BULGARIA – BULGARIE
Songs and Dances from Bulgaria – The Living Tradition – Argo – ZRG 562 – Recorded by Deben Bhattacharya in 1965, released in 1968 (LP)
I am delighted to present these seminal 1965 recordings of authentic Bulgarian village music by the legendary musicologist Deben Bhattacharya (1921-2001), released on the excellent English Argo label. The stately tracks feature female vocal groups (A2, A4, A6, B2) and singers (A9, B4, B5, B6), a male vocal group (B1) and singer (B3), tambura lutes (A1, B5, B6), goatskin gaida bagpipes (A3, B3), a duduk flute (A5), kaval flutes (A7, A10), and a clarinet (A8).
Collected across several regions in Bulgaria, these performances weave rich sonorities, complex rhythms, and fascinating harmonies. They transport us back to a time when traditional village music was closely connected to various horo folk dances at the heart of Bulgarian rural culture and identity.
Je suis ravi de vous présenter ces remarquables enregistrements de 1965 consacrés à la musique villageoise bulgare authentique, réalisés par le légendaire musicologue Deben Bhattacharya (1921-2001) et publiés par l’excellent label anglais Argo. Cet album comprend des groupes vocaux féminins (A2, A4, A6, B2), des chanteuses (A9, B4, B5, B6), un groupe vocal masculin (B1) et un chanteur (B3), des luths tambura (A1, B5, B6), des cornemuses gaïda en peau de chèvre (A3, B3), une flûte duduk (A5), des flûtes kaval (A7, A10) et une clarinette (A8).
Recueillies dans plusieurs régions de Bulgarie, ces musiques tissent des rythmes complexes et des sonorités et harmonies riches et fascinantes. Elles nous plongent dans le monde traditionnel d’antan où la musique de village était étroitement liée à une multitude de danses folkloriques horo, au cœur même de la culture et de l'identité rurales bulgares.
A1 – Horo - Tambura solo
Long-necked tambura (or bulgarya) three string lute by Pena Grozeva;
Dermantsi, Northern Bulgaria.
A2 – Buen Vjatar Vee Stano - Harvest Song
Vocals by Maria Lačeva Hristova;
Pirdop, Central-West Bulgaria.
A3 – Dajčova and Konésta Dances - Gajda solo
Gadja bagpipes by Gueorgiu Blagolo Rutev;
Pirdop, Central-West Bulgaria.
A4 – Zassviri Ovčar Krai Gora - Harvest song
Chorus – Singers of Madžare
Vocals – Dafinka Rangelova Mechandjiyska, Elenka Spasova Pavlina, Nouscha Ivanova Manževa, Slavka Ivanova Gulova, Spasouna Spasova Markova, Stoĩka Christova Kovažka, Stoĩka Ranguelova Manževa;
Madzare, Southwestern Bulgaria.
A5 – Shepherd's Melody - Dudùk solo
Six-hole dudùk block flute by Kiko Sumanov;
Tuden, Western Bulgaria.
A6 – Gree, Gree Messečina - Men's Horo
Vocals by Assen Jlov, Atanass Varadénov, Dinka Pavlova, Jana Petrova Anguélova, Jvan Guérov, Vassilka Dimitrova Lazarova;
Elin Pelin, Western Bulgaria.
A7 – Ovčar Moma Làze - Shepherd's song
Kaval flute by Kiril Pavlov and vocals by Sanka Miševa;
Elin Pelin, Western Bulgaria.
A8 – Lukovitski Momi Horo - Clarinet solo
Clarinet by Alil Alilov;
Lukovit, North-central Bulgaria.
A9 – Zamràknala Sama Jana - Harvest song
Vocals by Petra Massârliykata;
Lukovit, North-central Bulgaria.
A10 – Četvorno Horo - Kaval solo
Kaval flute by Kiril Pavlov;
Elin Pelin, Western Bulgaria.
B1 – Koledare - Christmas carol
Vocals by Christo Tsvetanov Gueoroguev, Mihal Krâstev Jolov, Nikola Petko Vâlov, Todar Tsankov Stoev, Tsano Vassilev Petkov, Tsvetan Vassilev Ivanov, Vassil Ivanon Načev, Zlatan Tsolov Slatev, Tsano Va;
Lukovit, North-central Bulgaria.
B2 – Po Drum Verviat Kiten Svatove - Wedding song
Chorus by the Singers of Madžare
Vocals by same singers as A4;
Madzare, Southwestern Bulgaria.
B3 – Ya Čuvaj Lale Bajova and Račenitsa Dance
Gadja bagpipes by Andrea Kriviralčov;
Koprivshtitsa, Central Bulgaria.
B4 – Slavčo Marijka Dumase
Vocals by Zaharina Kotseva Stanoeva
Pirdop, Central-West Bulgaria. B
5 – Kaj Ti Kupi, Dude, Kàsoto Eleče
Vocals and long-necked tambura (or bulgarya) three string lute by Pena Grozeva;
Dermantsi, Northern Bulgaria.
B6 – Kaži Menko, Kaži Nani
Vocal and long-necked tambura (or bulgarya) three string lute by Pena Grozeva;
Dermantsi, Northern Bulgaria.
Long-necked tambura (or bulgarya) three string lute by Pena Grozeva;
Vocals by Maria Lačeva Hristova;
Music of Bulgaria – Seven Seas GXC-5007 here
Village Music of Bulgaria – Nonesuch H 7234 here
Celebration of the Feast of St. Ivan – Rila Monastery here
Born into a family of Sanskrit scholars and traditional physicians in Benares (now Varanasi), India, Deben Bhattacharya (1921–2001) was a visionary Bengali ethnomusicologist, filmmaker, and writer. He dedicated his life to documenting the "living traditions" of folk music, fragile cultural heritages that were disappearing across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
After moving to London in 1949, Bhattacharya began producing BBC radio programs that introduced British audiences to Indian classical music. Eventually settling in Stockholm and Paris, he left behind an impressive legacy of documentary films and books, as well as over 100 groundbreaking LPs. His most memorable feat was his epic 1955 journey from Paris to Kolkata. He traveled through Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India in a converted milk van packed with state-of-the-art recording equipment.
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