Albanian, Macedonian & Bulgarian Tallava / Roma Music - WRFL 88.1 - 03/02/2009

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Oka & aliosha | CD Download

Aliosha Video Clip:




Video of Okka (oka) with Ivo Papasov






Here is a CD of music Aliosha and Oka. Aliosha is (I believe) from Montana, Bulgaria and plays the clarinet. He also sings as well. Oka, or sometimes written Okka, is also from Bulgaria and plays the clarinet but I do not know his origins. Both are Roma and are well known throughout Roma Communities in Bulgaria and Macedonia.

Anyone can find more information about either of these artists by searching: Okka, Oka, aliosha, alioshka

Most of these recordings are live from weddings, graduations or other Roma holidays so the recording quality is sub-par. The spirit and sound is indescribable; it's 5-6 hours of ear splitting music with dancing and celebration.


Download Link:
Tallava__Roma_Music_-_OKA___ALIOSHKATA.zip


Disclaimer:

If you know the owners of this content, please contact The Balkan Hour. We are more than happy to remove links upon request. We also would happily post links for CD sales, future concerts or general information. The music here is meant to inform and to altruistically create a larger market for the music. Anyone can stop this link from Rapidshare by clicking this link:

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Ако знаете, собствениците на тази музика, моля свържете се с Балкан час. Ние също така ще бъде щастливо да публикувате връзки за CD продажби, бъдещи концерти или обща информация. Музиката тук има цел да информира и да създаде по-голям пазар за музика.

England's Ladytron & 1980s Bulgarian Rock; Combined!

As I was preparing for my latest Balkan Hour show, I was listening to the local college radio station WRFL 88.1 when I caught the strange diction of Bulgarian voices over the airwaves. Turning it up while I was driving around I realized I was listening to a strangely familiar song, remixed. After looking it up on WRFL's playlist, I YouTubed the song Kletva (I oath, I swear) and found the old Bulgarian hit by the Crickets. I learned some of my limited Bulgarian from this song so it brought back memories of my Peace Corps experience. Most Bulgarians universally break in song whenever its played in concert so Kletva is instantly recognizable to any Bulgarian. If you listen to the song, Ladytron pronounces the words slightly different.

The Crickets - Kletva (Oath)




Ladytron's Bulgarian Connection:

Mira Ayoro

The Bulgarian accents from Ladytron are rooted in Mira Aroyo's link to Bulgaria from her childhood. Mira, who left the country for Israel at age 10 with her family, travels back to Bulgaria once or twice a year to see family and vacation. With this introduction, Mira has occasionally mixed Bulgarian songs like Kletva as well as voice samples from the national anthem and other Bulgarian dialogue. When asked why she uses Bulgarian, she profers that the Bulgarian combined with the Ladytron music provides an intriguing sound. Interviews: Sydney Morning Herald, Chief Magazine

Miro Aroyo recently was interviewed about Bulgarian Chalga by Beast Magazine. After being asked whether Chalga music would be involved with Ladytron's next music adventure, she responded enthusiastically. It certainly would be interesting if some of Azis or Galena were sampled in the next album.  Interview with Beast Magazine (Great interview, read all of it)

Also, notice the backlash in the comments about the article assuming that Chalga is of Bulgarian origin. Interesting reaction that happens a lot on the Internet.

Their new album Velocifero samples a lot of Bulgarian and they are planning on touring in Eastern Europe with Depeche Mode.  Bulgarians go crazy over Depeche Mode (and why shouldn't they?) so the tour should be amazing.

Eastern Europe tour!!!! (and others)

• May 16 2009  Beck’sperince @ Parc Izvor w/ Depeche Mode | Bucharest
• May 18 2009 Tuborg Greenfest @ Vasil Levsky Stadium w/ Depeche Mode | Sofia
• May 20 2009 Tuborg Greenfest @ USCE Park w/ Depeche Mode | Belgrade
• May 21 2009 Tuborg Greenfest @ Arena w/ Depeche Mode | Zagreb

Here are some other songs by Ladytron's Mira Ayoro in Bulgarian:

Ladytron - Black Cat


Ladytron - Commodore Rock

Great World Music Website: NoNaMe from Russia

NoNaMe - World Music

The name may not be the clearest and the Russian may be a little daunting to non-cyrillic speakers, but NoNaMe and its world music website has some of the most eclectic world music I've seen on the Internet. The site seems to have a special love for Balkan music while still having selections from around the world.

