Angelina by The Bulgarian Voices Angelite

One of the unifying musical elements in Bulgarian Voices Angelite’s Angelina is the rhythm. The Bulgarian folk-music is famous for the abundance of irregular, asymmetric measures – dubbed by Bela Bartok the “Bulgarian rhythm”. Many of the songs on the album are built on such a meter and rhythm base. The sound of the drum in Bulgaria is a symbol of the feast and of dancing horo (round chain dance). We can hear it in some of the authors’ arrangements, performed by one of the best Bulgarian percussionists –Stoyan Yankulov.
One of the unifying musical elements in this project is the rhythm. The Bulgarian folk-music is famous for the abundance of irregular, asymmetric measures – dubbed by Bela Bartok the “Bulgarian rhythm”. Many of the songs on the album are built on such a meter and rhythm base. The sound of the drum in Bulgaria is a symbol of the feast and of dancing horo (round chain dance). We can hear it in some of the authors’ arrangements, performed by one of the best Bulgarian percussionists –Stoyan Yankulov.

In the mosaic structure of the program cohabit contrasting in their characteristics – solo, choral and in some of them instrumental accompaniment. The folklore, ancient and modern, is present with elegant balance between tradition and modern approach. Choir and soloists pursue strictly the respective region, local style and musical dialects. They recreate the patterns of the old musical folklore in a mode close to the old traditions from the different regions.

The remarkable Bulgarian composer Ivan Spassov uses in his compositions aleatory technique with overlapped polyphonic patterns. From the roots of the traditional song “ Leilinko, kuzum pilanze” springs a creatively developed musical work with free, irregular harmony and soft sonority. This is one of the last songs of Ivan Spassov, written at the end of his path of life, specifically for the Bulgarian voices Angelite.The music reveals the philosophy of the author relating to the universe and eternity.

The last song of the album is the end of a journey, which starts in the distant past and ends in our days. A journey in which one can experience the power of the folk art, feel the bond between generations and learn about the millenarian Bulgarian music history.

These phenomenal Bulgarian voices first performed in Germany in 1987 in the city of Bremen. In the years that followed, an unprecedented career took them around the world — from Alaska to Japan, from Mexico to India. They have sung at the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo (1996) and for an Indian maharajah, have collaborated in concert with Japanese Kodo drummers and produced ......