The music of Bulgaria refers to all forms of music associated with the country of

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 Macedo ...

, including classical, folk, popular music, and other forms. Classical music, opera, and ballet are represented by composers Emanuil Manolov, Pancho Vladigerov and Georgi Atanasov and singers Ghena Dimitrova, Mariana Paunova,

Boris Hristov Boris Christoff ( bg, Борис Кирилов Христов, Boris Kirilov Hristov, ; 18 May 1914 – 28 June 1993) was a Bulgarian opera singer, widely considered one of the greatest Bass (voice type), basses of the 20th century. Early ...

, Raina Kabaivanska and Nicolai Ghiaurov. Notable names from the contemporary pop scene are Lili Ivanova, Emil Dimitrov and Vasil Naydenov. Prominent Bulgarian artists living abroad include Sylvie Vartan, Kristian Kostov, Philipp Kirkorov,

Lucy Diakovska Ludmila Lubomirova "Lucy" Diakovska ( bg, Людмила Любомирова Дяковска; born 2 April 1976) is a Bulgarian and German singer and television personality. She rose to prominence as one of the founding members of the all-fem ...

, Mira Aroyo, Mikhael Paskalev, Nora Nova,

Vasko Vassilev Vasko Vassilev ( bg, Васко Василев, links=no; born October 14, 1970 in Sofia, Bulgaria) is a Bulgarian violinist and conductor. At the age of eight he had his first public appearance and released his first record with the Sofia Philha ...

and

Ivo Papazov Ivo Papazov (or Papasov; bg, Иво Папазов; born 16 February 1952), nicknamed Ibryama (), is a Bulgarian clarinetist. He leads the "Ivo Papazov Wedding Band" in performances of jazz-infused Stambolovo music, and is one of the premier cr ...

. 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 ...

has received 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 pr ...

in 1990. The Philip Kutev Ensemble, the first of the Bulgarian state-sponsored folk ensembles and founded in 1951, also is featured on the 1990 Grammy-winning album and has had many well-known Bulgarian folk singers, including, at present, Neli Andreeva and Sorina Bogomilova. Rhodope folk singer

Valya Balkanska Valya Mladenova Balkanska ( bg, Валя Младенова Балканска; born 8 January 1942) is a Bulgarian folk music singer from the Rhodope Mountains known locally for her wide repertoire of Balkan folk songs, but in the West mainly fo ...

has recorded the folk song "

Izlel ye Delyo Haydutin "Izlel ye Delyo Haydutin" ( bg, Излел е Дельо хайдутин, lit=Delyo has become a hajduk) is a Bulgarian folk song from the central Rhodope Mountains about Delyo, a rebel leader who was active in the late seventeenth and early eigh ...

", which was included on the

Golden Disk The Voyager Golden Records are two phonograph records that were included aboard both Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977. The records contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for ...

sent into space with the Voyager spacecraft in 1977.

Instruments

Bulgarian music uses a wide range of instruments. Some folk instruments are variants of traditional Asian instruments such as the " Saz" (Bulgarian tambura), or the kemençe (Bulgarian gadulka). More modern style instruments are often used in the modern dance music that is an offshoot of traditional village music. Bulgarian folk bands, called bitovi, use instruments that commonly include: *The gaida, a traditional goat-skin bagpipe. There are two common types of gaida. The Thracian gaida is tuned either in D or in A. The Rhodopean gaida, called the kaba gaida, is larger, has a much deeper sound and is tuned in F. *The

kaval The kaval is a chromatic end-blown flute traditionally played throughout the Balkans (in Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Southern Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Northern Greece, and elsewhere) and Anatolia (including Turkey and Armenia). The k ...

, an end-blown flute is very close to the Turkish kaval, as well as the Arabic " Ney." *The gadulka, a bowed stringed instrument perhaps descended from the rebec, held vertically, with melody and sympathetic strings. The bass gadulka has largely been replaced by the double bass (called in Bulgarian a contrabas). *The

tǔpan The davul, dhol, tapan, atabal or tabl is a large double-headed drum that is played with mallets. It has many names depending on the country and region. These drums are commonly used in the music of the Middle East and the Balkans. These drums ...

