In Russia, where lakes and rivers often freeze solid, a hole will be cut into the ice.

The cross throwing ritual accomplishes two purposes: the first one is to bless and purify the water, the second is for health and good luck, especially to the person who retrieves it. Here's a group of men (notice that all the participants are male) taking a dive into the icy Danube near the town of Svishtov. Snow flurries fall from the sky and the audience on the riverbank is bundled up in heavy winter coats.

In this clip from the Bulgarian news, a bunch of people dance in the Tundzha River and several men play the gaida! There is also a another group on land, dancing a horo. Either they have been endowed with supernatural powers that overcome the effect of frigid water, or they have been hitting the rakia :)

For more about water in Bulgarian folklore read: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/03/bulgarian-fascination-with-water.html

For more cross cultural celebrations read:http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/12/bulgarican-christmas-cross-cultural.html

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Time to Ring in the New Year: A Tale of Two Composers: Johann Strauss and Diko Iliev

2010-12-29T13:35:00.048-05:00

With January 1 just around the corner, it's almost time for the annual New Year's Concert from Vienna. While the rest of my compatriots park themselves in front of the TV watching the college football games, I'm enjoying music by the Strauss family and other composers who wrote dance music during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_New_Year%27s_Concert

What few people are aware of is that the Johann Strausses, father and son, wrote music based on folklore themes. The Austrian ländler, a dance in 3/4 time, was the forerunner of the waltz.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landler

Here's a demonstration of this dance, which is very popular in Austria and Bavaria:

Johann Strauss Sr., along with another composer, Josef Lanner, incorporated the ländler into many of their compositions and popularized the waltz, a more refined form of the countrified Austrian folk dance, in Vienna. Strauss Sr.'s most famous piece, however, was not a waltz, but the Radetsky March. There is a connection between Radetzky and Bulgaria's most famous poet, Hristo Botev. You can see a video of the Radetsky March, played as an encore in every New Year's Concert, here: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/05/hristo-botev-poet-and-revolutionary.html

The Vienna of the Strauss family was, and still is, a multi-ethnic cosmopolitan city. It was one of the capitals of the great Austro-Hungarian empire, which encompassed most of Central and Eastern Europe. It included the two ruling countries of Austria and Hungary, and also what is now the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, western Romania, northern Italy, parts of Bosnia, Serbia and Poland. This empire was home to people who spoke many different languages and were of different nationalities. They did not always get along.

Somehow the emperor, Franz Josef, managed to hold this polyglot empire together for nearly 50 years, until his death in 1916, when it started to break apart. Two years before, all hell broke loose in Austria-Hungary when a Serbian nationalist assassinated the Austrian archduke, Franz Ferdinand, who was to inherit the empire. This was the event that precipitated World War I, and the dissolution of the Habsburg monarchy in 1918.

It's time for some music by Johann Strauss, Jr. This is a polka (a folk dance native to Bohemia, located in the present day Czech Republic) with a spicy Hungarian theme. This performance of Eljen a Magyar is from a telecast of the 2009 New Year's concert.

The German name for the Austro-Hungarian empire was "Die Donaumonarchie" (Danube Monarchy) after the river that held it all together. As for the color, Strauss got it wrong. The German language has a number of words for a person who's had a little too much wine (or any other kind of booze). One of them is "blau" (blue). So it's possible that when Strauss wrote this magnificent piece of work, he may have had one too many at the tavern, and in his alcoholic stupor, thought the Danube was flowing with wine. (By the way, the Wachau region of Austria, along the river, is an important wine producing area).

The footage, from the 2010 New Year's Concert, is amazing, especially if you've seen it on TV instead of that little YouTube screen. And if you have actually been there, like I have, the scenery is out of this world. The video is but a shadow of the real thing.

The Danube, the River of Many Names (read this for an explanation:)
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/10/river-of-many-names-musical-journey.html flows through a number of countries in Central and Eastern Europe, most of which are mentioned in the video. However, the Austrian TV, who produced this, omitted a few important ones. One of them was Bulgaria, the birthplace of composer Diko Iliev.

Diko Iliev was born in a small town across the Danube from Romania in 1898 (a year before the death of Johann Strauss the 2nd). He wrote music based on Bulgarian folk dances for brass and wind ensembles. His most famous work, Dunavsko (Danubian) Horo, begins the New Year all over Bulgaria, and everyone dances to it at midnight.

The next video from the Universe of YouTube celebrates Bulgaria's entry into the European Union on the first of January, 2007. The first piece is a choral rendition of the Bulgarian national anthem, which leads into Dunavsko Horo at minute 1.50, then concludes with the finale of the last movement of the Beethoven 9th Symphony, the end of which was unfortunately cut short. Notice how the fireworks are in time with the music!

