Song Of The Crooked Dance: Early Bulgarian Traditional Music 1927-42

Amazon.com
Spurred by the popular success of Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares (Nonesuch), there has been unprecedented interest by the Western world in the music of Bulgaria. But the renowned women's choir offers a mere fragment of the country's diverse musical heritage. Song of the Crooked Dance, a 23-track compilation of recordings from 1927 to 1942, presents a far more extensive and stunning overview of the Bulgarian traditions, the breadth of which may surprise most listeners. The impassioned ornamentation of 17-year-old singer Vulkana Stoyanova echoes the great vocalists of flamenco. Solos on gaida (bagpipe) and kaval (end-blown flute) recall the launeddas masters of Sardinia and Celtic pipers and flautists. Pieces showcasing trumpet and clarinet resound with klezmer's free-metered reel. Remarkably, it's as if Balkan folk music channels the crosscultural gitano flame of the entire European continent. --Sam Prestianni

Tracks:

Village Wedding - Demir Cholakov
Dimitur Loaded The Boat - Vulkana Stoyanova/Radi Angelov
Bear Handler's Song - Georgi Stanev
Tsonka's Tune - Ahmed Saliev/Boris Karlov Orchestra
Captain - Zah. Atanasova.Ivan Kavaldzhiev Orchestra
Three Master Builder Brothers - Mita Stoicheva/Radi Angelov Orchestra
Ganka The Elopee - Masha Byalmustakova
Paidushko Horo - Iliya Atanasov
Earthquake In Bulgaria - Parush Parushev
Hora Zurla And Tupan - Song Of The Crooked Dance
Gankino - Karlo
Song For Bana - Gergana Tsekova/Peyu Budakov Orchestra
Dance Tune From Yambol - Korenyashkata Grupa Na Karlo
Wake Up Milka - Bistrishkata Chetvorka/Yurdan Bonev
Rutchenitsa From Lovech - Tsvyatko Blagoev
Precious Little Lamb - Boris Mashalov/Trakiiskata Group
Wow, Have You Got Eyes! - Macedonian Song - Peyu NikolovPeyu Nikolov Orchestra
Table Song And Dance Tune - Sevlievska Troika
Georgi Sugarev - Hristo Arsov/Karlo Orchestra
Dance Tune From Pleven - Grupata Na Tsvyatka Blagoev/Atanas Atanasov
Bozhil Began To Play His Kaval - Gudi Gudev
Red Fez-Macedonian Dance - Ramadan Lolov
Kopano Horo - Boris Karlov

Amazon.com

Spurred by the popular success of Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares (Nonesuch), there has been unprecedented interest by the Western world in the music of Bulgaria. But the renowned women's choir offers a mere fragment of the country's diverse musical heritage. Song of the Crooked Dance, a 23-track compilation of recordings from 1927 to 1942, presents a far more extensive and stunning overview of the Bulgarian traditions, the breadth of which may surprise most listeners. The impassioned ornamentation of 17-year-old singer Vulkana Stoyanova echoes the great vocalists of flamenco. Solos on gaida (bagpipe) and kaval (end-blown flute) recall the launeddas masters of Sardinia and Celtic pipers and flautists. Pieces showcasing trumpet and clarinet resound with klezmer's free-metered reel. Remarkably, it's as if Balkan folk music channels the crosscultural gitano flame of the entire European continent. --Sam Prestianni

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic!.......2000-02-09

This CD introduces the listener to priceless recordings of Bulgarian folk music. People who like the Bulgarian "mystery girls" (Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares) and international folk dancers will really enjoy this, as will anyone who likes international music. Some of the tunes (a 7/8 bagpipe tune and a slow 7/8 Macedonian tune played like a waltz) had me dancing in my office during my first hearing. Another (the song of the "bear handler") had me laughing out loud at the bear grunts, dog barks, and snide comments provided by actors. There are several wonderfully soulful clarinet and vocal tunes, and the CD introduces you to other instruments like the oboe-like zurla, the folk violin gadulka, trumpet and others. The CD's booklet is very informative about the making of the recordings, Bulgarian history, how Bulgarian music was being transformed during this period, the customs surrounding the music, and the meaning of the songs. If you've just heard the big state choruses, this information will fill in a lot of gaps for you, and even if you're already familiar with Bulgarian or Balkan music, the booklet will be fascinating.

in-depth and excellent.......2000-01-25

Great to know that Yazoo, a label which has released dozens of great, ancient recordings (a personal favorite is the Secret Museum of Mankind series), has, in the wake of several modern variations on Bulgarian folk music, released this awesome package. The variety of compositions and arrangements of this traditional music is well documented here, and the informative liner notes are great to have. The serious ethnomusicologist will take delight in the CD's presentation and in-depth look at Bulgaria's musical heritage, and the CD is great for the casual listener.

Music Album:

Music Album