, a large drum worn over the shoulder by the player and hit with a beater ("kiyak") on one side and a thin stick ("osier") on the other. *The tambura, a long-necked, metal-strung, fretted

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...

used for rhythmic accompaniment as well as melodic solos. It is somewhat like the Greek bouzouki and very similar to the Tamburica family's "alto" instrument, the brac. *The

tarabuka The goblet drum (also chalice drum, tarabuka, tarabaki, darbuka, darabuka, derbake, debuka, doumbek, dumbec, dumbeg, dumbelek, toumperleki, tumbak, or zerbaghali; arz, دربوكة / Romanized: ) is a single-head membranophone with a goblet-s ...

or dumbek, an hourglass-shaped finger-drum. It is very similar to the Turkish and North African "

darbouka The goblet drum (also chalice drum, tarabuka, tarabaki, darbuka, darabuka, derbake, debuka, doumbek, dumbec, dumbeg, dumbelek, toumperleki, tumbak, or zerbaghali; arz, دربوكة / Romanized: ) is a single-head membranophone with a goblet-s ...

" and the Greek " touberleki" (τουμπερλέκι). Modern professional musicians soon reached new heights of innovation in using traditional Bulgarian instruments, by expanding the capacities of the gaida ( Kostadin Varimezov and Nikola Atanasov), gadulka ( Mihail Marinov, Atanas Vulchev) and kaval ( Stoyan Chobanov, Nikola Ganchev, Stoyan Velichkov, www.nedyalkov.org Nedyalko Nedyalkov, Theodosii Spassov). Other instruments arrived in Bulgaria in the 19th century, including the

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a ree ...

and the clarinet. Bulgarian accordion music was defined by Boris Karlov and later Roma musicians including Kosta Kolev and Ibro Lolov. In 1965, the Ministry of Culture founded the

Koprivshtitsa Koprivshtitsa ( bg, Копривщица, pronounced , from the Bulgarian word , ''kopriva'', meaning "nettle") is a historic town in the Koprivshtitsa Municipality in Sofia Province, central Bulgaria, lying on the Topolnitsa River among the ...

National Music Festival, which has become an important event in showcasing Bulgarian music, singing and dance. It is held once every five years, and the last festival was 7–9 August 2015. Instruments used in wedding music include violin,

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitch ...

, saxophone, drum set, electric bass, electric guitar and synthesizer.

Folk

Regional styles abound in Bulgaria.

Northern Bulgaria Northern Bulgaria ( bg, Северна България, Severna Bylgarija), also called Moesia ( bg, Мизия, ''Mizija'') is the northern half of Bulgaria, located to the north of the main ridge of the Balkan Mountains which conventionally se ...

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 ...

, Shopluk,

Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to ...

, Strandzha, Macedonia and Rhodopes - all have distinctive sounds. Some folk music revolves around holidays like Christmas, New Year's Day, midsummer, and the Feast of St. Lazarus, as well as the Strandzha region's unusual Nestinarstvo rites, in which villagers fall into a trance and dance on hot coals as part of the joint feast of Sts Konstantin and Elena on 21 May. Music is also a part of more personal celebrations such as weddings. Singing has always been a tradition for both men and women. Songs were often sung by women at work parties such as the sedenka (often attended by young men and women in search of partners to court), betrothal ceremonies, and just for fun. Women also had an extensive repertoire of songs that they sang while working in the fields. Folklore regions of Bulgaria

Young women eligible for marriage played a particularly important role at the

dancing Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoi ...

in the village square (which not too long ago was the major form of "entertainment" in the village and was a very important social scene). The dancing — every Sunday and for three days on major holidays like Easter — began not with instrumental music, but with two groups of young women singing, one leading each end of the dance line. Later on, instrumentalists might arrive and the singers would no longer lead the dance. A special form of song, the lament, was sung not only at funerals but also when young men departed for military service. Bulgarian folk music is known for its ''asymmetrical'' rhythms (defined by the famous Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist

