RhoDeo 1122 Roots

Hello, we stick to last weeks voices but turn back towards Europa, the Balkan to be more precise, Bulgaria if you want it more precise. A few decades ago Les Voix Bulgares was upon everyones radar as the work of Swiss ethnomusicologist Marcel Cellier whose recordings of the Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Vocal Choir ended up mainstream after being released and promoted by trendy label 4AD. The harmonies hit a nerve then and still do....

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Les Voix Bulgares is the vocal manifestation of an ancient, savage , proud and rustic tradition; an expression modelled by the women of a people oppressed for centuries, crying the loss of their men in a neverending revolt, whilst firmly voicing their resistance to the invader. Sharp piercing voices from wide open spaces, bodily and closely woven like the singers themselves who as they chant grip eachother by the waist or simply hold hands.

In 1951, the father of Bulgarian concert folk music, Philip Koutev, established the Ensemble of the Bulgarian Republic. His goals was to join the rich heritage of his country's solo folk songs with harmonies and arrangements that highlighted their beautiful timbres and irregular rhythms. One year later, the Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Vocal Choir was founded. Then as now, its members are singers from the rural regions of Bulgaria, each an informal apprentice in the folk songs of her home.

Singers are chosen from country villages for the beauty and openness of their voices, and they undergo extensive training in the unique, centuries-old singing style. Influenced by Bulgaria's Thracian, Bulgarian, Ottoman and Byzantine history, their music is striking in its use of diaphonic singing and distinctive timbre, as well as its modal scales and dissonant harmonies (abundant second, seventh, and ninth intervals).

Though the choir became widely known when the trend-setting English alternative record label 4AD released a pair of anthology albums in 1986 and 1988 with the now famous title Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, their recordings date as far back as 1957. The first pressing of the Voix Bulgares album was the result of fifteen years of work by Swiss ethnomusicologist and producer Marcel Cellier and was originally released in 1975 on his small Discs Cellier label. Ivo Watts-Russell (founder of 4AD) was introduced to the choir from a third or fourth generation audio cassette lent to him by Peter Murphy, singer from the band Bauhaus. He became thoroughly entranced by the music, and tracked down and licensed the recordings from Cellier. The group has since performed extensively around the world to wide acclaim and were honored with a Grammy Award in 1989 for their second album.

In 1992, the choir formally divided into two: one for radio, one for television. Bulgarian television signed a contract with the one half, which is the Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir; the other half, Les Voix Bulgares De Radio Sofia , organized itself as a collective, and now performs as "Angelite - The Bulgarian Voices."

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The album was the result of fifteen years of work by Swiss ethnomusicologist and producer Marcel Cellier and was released in 1975 on his small Disques Cellier label.

In the 1980s, Ivo Watts-Russell (founder of 4AD) was introduced to the choir from a third or fourth generation audio cassette lent to him by Peter Murphy, singer from the band Bauhaus. He became thoroughly entranced by the music, and tracked down and licensed the recordings from Cellier. So in 1986, it was re-released on the 4AD label in the UK, in 1987 the Nonesuch label in the US and on the Philips label in other territories.

Le Mystère Des Voix Bulgares ( flac 208mb)

01 Pilentze Pee (Pilentze Sings) 2:24
02 Svatba (The Wedding) 1:31
03 Kalimankou Denkou (The Evening Gathering) 5:12
04 Strati Na Angelaki Doumasche (Haiduk Chant) 2:40
05 Polegnala E Pschenitza (Harvest Chant From Thrace) 3:10
06 Messetschinko Lio Greïlivko (Love Chant From The Rhodopes) 2:34
07 Breï Yvane (Dancing Song) 2:24
08 Erghen Diado (Song Of Schopsko) 2:54
09 Sableyalo Mi Agontze (The Bleating Lamb) 4:35
10 Prïtourïtze Planinata (Chant From The Thracian Plain) 4:33
11 Mir Stanke Le (Harvest Chant From Thrace) 3:17
12 Schopska Pesen (Diaphonic Chant) 1:31
13 Polegnala E Todora (Love Chant) 5:29


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Le Mystère Des Voix Bulgares Vol 2 (flac 245mb)

01 Ensemble Trakia – Kaval Sviri (The Flute Plays) 2:10
02 Choeur RTB – Stani Mi, Maytcho (Get Up, My Daughter) 4:46
03 Ensemble Pirin – Di-Li-Do 1:21
04 Choeur RTB – More Zajeni Se Ghiouro (Ghiouro Gets Married) 1:26
05 Choeur RTB – Tche Da Ti Kupim Bela Seitsa (I'm Going To Buy Some White Silk For You) 2:32
06 Orchestra Yvan Kirev – Ovdoviala Lissitchkata (The Vixen Has Lost Her Children) 2:48
07 Choeur RTB – Messetchinko Lio (You Little Moon) 3:09
08 Ensemble Pirin – Ei Mori Roujke (You, Young Girl Roujke) 1:50
09 Choeur Philip Koutev – Dragana I Slavei (The Chant Of Dragan) 3:08
10 Choeur RTB – Atmadja Duma Strachilu (Revolutionary Chant) 4:00
11 K.Valcheva & V.Andonova & P.Gortscheva & S.Boneva – Dve Tourlaski Pesen (Teasing) 2:18
12 Choeur RTB – Trenke, Todorke 1:25
13 Choeur RTB – Besrodna Nevesta (Young Wife With No Children) 3:00
14 Choeur RTB – Izpoved (Confession) 5:38
15 Choeur RTB – Ghiore Dos (Teasing) 1:37
16 Choeur RTB – Spis Li, Milke Le (If You're Sleeping, Milke) 5:03


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Elsewhere ..Jan 8, 2008  Around The World (13)

Les Voix Bulgares De L'Ensemble Radio Sofia - Balkan (89 ^ 98mb)

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