You have to register which is just a simple login, email, password and password confirmation. To non-cyrillic speakers, you have to click the " регистрация" in order to get the registration page. Or you can just click here to register.  I know, its daunting at first but all the posts are in english and its pretty easy to navigate

Here is just a quick list of the quality Balkan Music I've found on the website:

• Ferus is Cooking - Macedonian Wedding Music
• Rembetiko - Greek Folk Music
• Guca Festival - Live recordings from the Guca Festival in Serbia
• Sevdah Selection - Bosnian folk music (with Roma influences)
• !DelapDap - Fusion Roma Music (Featured on Balkan Beats)
• Gogol Bordello - Live Bootleg at Bonnaroo
• And many more!

There are 92 pages of music, at roughly 15 posts each. . . makes almost 1400 entries of fully downloadable music with reviews, commentary and history of each artist. This is definitely a great resource for those wanting to learn more about Balkan Music and World Music in general.

Enjoy!

Restaurant Bulgaria | Bulgarian Cuisine in Chicago

Last night I went to Restaurant Bulgaria (the website account has been suspended, so we are using yelp) in Chicago with some friends of mine from the Peace Corps. The restaurant, aptly labeled "Restaurant Bulgaria" was a great experience that remind us of our time in Bulgaria.

The have live music every saturday starting around 9-10pm to 3am until they close. The music is typical music that would be played in a Mehana. It a mixture of country/folk music, Bulgarian wedding music and folk music. A Mehana is a place that people go to eat, drink and dance for hours. Something like a tavern or club with food. Its hard to explain.

This particular restaurant is almost a perfect replica of a authentic Bulgarian experience. The waiters speak broken english, the restaurant decor is painted some strange orange and there are disco ball things that light up when the band starts to play.

Anyone interested in an authentic experience for Bulgarian cuisine, music and dining experience should definitely visit this restaurant before they travel to Bulgaria. The music is good and the Bulgarians should dance all night long on saturday night.

Restaurant Bulgaria -

Neighborhood: Albany Park
4724 W Lawrence Ave
(between Kilpatrick Ave & Keating Ave)
Chicago, IL 60630

(773) 282-0300

New Kukeri Videos from Pernik, 2009!

Here is a clip of Kukeri or sometimes referred to as Surva. This particular clip is from a Bulgarian friend of mine who attended the festival this year. The tradition has been loosely traced to Thracian times  and has a rich cultural history throughout Bulgaria. The costumes are made of goat hair and each village or city has its own particular style. This style is from the Pirin region (Blagoevgrad, Simitli, Razlog, Bankso). The music in the background is called Zurni which is the name of a clarinet instrument called a zurna. I posted about Zurni music a couple of months back. The music is historically based from Turkish Mehter Marching Music.

Surva.org is the official website for the Pernik Festival and more travel information can be found there. Anyne thinking of traveling to Bulgaria during the winter should seriously consider attending one of these festivals. It is a hidden gem of sorts that isn't advertised as much in the travel guide books. There are festivals in the month of January (but not limited to) at Razlog, Pernik, Simitli. 

Here is another clip from the Pernik festival. The style is from the looks of it from Pernik but i'm not completely sure. I've got more clips and videos and I hope to upload them later. Email me if you are interested in more of these Kukeri clips.

Where's the music at? Why one view can't encompass a whole region; but can try

Recently, I've received some well founded criticisms of my approach to what I define as Balkan and Bulgarian music. Here is what one reader had to say:

I strongly disagree with any presentation of Bulgaria that concentrates on chalga. Although, this is the most popular "music" right now, it is the last thing I would like people to associate my country with.

We do have a lot of world renowned musicians and singers; this is an offense to them, at the very least. You can check out The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices, Theodosii Spasov, Raina Kabaivanska...and so many more...

The Argument:

To some degree, music defines a culture. So the possibillty of my characterizations culturally offensive

---The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices; Where are they?

I always appreciate comments and suggestions; I have to agree that I have not addressed the topic of Bulgarian Folk music as much as I would have liked. And it has been rightly pointed out, I plan to talk about musicians such as The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices. I haven't wrote about them mostly because my interests have been elsewhere and there already exists a large body of work on the internet about their singing.