Béla Bartók Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hu ...

as "Bulgarian rhythms"), where meter is split into uneven combinations of short (two metric units) and long (three metric units) beats, corresponding to the dancers' short and long steps. In European folk music, such asymmetrical rhythms are commonly used in Bulgaria, Greece, elsewhere in the Balkans, and less commonly in Norway and Sweden. The most important state-supported folk ensemble of the socialist era was the Sofia-based State Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances, founded in 1951 and led by Philip Koutev. Koutev became perhaps the most influential musician of 20th century Bulgaria, and arranged rural music with

harmonies In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. Howev ...

more "accessible" to audiences in other countries, to great domestic acclaim. The ensemble has now been renamed the Philip Kutev Ensemble in his honor. In 1952, Georgi Boyadzhiev founded the group known today as the

, which became famous worldwide after the release of a series of recordings entitled '' Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares''. The distinctive sounds of women's choirs in Bulgarian folk music come from their unique rhythms, harmony and vocal production. Characteristic

polyphony Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, ...

, such as the use of close intervals like the

major second In Western music theory, a major second (sometimes also called whole tone or a whole step) is a second spanning two semitones (). A second is a musical interval encompassing two adjacent staff positions (see Interval number for more de ...

and the singing of a drone accompaniment underneath the melody, are especially common in songs from the Shope region around the Bulgarian capital Sofia and the Pirin region (Bulgarian Macedonia). In addition to the ensemble led by Koutev, who adapted and arranged many of the harmonies, and composed several songs (as did his wife, Maria Kouteva) that were also performed by other groups, other women's vocal groups gained popularity, including Trio Bulgarka, consisting of Yanka Rupkina, Eva Georgieva, and Stoyanka Boneva. Some of these groups were included in the "Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices" tours. Trio Bulgarka 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", becoming the first female ...

on the songs "Deeper Understanding", "Never Be Mine", and "Rocket's Tail".Kate Bush and Trio Bulgarka interview
YouTube.com (11 March 1989). Retrieved 23 August 2019. 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. ...

Asymmetric meters

One of the most distinctive features of Bulgarian folk music is the complexity of its rhythms in comparison to Western music. Although it uses Western meters such as , , and , Bulgarian music also includes meters with odd numbers of beats per measure, sometimes called asymmetric meters. These can be understood as combinations of groups of "quick" and "slow" beats. For example, the dance ''lesnoto'' ("the light/easy one") has a meter of seven beats with emphasis on the first, fourth, and sixth. This can be divided into three groups, a "slow" unit of three beats and two "quick" units of two beats, often written 3+2+2. Each basic folk dance type uses a distinct combination of these rhythmic "units". Some examples of Bulgarian folk dances are ''rachenitsa'' (seven beats divided: 2+2+3), '' paydushko horo'' (five beats: 2+3), ''eleno mome'' (seven beats: 2+2+1+2), ''

kopanitsa Kopanitsa or kopanica (called in some regions Gankino) is the name for a family of lively folk dances from western Bulgaria done to music in meter, and also sometimes for the accompanying music. Some sources describe the rhythm in terms of "quick" ...

'' (eleven beats: 2+2+3+2+2), ''Bucimis'' (15 beats: 2+2+2+2+3+2+2), and ''pravo horo'', which can either be standard or . Some rhythms with the same number of beats can be divided in different ways. Eight-beat rhythms can be divided 2+3+3, 3+2+3, 3+3+2, 2+2+2+2, 2+2+4, 2+4+2, 4+2+2 or 4+4.

Select discography

*''Music of Bulgaria'' – Original 1955 Recording (

Nonesuch __NOTOC__ Nonesuch may refer to: Plants * '' Lychnis chalcedonica'', a wildflower * ''Medicago lupulina'', a wildflower Places and structures *Nonesuch, Kentucky *Nonesuch Island, Bermuda *Nonesuch Mine, Michigan *Nonesuch Palace, mis-spelling of ...

