Trio Bulgarka ( bg, Трио „Българка“; also known as "Three Golden Coins", previously known as "Bulgarka Folk Trio") were a

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

n vocal ensemble. They gained international prominence through their contributions to the groundbreaking 1975 world music album ''Balkana: The music of Bulgaria'', originally released on the now defunct Hannibal label. The three women in the trio were from

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, from

Strandzha Strandzha ( bg, Странджа, also transliterated as ''Strandja'', ; tr, Istranca , or ) is a mountain massif in southeastern Bulgaria and the European part of Turkey. It is in the southeastern part of the Balkans between the plains of T ...

and from

Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; bg, Добруджа, Dobrudzha or ''Dobrudža''; ro, Dobrogea, or ; tr, Dobruca) is a historical region in the Balkans that has been divided since the 19th century between the territories of Bulgaria and Romania. I ...

. Their diversity of regional backgrounds enabled them to create a unique sound to their music. They recorded for record labels Bulgaria Balkanton and Hannibal in 1987. In 1988, their album ''The Forest Is Crying'', produced by

Joe Boyd Joe Boyd (born August 5, 1942) is an American record producer and writer. He formerly owned Hannibal Records. Boyd has worked on recordings of Pink Floyd, Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson, Nick Drake, The Incredible String Band ...

was released. As part of the

Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir The Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir is an internationally renowned world music ensemble that performs modern arrangements of traditional Bulgarian folk melodies. It is most recognized for its contribution to Marcel Cellier's Le Mys ...

, they appeared on the album '', Volume Two'', which won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in 1989. In 1989 they were featured on ''

The Sensual World ''The Sensual World'' is the sixth studio album by the English art rock singer Kate Bush, released on 16 October 1989 by EMI Records. It reached No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart. It has been certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (B ...

'' album by

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...

, on the songs "Deeper Understanding", "Never Be Mine", and "Rocket's Tail". In 1993 they appeared on another Kate Bush album, '' The Red Shoes'', in the songs "You're the One", "The Song of Solomon", and "Why Should I Love You?", which also featured

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

. "I've never worked with women on such an intense creative level," Bush told the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' in January 1990, "and it was something strange to feel this very strong female energy in the studio. It was interesting to see the way the men in the studio reacted… Instead of just one female, there was a very strong female presence." The trio disbanded at the end of the 1990s, and Eva Georgieva died in 2004.

Discography

;Albums * ''The Forest Is Crying'' (Lament For Indje Voivode), Hannibal Records, 1988 * ''Bulgarka Vocal Trio'', Balkanaton, 1989 * ''Folk Songs (Trio Bulgarka-Penev)'', Gega New, 1994 ;Contributing artist *''

'' –

(1989) *'' The Red Shoes'' – Kate Bush (1993) *''

The Rough Guide to the Music of Eastern Europe ''The Rough Guide to the Music of Eastern Europe'' is a world music compilation album originally released in 1998. Part of the World Music Network Rough Guides series, the album gives broad coverage to the music of Central Europe and the music of ...

'' (1999,

World Music Network World Music Network is a UK-based record label specializing in world music. The World Music Network website features news, reviews, live music listings, and guide sections on world music. It also features an online "Battle of the Bands" compet ...

)

References

External links

MySpace pageBiography
at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

Review
of ''The Forest Is Crying'' at AllMusic
Excerpt from the book
"Performing Democracy: Bulgarian Music and Musicians in Transition" by Donna A. Buchanan (Chapter 10) at the katebushnews.com forum {{DEFAULTSORT:Bulgarka, Trio Bulgarian folk music groups