Chalga or Pop Folk; Is it Bulgarian or Balkan Culture? Yeck, I know . . .

I feel that Chalga (info) is a part of Bulgaria's culture just as much as American Hip-hop is to America's culture. It may not be the most positive representation in some person's eyes but it is an aspect of Bulgaria's cultural sphere. One of the reasons I write about it is that not many people in America know about Chalga nor do they understand the interesting mixes and borrowing of culture.

Why don't you talk about this artist? (Insert your preference)

Odds are, I've never heard of the artist or group. Or, I've heard of them but have been too lazy to talk about them. Regardless, if you feel that there is a form of music that is missing a voice, be sure to email me through my profile with your contributions and suggestions. Also, please remember that I'm an amateur that sees this more as a hobby than a definer of culture, music or nationality.

++++----++++

That said, enjoy the blog and definitely remember that this is just one viewpoint out of many so be sure to look into other sources as well.

11/26 Radio Playlist and Cheat Sheet!

Typsy Gypsy

Typsy Gypsy is a member of the Balkan Hotsteppers from Belgium. They have been experimenting with Balkan music for club music. Seriously check out his Myspace. He's got a lot of great mashups that really allow people to start understanding the Balkan sound.

Track: Mashup with Intergalatic (Beastie Boys) Download the Podcast!





J.U.F stands for Jewish Urkranian Freundschaft or Friendship

Track: Muskat (Slishal, No e Zapisal)

5:33 min.

J.U.F. i s a creation of Eugene Hutz (Gogol Bordello) and Tamir Muskat.

Boban Markovic Orkestar 

Boban Markovic is a famous Roma or Gypsy from Serbia. He and his Orkestar are generally recognized as the most accomplished Brass Band from the Balkans. His is also the winner of of the Golden Trumpet from the world famous Gucha Festival in Serbia

Track: Mundo Cocek (pronounced Cho -chek) is from the Boban and Marko album

3:13

<========= Break for station identification =======>

Gypsy Sound System

Based out of Switzerland, the Gypsy Sound System has been mixing music for clubs over the past two years throughout the world.

Track: Gypsy Sound System


4:35


Balkan Beat Box - Bulgarian Chicks

The Balkan Beat Box are probably the more well known DJs working with Balkan music. The Bulgarian Chicks song is a combination of Bulgarian folk singers with Serbian or Balkan brass music.

Max PASHM

Max Pashm is a collective of U.K based Jewish, Greek & Balkan musicians that make dance music. They are based out of England.

Track: Queen of Sikim

3:09 Min.

<========= Break for station identification =======>

Desislava

Desislava is a Chalga singer from Bulgaria and its fun to see Latina music and Balkan music mergred.

Track: Regeton and a Little Chalga

3:30

Ionut Cercel

Ionut is an young Roma singer from Romania. He is in his early teens and is taking the Romanian club scene by storm.

Track: Made in Romania

4:00

<========= Break for station identification =======>

Giorgos Tsalikis

Greek Musician with Laiko music.

Track: Ekana Ti Nexta Mera

4:00

Djordan

Track: Ne boli (No hurt or It doesn't hurt)

3:49

Orkestar Kristali

This Orkestar is probably the best Roma Wedding Orkestar in Bulgaria. They play Roma music with Bulgarian influences. To those familiar with Balkan music, it may sound Turkish in origin. 

Track: Purjina (kokaina), "Fried Cocaine" 

Aliosha 

Aliosha and his band play that live instrumental at a wedding in Bulgaria. Known for his saxophone skills, Aliosha alway is an excellent singer. He style would also be considered Roma Wedding music or sometimes referred to as Bulgarian Wedding music.

The track is unlabeled because its live.

<========= Break for station identification =======>

Boril Iliev

Boril is another Roma musican with the Red Bull orkestar from Bulgaria that play Roma Wedding music.

Track: Akana (meaning now)

5:00

Ramzi Kuchek

Just a simple for dancing Kuchek or Belly dancing

Track: Ramzi Kuchek

3:30

Verka Serduchka

Ukrainian Drag Queen 

Track: Gop,  Gop! Jump, Jump!