9 72011). Early recordings of Philip Koutev and the Ensemble of the Bulgarian Republic. This was one of

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity and satire of ...

's favorite albums, and Bulgarian harmonies reportedly influenced the harmonies of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. *'' Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares'' – (Nonesuch 9 79165 in the U.S.; 4AD Records CAD603CD in the UK). Featuring the Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Choir. This is the world hit that introduced many to Bulgarian music. It is actually a collection of recordings by various artists and groups. A group that included some of these singers (and others) toured under this name. *''Village Music of Bulgaria'' – (Elektra/Nonesuch 9 79195). Two albums of field recordings by Martin Koenig on one CD ('' A Harvest, a Shepherd, a Bride'', and '' In the Shadow of the Mountain''). One of the tracks, a recording of " Izlel je Delyo Hajdutin", was included by

Carl Sagan Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is research on ex ...

and

Ann Druyan Ann Druyan ( ; born June 13, 1949) is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning American documentary producer and director specializing in the communication of science. She co-wrote the 1980 PBS documentary series ''Cosmos'', hosted by Carl Sagan, w ...

on the

Voyager Golden Record The Voyager Golden Records are two phonograph records that were included aboard both Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977. The records contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for ...

. *A song from the Rhodope Mountains, "

" by

– Part of the

selection of music, included in the two

Voyager Voyager may refer to: Computing and communications * LG Voyager, a mobile phone model manufactured by LG Electronics * NCR Voyager, a computer platform produced by NCR Corporation * Voyager (computer worm), a computer worm affecting Oracle ...

spacecraft launched in 1977.*''Balkana'' The Music of Bulgaria – (Hannibal HNCD 1335). Many of the songs are by Trio Bulgarka or one of its members. *''The Forest is Crying (Lament for Indje Voivoda)'' – (Hannibal HNCD 1342). By the Trio Bulgarka. *''Two Girls Started to Sing ...'' Bulgarian Village Singing – (Rounder CD 1055). Field recordings. *''Bulgarian Soul'' – Bulgarian operatic mezzo Vesselina Kasarova sings Bulgarian folk songs with the Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria. Songs are arranged by the Bulgarian composer Krassimir Kyurkchiyski and accompanied by the Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra.

Select artists and groups

(Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares)
Cosmic voices from Bulgaria
* Trio Bulgarka, Yanka Rupkina * Valkana Stoyanova *

* Stefka Sabotinova * Nikolina Chakardakova * Neli Andreeva * Nedialka Keranova * Diko Iliev – compose Danube horo and other * Filip Kutev * Iliya Argirov * Bulgare ensemble * Daniel Spassov * Svetoglas * Neshka Robeva's spectacles * Kostadin Gugov *

London Bulgarian Choir The London Bulgarian Choir (LBC) is a London-based amateur choir specialising in Bulgarian folk music. Dessislava Stefanova has led the choir since its formation in 2000. Primarily a performing choir, the LBC perform around twenty concerts a y ...

* Kitka – based in Berkeley, California * Nadka Karadjova * Vulkana Stoyanova * The Grannies From Bistritsa * Oratnitza – contemporary band with folk influences * Outhentic – contemporary ethno-jazz band * Iliya Lukov *

Elitsa & Stoyan Elitsa and Stoyan ( bg, Елица и Стоян) are a Bulgarian music duo. In 2007, Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankoulov were the entry for Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007. Their 5th place with the song " Water", was the highest Bul ...

– contemporary electronic/folk duo * Filip Kutev ensemble

Orthodox

The tradition of church singing in Bulgaria is more than a thousand years old, and can be traced back to the early Middle Ages. One of the earliest known musical figures (composer, singer and musical reformer) of

Medieval Europe In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

John Kukuzel (1280–1360), known as The Angel-voiced for his singing abilities, has Bulgarian origins. In the

Bulgarian Orthodox Church The Bulgarian Orthodox Church ( bg, Българска православна църква, translit=Balgarska pravoslavna tsarkva), legally the Patriarchate of Bulgaria ( bg, Българска патриаршия, links=no, translit=Balgars ...

