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 Song
Of The Crooked Dance: Early Bulgarian Traditional Music 1927-42
Various Artists
Spurred by
the popular success of Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares (Nonesuch),
there has been unprecedented interest by the Western world in
the music of Bulgaria. But the renowned women's choir offers a
mere fragment of the country's diverse musical heritage. Song
of the Crooked Dance, a 23-track compilation of recordings
from 1927 to 1942, presents a far more extensive and stunning
overview of the Bulgarian traditions, the breadth of which may
surprise most listeners. The impassioned ornamentation of 17-year-old
singer Vulkana Stoyanova echoes the great vocalists of flamenco.
Solos on gaida (bagpipe) and kaval (end-blown flute) recall the
launeddas masters of Sardinia and Celtic pipers and flautists.
Pieces showcasing trumpet and clarinet resound with klezmer's
free-metered reel. Remarkably, it's as if Balkan folk music channels
the crosscultural gitano flame of the entire European continent.
-- Sam Prestianni (Amazon.com)
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