4:00

Georgi Chi - lin - gi -rov

Track: Roufinka Bolna Legnala

7:00

<========= Break for station identification =======>

Valia Balkanska

Track: Izlel e Delio haidutin

4:00

Trio Bulgarka

Famous folk ensemble from Bulgaria, known for its vocal haromonization. It would be considered traditional folk music.

Track: Sluntseto Trepti Zauda (The sun is setting)

Bulgarian Horo | Is there a common Ottoman imprint in the Balkans?

This is a Dunavski Horo which is a Bulgarian Horo based out of the Northern region in Bulgaria bordering the Danube River. Horo is a Bulgarian Folk dance usually done in a circle while hold hands. The types of Horo vary in style by region, hence the naming of this horo as the Dunavski Horo (Danube Horo).


I've decided to highlight some the difference folk dances throughout the Balkans on the blog. It is somewhat controversial (at least in the Balkans) but I keep seeing visually and through audio a common linkage which I feel may come from the occupation of the Ottoman Empire. I'm curious what other people think.

I must explain to Western readers that these different forms of folk dance are usually interpreted as culturally separate, independently developed folk cultures. To tell a Bulgarian that Horo is similar to modern day folk dancing in Turkey (or another Balkan country) is an affront to their nation and culture and most would be, at a minimum, upset if not aggressive. The same goes for Greek folk dancing, Macedonian, Kosovoian, Albanian, etc. Each country has its unique cultural identity that defines it as separate from the great Balkan whole. These societies cling to folk dance and music a way to prove the right for their countries to exist. The logic follows: If the people speak different languages and have different folk dance and music traditions then they music be culturally different enough to be determined as a separate country. This holds true in Bulgaria, where its unlikely a single Bulgarian would openly admit any Ottoman influences on their Folk dance and music traditions.

Kosovo and Montenegro are good examples of the cultural concept. They both have created new languages base off of dialects of Serbian while also asserting their own cultural brand of folk dancing. However, they are newly created countries with little history as a Political Nation while obviously having centuries of history as a territorial region. Fifty years ago, it was Bulgaria with Philip Kotev making is cultural stamp of uniqiness with the revival of Bulgarian Folk Dance and Music.

I'm showing these forms of folk music dances together in this series because I find it fascinating from an outside perspective in how they seem to have a common undercurrent. However, please be aware that it may seem somewhat culturally insensitive to do so in such a manner.

Djena | Daily Dose | New Chalga!

Djena| Shte Te Spechelia (You will Win)

Another Chalga Pop Folk hybrid. They synthesizer is an influence from Roma Tallava. All and all its a song for the car or the radio.

Damian Kachulski comments:

It is a nice one, fun and people relax when listening to it.

Emanuela | Daily Dose | New Chalga!

Emanuela - na povikvane

More lovely Chalga, this time from Emanuela. My Bulgarian friend comments:

Damian Kachulsi says:

Boo, this song is driving me crazy. It is everywhere, but it reminds me of another Emanuela song Da si plashtal (For you to have paid). Aren`t they kind of similar (I think they are both cover versions of another songs).

Here is the Emanuela's "Da si Plashtal" (For you to have paid) for comparison:


Emanuela - Da Si Plashtal

Anelia | Daily Dose | New Chalga!

Anelia | Poruchai Pak - Order It Again (Alcohol)

Anelia is also a stable of Chalga and this in on of her new songs this year. Its interesting because because she's using different influences and kind of mish-mashing them. Such as: the "le le le, le le le" is usually used in Roma music or Tallava.

Enjoy.

Preslava| Daily Dose | New Chalga!

Preslava | Ot Dobrite Momicheta - One of the Good Girls

This is Preslava. She is arguably the most popular Chalga singer in Bulgaria right now. This is one of her new songs that is getting a lot of play. She's known for being naturally well endowed in Bulgaria (although there is debate). Anyway, enjoy.

The Balkan Hour | Radio Show Trial Run | 88.1 WRFL Lexington

Last Monday, I finished my training with WRFL 88.1 Lexington to be a Radio DJ. WRFL is the local student radio of University of Kentucky and has a strong history of supporting alternative programming for central Kentucky. Hopefully, I'll be able to play music from the Balkans with WRFL to create a better awareness for the region and to promote artists from the Balkans. This is me on the WRFL website: The Balkan Hour DJ

Anyway, the trial run was great fun and full of freshman mistakes. I'll get the hang of the sound board and other techical details as I practice. Generally, I'm content with the trial run. I would like to have more historical context with better descriptions of each artist or style, some that the Oberlin podcast/radio show is a great example. But I suppose that will come with time.