, there are two traditions of church singing: * Eastern monodic (one-voice) singing and

choral A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

(

Polyphonic Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, ...

). The Eastern monodic singing observes the tradition of Greek and

Byzantine music Byzantine music ( Greek: Βυζαντινή μουσική) is the music of the Byzantine Empire. Originally it consisted of songs and hymns composed to Greek texts used for courtly ceremonials, during festivals, or as paraliturgical and liturgica ...

and the requirements of the eight-tones canon of the Eastern Orthodox chanting. * The second tradition is rooted in choral church music, established during the 19th century, when Russian choral church music began to have an influence in

. During the 19th and 20th century, many Bulgarian composers created their works in the spirit of Russian polyphony. Today, Orthodox music is alive and is performed both during church worship services and at concerts by secular choirs and soloists. The following list shows contemporary Bulgarian choirs and singers that have a repertoire rooted in orthodox music: * St. Alexandar Nevsky Cathedral Choir * "Madrigal" Chamber Choir * Sofia Boys' Choir * Sofia Orthodox Choir * Svetoglas * Sofia Priest Choir * Yoan Kukuzel Choir * Opera singer Boris Hristov * Opera singer Nikola Ghuzelev

Classical

Alexandra Fol Alexandra Fol (born July 11, 1981) in Sofia, Bulgaria is a Bulgarian-Canadian composer who resides in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Fol has composed more than 40 works in different mediums, which have been performed by ensembles such as Sofia Philhar ...

* Alexandrina Pendachanska * Mihail Angelov * Liudmil Angelov * Anatoli Krastev * Anna Tomowa-Sintow *

Anna-Maria Ravnopolska-Dean Anna-Maria Yordanova Ravnopolska-Dean ( bg, Анна-Мария Йорданова Равнополска-Дийн), born 3 August 1960, Sofia, Bulgaria, is a Bulgarian and American harpist, composer, pedagogue, musicologist and TV host. Biogra ...

* Ari Leschnikoff – actual name Asparuh Leschnikoff *

Boris Christoff Boris Christoff ( bg, Борис Кирилов Христов, Boris Kirilov Hristov, ; 18 May 1914 – 28 June 1993) was a Bulgarian opera singer, widely considered one of the greatest basses of the 20th century. Early life He was born ...

Dobri Hristov Dobri Hristov ( bg, Добри Христов; 14 December 1875 – 23 January 1941) was one of the major Bulgarian composers of the 20th century. He wrote mainly choral music, as well as some church music and music for the orchestra. Hristov wa ...

Dobrin Petkov Dobrin Petkov ( bg, Добрин Петков)(24 August 1923 – 10 February 1987) was a Bulgarian conductor. Life and career Born in Dresden, Germany, Petkov was the son of a famous violin pedagogue, whose students were leading musicians ...

* Dobrinka Tabakova *

Emil Tabakov Emil Tabakov ( bg, Емил Табаков ; born August 21, 1947) is a Bulgarian conductor, composer and double-bass player. Life and career Emil Tabakov was born in Ruse, Bulgaria. In 1974 he studied at the Bulgarian State Music Academy with ...

* Emil Tchakarov * Georgi Tutev * Ghena Dimitrova * Gheorghi Arnaoudov * Hristo Tsanoff * Konstantin Iliev * Mariana Paunova *

Milen Nachev Milen Nachev ( bg, Милен Начев)(born 1957 in Bulgaria) is a Bulgarian/American conductor. Milen attended the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in Russia. There, he received his master's degree in Symphonic and Opera conducting. Nachev was A ...

Nayden Todorov Nayden Todorov ( Bulgarian: Найден Тодоров; born Plovdiv 1974) is a Bulgarian conductor. Biography Todorov was born on 8 April 1974 in Plovdiv. In 1993 he graduated from the Dobrin Petkov National School of Music in Plovdiv in ...

