Product Description

Folk-revival groups are a spotty proposition: they usually just mimic the old music, offer some clever updates, and generally don't get it ("it" being the underlying spirit of folk music). This group seems to rise a little above the usual and offers a mixed bag of excellent, vibrant pieces, but it also churns out some academic, staid readings as well. The group uses instruments from many parts of Bulgaria, including the , , , and . Led by ethnomusicologist Georgi Dolchev, a bagpipe soloist in the Philip Koutev Ensemble (), the group has some wonderful instrumentalists and a superb lead singer in Radostina Kaneva. Occasionally Bulgari really break loose and deliver back-yard music with soul and energy. Just as often they seem to be reading the music off the sheets, and while it is expert and interesting, it will pull you out of your seat. This group compares favorably with much of the work of Musikas (whose best work also depends on a superb vocalist), although Bulgari fail to break out and reach the heights the Hungarians can occasionally rise to.