GD 113 AUTHENTIC BULGARIAN FOLK SONGS
Folk songs from the Western Rhodope Mountains, village of
Draginovo
Asan Kichiliev - voice and tamboura; Mehmed Kichiliev; Ibraim
Kafedjiev; Malin Alendarov - kaval; Mirolyub Tabakov and Malin Alendarov -
chifte kavali; Milyo Kepchelev - tamboura
Sample - 1
It is a phenomenon in the end of the 20th century to discover and record
songs whose age cannot be precisely determined. Yet one thing is certain,
that part of them were published in the VEDA SLOVENA collection (Belgrade,
1874).
The performers are Bulgarian Muslims from the village of Draginovo,
Western Rhodope Mountains who have preserved the most typical characteristics
of the folk-musical dialect of the region: the two-part singing, the small
tonal range and simple ornamentation, the use of the tamboura as a solo or
accompanying instrument and particularly the curious duet of kavals (shepherd
flutes) known as chifte kavali (a pair of kavals), typical only of the
Western Rhodope region. Although originating from one village only, the songs
present a rich thematic and ritual belonging - from wedding, spring, labour,
to historical pictures intriguing with its subject matter.
There is yet another merit of this CD; the recordings have been made in
the home of a family from the village of Draginovo, which fact further
enhances the feeling of sincerity, naturalness and authenticity.