* Neva Krysteva * Nicola Ghiuzelev * Nicolai Ghiaurov * Pancho Vladigerov *

Petko Dimitrov Prof. Dr. Petko Stoyanov Dimitrov is a Bulgarian marine geologist and oceanographer from the Institute of Oceanology - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Varna. Biography Born on September 16, 1944 in the village of Novachene, Sofia Province. ...

* Raina Kabaivanska * Ralitsa Tcholakova * Rossen Milanov *

Svetla Protich Svetla Protich ( bg, Светла Протич), is a Bulgarian classical pianist and professor of music. Biography Svetla Protich started taking piano lessons at the age of 5 under Prof. Dimitar Nenov, and performed her first solo-recital wh ...

* Veneta Vicheva *

Vesselina Kasarova Vesselina Kasarova ( bg, Веселина Кацарова; born 18 July 1965) is a Bulgarian operatic mezzo-soprano. Early life and education Kasarova was born in the central Bulgarian town of Stara Zagora. Under the communist regime she studie ...

* New Symphony Orchestra Tosca - Madrid, and Enrigue Baquerizo 2004

Chalga (pop-folk) is a contemporary music style that combines often provocative Bulgarian lyrics with popular Eastern European (rarely Russian and Ukrainian) and Turkish music. It is the Bulgarian version of the corresponding variations in neighbouring countries such as Greece ('' Laïkó''), Serbia ('' Turbofolk'') or Romania ('' manele''). This subgenre is rather a mixture of

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

, chalga and gypsy music with Bulgarian wedding motives.

Yuri Yunakov Yuri Yunakov is a Turkish- Bulgarian Roma musician, who is famous for participating in the development of Bulgarian wedding music, and introducing it to the United States. He grew up in a Muslim family in Thrace, and started playing music as a ...

, a Bulgarian

Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...

saxophonist, is one of its creators with clarinetist

. The album ''New Colors in Bulgarian Wedding Music'' highlights his amalgamation of traditional Bulgarian music with more modern elements. During the Communist era, some folk musicians lived outside the state-supported music scene. Without official support, wedding bands were also without official limitations on their music, leading to fusions with foreign styles and instruments.

was an important center of this music, which was entirely underground until 1986, when a festival of this music, which became a biennial event, was inaugurated in the town of Stambolovo, and artists like Sever, Trakiîski Solisti, Shoumen and Juzhni Vetar became popular, especially

ist

Ivo Papasov Ivo Papazov (or Papasov; bg, Иво Папазов; born 16 February 1952), nicknamed Ibryama (), is a Bulgarian clarinetist. He leads the "Ivo Papazov Wedding Band" in performances of jazz-infused Stambolovo music, and is one of the premier cr ...

Select artists

* Azis * Anelia *

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...

Galena Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead(II) sulfide (PbS). It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver. Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It cr ...

Desi Slava Desislava Ivanova Doneva ( bg, Десислава Иванова Донева; born 7 March 1979), known by her stage names Desi Slava ( bg, Деси Слава) or DESS, is a Bulgarian singer-songwriter and producer. She was born in Radnevo, ...

* Emilia * Ivana *

Kamelia Kameliya Vladimirova Veskova ( bg, Камелия Владимирова Вескова; born 10 January 1971), better known mononymously as Kamelia, is a Bulgarian singer, actress and TV presenter. Early years Kamelia was born on 10 January ...

* Preslava * Gergana *

Slavi Trifonov Stanislav Todorov Trifonov ( bg, Станислав Тодоров Трифонов; born 18 October 1966), known as Slavi Trifonov ( bg, Слави Трифонов), is a Bulgarian TV host, musician and politician. Trifonov is mainly active i ...

and Ku-Ku Band *

Sofi Marinova Sofiya "Sofi" Marinova Kamenova ( bg, София "Софи" Маринова Каменова, is a Bulgarian Romani pop-folk and ethno-pop singer. She has won multiple music awards and contests. She is often called "the Romani pearl" and "the ...

