Dancing Through the Alphabet: Letter I

This week The Alien Diaries has reached its 250th post and will go into its 6th year!

The I's have it, since today's dances begin with the letter "I".

The first is Izruchana, a moderately difficult Vlach dance from northwestern Bulgaria.  Vlach dances have much in common with those from southern Romania.  They are fast and accented with stamps and shouts.

In case you're wondering who the Vlachs are, they are people of Romanian ancestry who live outside Romania.  Many of them were sheep herders and wandered from place to place to find good pastures. There are Vlach villages on the Bulgarian side of the Danube, River of Many Names.

This group of dancers is from Hong Kong. For some reason the Chinese love Balkan music and there are many Chinese folk dance videos on YouTube.I have also met a number of Chinese people at my folk dance group, including my daughter's high school home room teacher.



If you are a regular reader, you have seen this "Bonding Folkdance Class" from China.  Here they perform the dance Imate li Vino.  The English translation of the song is "Do you have wine?" Since February is the month of Trifon Zarezan, the patron saint of vintners, I included it this week. The dance is a lesnoto variation in 7/8 rhythm (pineapple-apple-apple).  Lesnoto is a popular dance in southwestern Bulgaria (Pirin) and in the Republic of Macedonia.

According to the lyrics, you can bring wine, money and young women, but no old ladies! I sense some age discrimination here....

For some reason the end of of the video was cut off. Someone needs to teach the Chinese some video editing skills :)



Although it's a little early, I'd like to wish my Chinese readers a Happy New Year, with health and happiness!

The bonus video for this week is a waltz by the Bulgarian composer Diko Iliev whose birthday falls on February 15. He is best known for the dance piece Dunavsko Horo.  In keeping with the "I" theme (Iliev) and the wine theme, the name of this piece is In the Vineyards Over Ribine.



If you enjoyed this you may also like:

"Blessed  Wine, Cursed Drinking, A Look at St. Trifon, the Patron Saint of Vintners

How to Stamp Out Your Frustrations and Relieve Stress (Vlach dances from Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia)

Are you looking forward to spring?  It has been a long, hard winter here with plenty of cold and snow.  Chase away the winter blues with some springtime music by Diko Iliev.


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The Colors of Bulgarian Folk Songs

K.D. Brown: Visionary, a photo created with Bulgarian textile cloth

Light in Nature creates the movement of colors.
Robert Delaunay

Today's post was inspired by the Bulgarian National Radio.  They had a program recently on color symbolism in Bulgarian folklore several weeks ago and you can find the link here:

Red is mentioned quite often in Bulgarian folk songs, often in connection with wine.  A powerful, attention getting, and vibrant color (see photo above), red is the color of fire, passion, wine and blood. I've noticed lots of red in Bulgarian folk costumes as well. It is considered a lucky color.

Rusi Kosi is a song about a blonde who has no comb, and no powder for her white face (by the way, white has several meanings in Bulgarian, and in this case a white face is a beautiful face). She wonders when her mother will find her a man to marry who will buy her the comb and the powder. The girl's name is Elena, and she has to bring the red wine and two red apples. The translation comes from Bulgarian by way of German and it's from the Songbook for Nearsighted People, a compilation of international folk song lyrics by Birgitt Karlson.



The full moon rises, red, orange, and then white in the song Izgryala e Mesechinka while the young woman picks a colorful bouquet in the moonlit garden. This is a modern version of a beautiful Bulgarian folk song played on a gadulka and a guitar, and the lady who plays the gadulka, Hristina Beleva, has a very pretty voice.  The dance in the video is a rachenitsa, the national dance of Bulgaria, with the irregular rhythm of 7/8 (apple-apple-pineapple).



The next video is so colorful it will draw you right in. The song is Dunave, Beli Dunave, which means White Danube. Most people associate the Danube with the color blue, maybe because it rhymes so well (in English and in German), however when I actually saw the river, it was a totally different group of colors (more like green, gold, and gray). In the video, however, it looks blue and sometimes white.

I often wondered why there were several Bulgarian folk songs on this topic; until I found out that white can also mean beautiful. White in Bulgarian folklore has a lot of symbolism, according to the Bulgarian National Radio: "the white color also means joy, grandeur and beauty", as well as purity and innocence. 

The River of Many Names is also very colorful, and in addition to the aforementioned colors, it can also be white on foggy days.   In Oriahovo, where the was video was taken, the performers had to wait two hours for the fog to burn off so they could shoot it.  By the way the composer Diko Iliev lived for many years in this town, and the piece Dunavsko Horo composed there. The reason brass music is so popular in northwestern Bulgaria is due to the influence of Diko Iliev.