Please be aware that the beginning and end of the audio are of other radio shows because the .mp3 is archived per hour and not by user. I'll look into sound editing to clean it up. So, keep listening past the first couple of seconds!

Enjoy!




.mp3 Download of the Balkan Hour - Trial Run from WRFL 88.1 Great For Ipods!

Alisiya | Daily Dose | New Chalga!

Alisiq |Nai-varvejen - The Most Demanded

Another new Chalga song which Bulgarians would probably classify as "Chalga" as opposed to "Pop-Folk" but are similar enough to grouped as Chalga. Let's look at our Chalga Checklist:

• Almost Naked Woman Singing- Check
• Poor lyrics that are simple and silly that sing about sex, women, men and/or drinking? - Check
• Mixture of Roma, Western Hip-Hop and Balkan Music -Check
  

Its official, its Chalga.

Here is what my Bulgarian friend, Damian Kachulski, had to say about the song:

We say "Nai-Varvejen" or "The Most Demanded" when a brand is very popular, sells very successfully and people want to have it. In the song, the man she is singing for is "the most demanded", as if he sells well at a store. People like it, but however it is a very stupid song.

Azis | Daily Dose | New Chalga!

Azis | Teb Obicham - You, I love

Another song from Azis. My friends in Bulgaria are telling me its getting a lot of radio play and disco club play. My Bulgarian friend, Damian Kachulski and I both swear we have heard this from somewhere before but can't place. Azis has a horrible track record of "borrowing" songs and claiming them as his own. Let me know if this is the case for this one. Enjoy the Chalga / Pop-Folk!

Mehanata: New York's Bulgarian Bar + Dance Club

I returned to America after two years in a small village in Bulgaria last month and my first stop was New York City. I tried to make it the famous Mehanata (roughly translated; A place with live music that you go for 6 hours and sit around a table with great food and drinks. When you get drunk, you usually start dancing into the night. Kind of a cross between a bar/club and a restaurant). Anyway, Mehanata is pretty much ground zero in New York for Balkan music and live bands. Its a mixture of expats with indie kids that are into Balkan Beats. Eugene Hutz has popularized over the years and its started getting a pretty serious following: Read BalkanBeatit and their write up about Eugene Hutz .

Unfortunately, its only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. So, make a note of that for those of you in the NYC or a thinking about making a trip. I visited, unfortunately, on a Wednesday so my opinions have to be formed from YouTube clips and a padlocked door. As looked in on, saddened by my poor mistiming, a fellow inside came to the front and opened the door slightly. Embarrassed, I responded in Bulgarian that I was just looking. The Bulgarian, with fresh cut on his forehead (for unknown reasons) looked at me dumbfounded and asked me again what I said in Bulgarian, shocked that I spoke the language (with a strong American accent). I found out that he was just a construction worker who was from Sofia who was just working. We talked for bit but since he was new to Mehanata he wasn't able to be too helpful. Mehanata has a cool vibe about it and is small enough to get lost on a NYC street. I mention it mostly because its significance in the American movement with Gypsy Punk or Balkan Beats. They've been an epicenter of sorts in NYC, sustaining a culture with the help of Gogol Bordello and Eugene Hutz.

I've had some Bulgarian friends go there during a weekend but they reviews are somewhat mixed. A lot of the music played there is more "Balkan" than "Bulgarian" and the Mehanata has no problem associating itself with Gypsy or Roma culture (something most Bulgarian bars would avoid at all costs because of the ethnic tensions/issues still prevalent in Bulgaria, plus Roma people tend to spend less at high class bars than Bulgarians). So, some of the Bulgarians aren't necessarily familiar with Balkan Beat and Gypsy Punk scene, so it becomes a little different than expected. I'd wager a guess that Chalga probably doesn't get a lot of play time as well.
And finally, I really love the Mehanata concept and think that its doing a lot of things right (especially viral marketing through the internet) but, honestly, Astika? What's up? It's like the subpar beers of Bulgaria. Why not Zagorka (not my favorite, but good), Shumensko (excellent) or Pirinsko (my favorite). Bulgaria has great beer but Astika doesn't represent like the others. So, when you go, you are better off just ordering a Rakia.