Jazz

* Ruth Koleva * Theodosii Spassov *

* Camellia Todorova * Jivko Petrov * Yildiz Ibrahimova * Hilda Kazasyan * Vasil Petrov * Simeon Venkov – Moni * Miroslav Ivanov * Veselin Veselinov – Eko * Michail Yossifov * Milcho Leviev * Rossen Zahariev * Anatoly Vapirov * Hristo Yotzov * Antoni Rikev * Nikolay Danev * Tri O FIve Theodosii Spasov

Electronic

Deep Zone Project Deep Zone Project is a Bulgarian house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical ...

* Esem * Shamanez * Mira Aroyo (of Ladytron) * Valdi Sabev * Apo & Nevena * Gravity Co *

Ivan Shopov Ivan Shopov ( bg, Иван Шопов, born 7 September 1982), better known by his stage names Cooh (COOH, CooH) and Balkansky (Бalkansky), is a Bulgarian music producer, DJ, print maker and fine art creator.IMO Record"Cooh Biography", ''IM ...

* Stephan Panev *

Michail Goleminov Michail Marinov Goleminov ( bg, Михаил Маринов Големинов) (2 June 1956 – 26 February 2022) was a Bulgarian pianist, conductor and composer. Life and career Goleminov was born in Bulgaria, and was the son of composer Mari ...

* Bulgaro * Tibetan hearts * KiNK

Rap

* Misho Shamara * Spens * Upsurt *

100 Kila Yavor Dimitrov Yanakiev ( bg, Явор Димитров Янакиев; born 16 May 1985), better known by his stage name 100 Kila ( bg, 100 Кила; also stylized as 100KILA), is a Bulgarian rapper, actor, songwriter and entrepreneur from Varn ...

Krisko Kristian Radoslavov Talev ( bg, Кристиан Радославов Талев; born 11 May 1988) better known by his stage name Krisko ( bg, Криско), is a Bulgarian recording artist, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur. He is sign ...

* Homelesz * Keranov * Manata * Jluch * Qvkata DLG * Grigovor * Logo5 * Mr. Freesk * F.O. * Jay * Soni Bonanza * Wosh MC *

Sekta Sekta is a village in the Imphal East district of Manipur, India. Sekta Archaeological Living Museum The Sekta Archaeological Living Museum ( mni, Sekta Kei) is a museum in Sekta village in the Indian state of Manipur. It is a protected archaeo ...

* Skandau

Rock, metal and new wave

Ahat Ahat, also known as AXAT ( bg, Ахат , "agate"), is a Bulgarian rock band from Sofia. History The band was created in 1986 in Sofia by students from the National Academy of Music and the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy. ...

* Akaga * Georgi Minchev * Signal * FSB (Formatsia Studio Balkanton) *

* Hipodil * Milena Slavova *

Balkandji Balkandji is a folk metal band from Bulgaria. They freely mix traditional Bulgarian music with hard rock and heavy metal. As Bulgarian folk music is very complex, in Balkandji songs odd time signatures and constant time signature changing a ...

* Bandaracite * Barabi Blues Band * B.F.H. * BTR * D-2 * Epizod * Grimaze * Monolith * Nova Generacia * Obraten Efekt * Ostava * Analgin * Kontrol *

Kukeri Kukeri ( bg, кукери; singular: kuker, кукер) are elaborately costumed Bulgarian men, who perform traditional rituals intended to scare away evil spirits. This Bulgarian tradition has been practiced since Thracian times and is of a Thr ...

* Poduene Blues Band * Srebyrnite grivni * Tangra * Wickeda * Impulse * Faktor * Odd Crew *

Review A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a rating to indi ...

Punk and funk

* Novi Tsvetya ("New Flowers") * D.D.T. * Sub Zero Farm * Viperfish * The Scroletics * Brothers in Blood * U.Z.Z.U. * Akaga

Reggae

* Sen I * Zafayah * Jahmmi Youth * Roots Rocket Band * Merudia * Rebelites * NRG D * Ragga one * Samity * Root Souljah * Kaya

References

External links

Bulgarian folk music for dances

Bulgarian folk workshop
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Music Of Bulgaria Balkan music