New and Notableby Martin Koenig
Between 1966 and 1979, educator, cultural documentarian and sometime EEFC workshop instructor Martin Koenig made half a dozen trips to Bulgaria.
Working in villages throughout the country, Koenig filmed, recorded, and photographed the lively, yet endangered, aspects of Bulgaria’s traditional culture. The results are indelibly gathered in Sound Portraits from Bulgaria: the vibrant rural life he experienced, the virtuosic musicians and dancers he met, the extraordinary music they made, and the joyous rituals and festivals he witnessed. This collection, published by Smithsonian Folkways, celebrates a way of life that has largely vanished due to industrialization, technology, globalization, and emigration. 109 minutes of music in 2 CDs; 144-page book with photographs and extensive bilingual notes.
Buy two-CD book set ($49.98) or download the album for $19.99; download the liner notes (no charge) and see all the lyrics in Bulgarian and English translation. The tracks are also available for individual purchase and you can sample them here: folkways.si.edu/sound-portraits-from-bulgaria