My Favorite Beer: Pirinsko Beer or Пиринско Пиво

MEHANATA:

Mehanata Bulgarian Bar‎ - more info »

113 Ludlow St, New York, NY‎ - (212) 625-0981‎


Gogol Bordello - Start Wearing Purple

With over 2 million views, this put Mehanata on the map for coolness in the YouTube world.


Yuri Yunakov At Mehanata Bar - NYC

While Mehanata has a lot Balkan Fusion music they also have more "traditional" acts like Yuri Yunakov with Roma/Bulgarian Wedding Music

Alec Kopyt sings Zakritii Grazhdanin (Закрытый Гражданин)

Another live set from Mehanata

Balkan Music Goes Academic | Oberlin Music Blogs!

I just happened upon a gold mine of information about Balkan Music online in the form of series of blogs required by an Oberlin College music class. The class is being taught by Jennifer Fraser, an Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology at the Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College. The course covers a broad array of musical styles and regional genres ranging from Turkish Folk to Roma Music to Bulgarian Folk music (among others).

Here is what Jennifer Fraser has to say about the course and its blog initiative in her first blog post:

This site is dedicated to writing about and sharing our experiences interacting with these musics, along with articulating the connections between musical style and socio-cultural meanings; for example, how was music used to express sides during various Balkan wars in the 90s? How can you trace the history of socialism and roads to democratization and economic independence through musical practices in the Balkans? How do the cultural legacies of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires play out in the musical practices of today?

From my cursory browsing through the subject matter, it looks like a fascinating course that approaches Balkan music the way it should (in my opinion) be approached; through a historical, socio-cultural lens. Apparently, it just isn't me that is fascinated by the symbolic nature of Balkan music and its mixing of cultures. Regardless, I encourage those interested in Balkan music to browse through ETHN 209 and its blog posts. They the blogs are written by university students so the quality ranges between insightful to bland but it continues the conversation. These students study at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music so they are often have a much different approach to music compared to myself because they have a better understanding of the musical structure and also the historical background from other genres and styles. So, without further ado, here is the Ethnomusicology 209 course for Oberlin College:

ETHN 209 | Oberlin College | Professor Jennifer Fraser

While the entries are great, I and many other international readers probably won't want to wade through all of the individual websites to browse the collection of opinions about Balkan Music. To counter that, I have created a Google Reader of the entire class which compiles all the submissions of every student in a central place. It should update automatically whenever a student has a new post. But readers can also click the title of the post to go to the individual blog as well. Here is a public RSS Feed page that you can click to view all of the post in a centralized blog format:

http://tinyurl.com/oberlin-ethn-209

To subscribe to the RSS feed, you can just simply click the link here

Subscribe to Oberlin ETHN 209 RSS Feed (all blogs)

Simitli's Men Singing Group - Izvorite | Daily Dose | Bulgarian Folk Music

Here is another post from Simitli, Bulgaria where I lived for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer. This is a Bulgarian Folk Music group based out of my home town. They are a good example of the men only choirs prevalent in Bulgaria. Often looked over because of the quality and popularity of Bulgarian all women choirs such as The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices and Trio Bulgarka. Anyway, enjoy the post and be sure to look at the pictures. I took most of the photos and they are all photos from my town.

Again, I have the full CD of Izvorite also if anyone wants it. Just email me through my profile.

Zlatina Metodieva | Daily Dose | Bulgarian Folk Music

Zlatina Metodieva | First Solo Album

This particular post is about an actual Bulgarian friend of mine that I worked with as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Simitli, Bulgaria. The YouTube video is a track from Zlatina's first solo album. She is a young Roma woman still in high school that has studied Bulgarian Folk Music at a school in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. The photos are from her marketing promotion in town to raise funds for printing and making copies of the Album. I took all of the photos and they are from Simitli.

The music is good example of current Bulgarian Folk Music, which is slightly different than the style of The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices and Philip Kolev. It (conceptually) is more like country music in America.

Anyway, I have the whole CD so if anyone is interested in listening to it. Just email me robert . proudfoot at geemail . com (its on my profile too). Anyway, congratulations to Zlatina for a successful recording of a first solo album.