For more on the life and music of Diko Iliev, click here: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/06/having-blast-with-diko-iliev.html

Diko Iliev was a versatile musician. Not only did he compose music based on northwestern Bulgarian folk motifs, he wrote marches, tangos and waltzes. His music is well known and loved in Bulgaria, and always played during celebrations such as New Year's Day and national holidays. Unlike Strauss, who composed primarily for the aristocracy and the upper classes, Diko Iliev was a composer of the people. When he died in 1984, busloads of mourners travelled to Montana, a town in Northwestern Bulgaria, for his funeral.

Diko Iliev's music captured the soul of the Bulgarian people as much as the music of the Strauss family did in Austria. Give it a listen, and you'll understand why.

Happy New Year 2011 to all!

(This post is dedicated to an old friend, Don, who passed away suddenly in September, 2010. He especially loved the music of Beethoven and the Strauss family. My husband and I spent New Year's Eve with him and his wife when we lived in New York in the 1980's. He left this world much too soon and we miss him very much.

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Favorite Bulgarian Folklore Videos on YouTube (Part 2)

2010-12-26T11:28:00.017-05:00

Have you noticed that year end is the time for lists? For example: the ten worst songs of 2010? Or the ten best movies?

Since there's a winter storm warning today, there's nothing better on a day like this than to write about one of my favorite subjects, Bulgarian folklore, while sitting at my computer, next to the radiator.

Although not all of these are this year's videos, here are some more of my favorites from the Universe of YouTube, and most of them are funny, in keeping with the holiday spirit. By the way, this is part two in a series, for part one, click here: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/10/favorite-bulgarian-folklore-videos-on.html

This is a delightful rachenitsa (folk dance in 7/8 time) from the Pirin region of Bulgaria, Myatolo Lenche Yabuka. It's the story of a young girl who throws an apple, hoping for it to land on a handsome young man, and instead it falls by a man old enough to be her grandfather. The old man is thrilled, the young lady is upset, and the mom plots to get rid of the old man. This enthusiastic group is from Jacobs University in Bremen, Germany.

More humor, this time a spoof on bad behavior in the classroom. Notice that the students, as well as the teacher, are all male, and that they get a little bit wild. In the Bad Old Days, teachers had no qualms about using corporal punishment. Fortunately no dancers were harmed during the creation of this video :)

The resolution on this is not the greatest, but I'm partial to videos with kids and teens, especially when they sing and dance. The song is Nazad, Nazad Mome Kalino. Not a happy song, although you wouldn't know it from watching these young ladies.

Although this is more pop culture than folklore, the female singer wears this beautiful elaborate embroidered outfit, while the rest of the crew, including some guys dressed up in soccer uniforms, sing and dance a rachenitsa about Paul the Prophetic Octopus, who went to Pulpo Heaven a couple of months ago (he died of natural causes). He predicted the Spanish victory in the 2010 World Cup. And he was right, to the chagrin of the Germans....

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A "Bulgarican" Christmas - A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Christmas Celebrations

2010-12-16T20:23:00.014-05:00

This year's holiday post is a cross-cultural comparison of Christmas celebrations.

Unfortunately, Christmas in the States nowadays is associated with lots of shopping, too much to do and too little time to do it, and obligatory gatherings, such as the work holiday party, and the visiting of relatives with which you have little in common.

Especially in these difficult financial times, families overextend themselves with buying more presents than they can afford.

This time of year would be so much more fun if people got together and sang, danced, and played music instead. Holidays are about family and friends having fun, not worrying about who to buy for and "can we afford it?"

The canned music coming from the loudspeakers in stores and malls is enough to make me want to jump off the nearest bridge. There is only so much of "Let it Snow" and "Frosty the Snowman" that I can take. By the way, I hate winter and I hate snow even more. Sometimes I feel like Oscar the Grouch this time of year.

Now, lets see how people who actually know how to have fun celebrate the holidays.

I come from a culture that loves to celebrate Christmas with lots of music and dancing. My family originates from Puerto Rico, where holiday partying can get quite lively. There is a tradition of musicians, singers and their friends going from door to door, eating and drinking at each home, called parranda.

The celebrations last for about two weeks, from Christmas Eve until Epiphany (January 6th), which is the day the Three Wise Men, who followed a star rising in the East (they were astrologers) found the baby Jesus and came bearing him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Here are some wild and crazy Puerto Ricans in action during Christmastime. Back in the day, the parranderos used to go to every house in the neighborhood, unfortunately due to the crime situation in Puerto Rico nowadays, the party is usual held in someone's home, with family and close friends.

