The Bistritsa Grannies and their Grand-Daugthers

Artist: The Bistritsa Grannies and their Grand-Daugthers

Name: The Bistritsa Grannies and their Grand-Daugthers

Released: 2000

Label: Gega new

Format: Cristal

Total playing: 69'58

Bonus: Import Bulgaria

Price : 12.50 €

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Ref.: CR00617GEGA

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The Bistritsa Grannies and their Grand-Daugthers (The Bistritsa Grannies and their Grand-Daugthers)

Bistritsa is situated in the suburbs of the city of Sofia. It is a unique settlement, which cherishes an old and well-preserved traditional culture. Bitritsa's folk tradition is part of the folklore of Middle Western Bulgaria, characterised by its two-part singing with some incident three-part combinations. This multi-voiceness is quite different from the European music tradition. It is more primitive and very often neighbouring tones are united simultaneously in an amazing harmony. This incredible sonority gives us an entirely new idea of the classical multi-voiceness and surprises us with the unusual natural and easy flow of sounds that reach the listener. The melodies come out freely without any metrical organization, or in the typical uneven measures (7/8, 5/16, 11/16, etc.). The villagers of Bistritsa have songs for all occasions: weddings, the horo dance, working-bees, harvest time. There are also ritual songs for different festivals. And even though part of these activities are no longer practised today, the residents of Bistritsa still sing and cherish them.
The Bistritsa Grannies group was founded in 1939. At the moment it includes singers from three generations, aged between 46 and 77, and they have their worthy successors in the group of their grand-daughters (between 20 and 25 years of age). "The Grannies" are popular and loved not only in the Shoppe region and in Bulgaria, but they have also been received with enthusiasm in England, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the USA. In 1978 they won the prestigious "European Folk Art" award, which was granted by the "Alfred Toepfer" Foundation, Hamburg.

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