The dancers wear colorful and elaborate embroidered costumes; this and the brass band music are a treat for the eyes and ears. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the translation for the song, if anyone can tell me where to find it, please post it in the comments section.



The eyes have it in this video, with a very attractive dark-eyed woman who flashes those orbs around  while pouring the wine.  The singer is Daniel Spasov, who co-hosts a weekly folklore show on Bulgarian television, Ide Nashenskata Muzika, along with Milen Ivanov.



If you enjoyed this you may also like:

The "Flavors" of Bulgarian Rachenitsa (parts 1 and 2)

Part 1: About rachenitsa, the national dance of Bulgaria

Part 2  Masculine, Feminine and Flirty (rachenitsa as a courtship dance)

The River of Many Names (parts 2 and 4) features folk songs and dances from Bulgaria about the Danube. It's a very colorful excursion into the world of Bulgarian folk music.

Part 2

Part 4

Modern Versions of Traditional Bulgarian Folk Songs, Part 1  (you will find modern versions of two of today's songs in this post, along with the traditional ones so you can compare them.)



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Wine, Romance and Folk Songs

Wine enters through the mouth,
Love, the eyes.
I raise the glass to my mouth,
I look at you,
I sigh. ― W.B. Yeats

It's that time of year again. February is the month of Valentine's Day in many countries around the world.  In Bulgaria, there's the celebration of Trifon Zerezan, the patron saint of wine. Today's post features songs about love and wine from Macedonia, Serbia, and Bulgaria.

The Macedonian folk song, Dafino Vino is about a woman whose boyfriend had his coat stolen by the haidouks (rebels) while he was sleeping. They sold the coat at a drinking establishment for wine and rakia (brandy). What really makes this song special is the accompaniment, a tamburitza orchestra, which adds a Croatian accent to the music.



You can read more about the performer, Elena Risteska, by clicking this link.  She is a Macedonian singer and songwriter and quite versatile. She performs both pop and folk songs, and has competed in the Eurovision song contest.

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

The next video features a dance song from Serbia, Savila se Bela Loza Vinova. It's about two people in love who chase each around the vineyard. The dance (starts at 0:21) is a favorite with kids. It's very easy to do and there's lots of running!



Here wine combines with romance in the Bulgarian song Kruchmaritse performed by Daniel Spasov. If you are a regular reader of The Alien Diaries you will recognize the song; the setting is different, however. This time the flirtation takes place in a bar on a riverboat, and the people are dressed in early 20th century costumes.



If you enjoyed this you may also like:

Blessed Wine, Cursed Drinking, A Look at St. Trifon, Patron Saint of Vintners

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/02/blessed-wine-cursed-drinking-look-at-st.html

Boozing it Up in the Balkans  (Bring on the wine and rakia!)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2012/04/boozing-it-up-in-balkans-via-song-and.html

Here Comes the Brass Band: Modern Bulgarian Folk Songs With Daniel Spasov (Kruchmaritse, on land this time;  a romantic riverboat excursion on the Danube, and some wild folk dancing at the Baba Vida fortress in Vidin)

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2012/11/here-comes-brass-band-modern-bulgarian.html


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Boozing it up in the Balkans, via Song and Dance

Part of the experience of visiting a foreign country has to do with the food and drink and the fun things you get to do while mingling with the natives. You can get into the heart and soul of a culture and it's a great way to make new friends.

Today's post is about folk songs and booze. In the Balkans booze is big, and there are many different alcoholic beverages: Greek Ouzo, Bulgarian Rakia, and Serbian Slivovitz to name a few.

Then there is the ubiquitious fruit of the vine. Wine is one of the oldest drinks known to man. When the ancient peoples discovered wine it opened up new horizons, especially when primitive societies found that grape juice not only tasted good after it was fermented, but that it made people happy and sociable. A few drunken individuals entertained the rest of the group by doing really stupid things, this became known as "partying."

An enterprising individual found that he could make the wine stronger by distilling it into brandy, from that, rakia was born. And a very clever woman discovered that by planting a few grape vines, she could create a beverage that could knock a man out. He drank the wine, the rakia and the horse!



You can read about rakia here:
:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakia

Can you count backwards from ten after a few shots of Slivovitz (the national drink of Serbia)? Niška Banja is a drinking song from Serbia, and that is exactly what they do after a day spent at the thermal baths in town; sing and drink slivovitz. Slivovitz is plum brandy and its taste and effects are nothing like prune juice :) I tried some on an freezing cold day in Germany, it warmed up those insides quite a bit.



Here are the lyrics in case you want to sing along. Make sure to pick up some slivovitz at the local liquor store first. If you have a Serbian neighbor who makes the stuff, it's probably much better than anything you can buy.