This is group of musicians from Mayaguez having a song fest outdoors in the plaza. What I love about these songs is that they're lively, upbeat, and yes, you can dance to them. Not to mention that the weather in Puerto Rico in January, when this was taken, is a comfortable 75 degrees. With the weather we've been having I've contemplated selling my soul to spend the holidays in the tropics....

By the way, my step-grandfather was a musician, played the guitar, and went on parranda every Christmas. My grandmother, unfortunately, never joined him. She missed out on all the fun.

This video from the Universe of YouTube shows Bulgarians in Tampa, Florida, having a blast at Christmastime, doing one of their favorite dances, the rachenitsa. There is a sizeable Hispanic population in Tampa, and if they had crashed this celebration while doing their parranda, they would have fit right in!

For more on cross-cultural connections between Puerto Rico and Bulgaria read:
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/05/puerto-rico-and-bulgariaa-cross.html

Here's another Bulgarian Christmas celebration, complete with falling "snow" amd folk dancers strutting their stuff. The stamping of the feet and the ringing of cowbells is supposed to drive out evil spirits, and the army of bagpipe players certainly helps :)

Wherever Bulgarians are at Christmastime, there is bound to be a party going on. This one takes place in St. Louis. This is a family affair, and the kids get to dance too!

I would like to wish everyone a stress free holiday, with lots of music and dancing. Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, and Весела Коледа!

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Folklore, Food and Fun with Divi Zheni and Zornitsa

2010-12-04T10:54:00.075-05:00

(photos: K.Brown & S. Ward)

On the 3rd of December I went with one of my dance buddies to Arlington, a town near Boston, to see a performance of Divi Zheni (Wild Women), a women's group, and Zornitsa (Morning Star), the men's group. Both groups sing and some of the members play traditional instruments, such as the gaida (bagpipe), gadulka (fiddle), and tupan (drum).

What is unusual about Divi Zheni and Zornitsa is that everyone is American except for the music director, Tatiana Sarbinska. They performed at the folk festival at Koprivshtitsa, Bulgaria in August of this year. They were very well received.

Bulgarian music has a magical effect on susceptible individuals, and it has been known to bewitch them so much that they throw themselves fully into this folklore thing, to the point that they learn to play folk instruments and wear traditional costumes. Then there are those who take up dancing; they can be recognized by their accessories, which are belts (to hold on to the dancer(s) next to them) and handkercheifs for twirling.

For more on Americans Bewitched by Bulgaria (yes, there are quite a few of us out there), read: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/04/this-is-your-brain-this-is-your-brain.html

Tatiana Sarbinska is a world renowned singer, who in another life, was a soloist for the Pirin Ensemble of Blagoevgrad. Nowadays, she's the music director of Divi Zheni and Zornitsa in Boston, and another ensemble, Orfeia, in Washington, DC.

http://tatianasarbinska.com/ensembles.html

Here's a sample of some delightful Pirin Ensemble music from the Universe of YouTube:

This is Tatiana Sarbinska performing her most famous song: Katerino Mome:

My friend and I got to the place early, and a lady there had brought some hula hoops. I couldn't resist and placed one around my waist, twirling it around for a minute or so. Tatiana saw me and asked to try it herself. She kept that hoop spinning for at least a minute, maybe more! Too bad it was the day I forgot to bring my camera.

The evening wasn't just about hooping, there was plenty of dancing. Most of the songs and dances were from the Pirin region of Bulgaria, where Tatiana is from. This is the region of southwestern Bulgaria which borders Macedonia and Greece, which has a distinct musical style.

You can read more on the folklore regions of Bulgaria here:
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/11/flavors-of-bulgarian-horo-and-diversity.html
There was also plenty of delicious home made food. Several people had brought Bulgarian specialties: banitsa, spinach banitsa (which tasted like Greek spanokopita), tarator, and tikvenik.

Tikvenik is the autumn version of banitsa. This particular one was spiral shaped, and it was very tasty! It's made with pumpkin, walnuts, phyllo dough, and other tasty things and brushed with butter. Here's a link to the recipe if you're feeling ambitious:

http://blog.mycreativecup.com/?m=200612

By the end of the evening, the food was all gone.

For more on Balkan food read: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/08/folklore-food-and-fun-at-festivals.html

I couldn't resist buying a small Bulgarian cloth which now hangs in my kitchen, along with my Dutch windmills and German woodcuttings. If you look closely, you can see little eyes going across it. I have protection against the evil eye now and no bad luck will befall me :)

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