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

Everything you always wanted to know about slivovitz can be found here:

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

Unfortunately too much of a good thing has its drawbacks. Poor Gino! Don't drink the wine! Now he has an enormous headache. Or is he in pain from the loss of the one he loves?



The dance to the previous video was a lesnoto (galloping-apple-apple), which is a rhythm common in Bulgarian and Macedonian dances.

When I die, drink some red wine and break the glasses. Now that would be a fitting tribute to a life well lived. This beautiful and poignant folk song, Ako Umram il Zaginem, is from Macedonia. This song is also in lesnoto rhythm.



Here are the lyrics (and the music score) in case you want to sing along. We often do Ako Umram as a sing-along at the Sunday night dances, the description, in Bulgarian, for singing while dancing is called "horo na pesen."

http://balkanarama.com/ako_umram.htm

If you enjoyed this, you may also like Days of Wine and Roses, Balkan Style

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/05/days-of-wine-and-roses-balkan-style.html

The Bulgarians have a patron saint of wine. Read about St. Trifon the Pruner here:

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/02/blessed-wine-cursed-drinking-look-at-st.html

Wine has a very important significance in Bulgarian folklore.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/05/significance-of-wine-in-bulgarian.html

If you'd like something stronger, there's always Rakiya, the band from the Boston area who plays electric Balkan dance music.

http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/01/some-electric-balkan-music-rakiya.html

If you're a teetotaler, this post may be more to your taste. Reading this will definitely stimulate the appetite.

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


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Days of Wine And Roses: Balkan Style

(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:

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. The next song is A Bulgarian Rose. The lyrics are included, so you can sing along :)



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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"Blessed wine, cursed drinking" A look at St. Trifon, the patron saint of vintners

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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The Significance of Wine in Bulgarian Folklore - Na Zdrave!

Many years ago, I lived in German wine country, in one of the northernmost wine growing regions of Europe, between the rivers Rhein and Mosel. This was a white wine region, with a very short growing season and the vineyards, with rows of Riesling grapevines terraced on steep hillsides to catch the sun, created a beautiful and unique landscape. This is the area I was privileged to live in for nearly four years. This is Bernkastel-Kues, a beautiful wine village, on the Mosel River, 45 minutes away from where I used to live:




The Romans, in their conquest of the continent, spread viniculture far and wide. They cultivated grapevines in the valley of the Middle Rhine, which is at a latitude of 50 degrees north. This was as far north as they could go; in this part of the world the growing season is from May to early October. Wherever the Romans went, so did their vineyards; Spain, Italy, Austria, France, Hungary, Portugal, and Bulgaria. The Greeks were also known for their wine and may have brought viniculture to Bulgaria as well.

The drinking of wine accompanies every special occasion and there are holidays connected with it: Trifon Zarezan in February (when the vines are pruned), and Holy Cross Day in September, which falls around the time of the grape harvest. Both have pagan origins. St. Trifon is the patron saint of vineyards. Here's a Trifon Zarezan celebration, which falls on February 14:



Wine has almost a religious significance in Bulgarian folklore. It is seen as more than just a beverage, but as something that promotes health (there has been a lot in the news lately about the health benefits of moderate consumption of red wine), and since it resembles blood, it is also seen as a symbol of fertility and life. It also promotes a communion to those who partake, and even children are allowed to drink small quantities.

Red wine is the predominant vintage in Bulgaria, and rakia is the distilled spirit made from this wine. Wine and rakia are mentioned in this folk song:



Bulgarians would never dream of having a celebration without wine and dancing.

Bulgarian proverbs mention what happens when there is too much of a good thing, and the hangover after the party is a universal phenomenon. It’s not the wine, it’s the drinking!

"THE FIRST glass is for health, the second - for joy, the third - for fun, the fourth - for madness."

"BLESSED wine, cursed drinking!"

Here’s another folk song about a blonde who has no comb, and is looking for a man to marry her. The chorus: Elena, bring the red wine and the red apples......



Although Bulgaria produces a significant amount of wine, it is very hard to find here in the States, unless you live in a large city like New York or Boston. Part of the reason is that people won’t drink wine from a place they know little about. Maybe their wine is so good they don’t get much of it to export here. I know for a fact that in Germany, the best wine stays in the country; the rest is exported.

I have yet to find Bulgarian wine at a liquor store near me.
The best way to obtain it, probably is to buy it by case, via the internet.
For more about wine and Bulgarian folklore read:

http://www.bnr.bg/sites/en/Lifestyle/Folklore/Pages/1202trifonzarezan.aspx

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