Pop-folk Music in Bulgaria

/part 4/

In the last decade, the style and topics of chalga songs and videos have changed a lot. Today, chalga is a huge industry with talented Bulgarian singers and musicians. It has come to be a growing business with high production values and interesting videos. Record companies work with partners from other European countries, making Bulgarian music popular both at home and abroad.
Many of the Bulgarian pop-folk singers and musicians have gone to England, Spain, Italy, Australia, USA, Canada, etc. They enjoy other Bulgarians, who had decided to move there to live with their families or alone, with their songs and music. Pop-folk singers sing there in different discos and pubs. Bulgarian people are very happy, because they know that they are not forgotten.
One of the most famous pop-folk events were "Planeta Prima"/2004, 2005, 2006/. During these three years eight singers from "Payner" enjoyed the population of Bulgaria in fifteen towns in their stadiums. During first year the singers were: Gloria, Maria, Emilia, Anelia, Malina, Kamelia, Gergana and Raina. During the second year these were again: Maria, Kamelia, Malina, Gergana, Emilia and three new singers: Ivana, Veronika and Preslava. And during the third year the talents were: Gergana, Emilia, Ivana, Preslava, Raina, Malina, Kamelia and Anelia.During the second pop-folk event there were other singers, who were guests in the different towns of Bulgaria, like Boris Dali, Nelina & Bliznacite, Maria, Anelia, etc. Everyone of the singers had a mix of songs, which she or he had to sing for twenty minutes. These three pop-folk events were the most perfect and firmly things that have ever happened.
This was our last article about pop-folk music in Bulgaria. We will bring you more information about other things, but you have to stay tuned for our next week article.

by:Novak Novakov & Veliko Mitkov

edited by:Fikrie

Pop-folk Music in Bulgaria

/part 3/

In 1989, when the Bulgarian Communist regime fell, restrictions were lifted and a new culture emerged. The "new" and "forbidden" were released from the underground in Bulgaria. Chalga tune swept the nation. And now it is played openly and available on cheap pirated tapes and CDs. A new generation of scantily-clad and cheap, huge-breasted Bulgarian "superstars" grabbed the public spotlight, performing songs that might have led to official sanctions only a year before.Lyrics about sex, gun-running and gangsterism, were the order of the day, danced to across the Bulgarian nation in new "folkteki" or folk discos(pubs).
Now some of the most famous hits of the Bulgarian female and male singers are: "Lazha e" (Preslava); "Moi si diavole" (Sofi Marinova & Ustata); "Nai-dobrata" (Ivana); "Nai-dobriat" (Pepa & Kosti); "Koi zhivee v garazha?" (Konstantin); "Vsichko" (Bony); "Praznuvash li sega?" (Azis); "Telefoni-remix" (Maria & ork.Kristali); "Baby" (ork.Kristali); "Karma" (Gergana); "Tzip na ustata" (Raina); "Viatar v kosite ti" (Anelia); "V tishinata" (Malina); etc.
By the 2000s, the popularity of chalga somewhat waned, but it remains a vibrant genre. It was partly replaced by Western pop music, more traditional Bulgarian music, and that of Bulgarian musicians exploring new avenues (most notably hip-hop like Dope Reach Squad, Upsurt, MishoShamara, Spens-all Bulgarian hip-hop singers) and musicians like Slavi Trifonov. We will bring you more information about today's chalga. Stay tuned for the next week article (the last one).

by: Novak Novakov & Veliko Mitkov
edited by: Nina

Pop-folk Music in Bulgaria

/part 2/

The word chalga comes from Turkish word çalga, which is pronounced "chal-guh". It means "playing" or "music and itself pass from Arabic. As the word suggests the tradition came from the East and is not of Slavic origin. Indeed, the movement is derived from the art of chalgazhia, a kind of musician, normally a Rom, who could play virtually any type of music, but added his own distinctive beat or rhythm to the song. Often a chalgazhia would not be able to read music, but instead played from memory on his kaval (another example: an end-blown flute). Very often some musician in groups and not only are playing at different festivals, concerts or weddings. These performers initiated the popularization of chalga.
There are several pop-folk music companies, for example: the biggest one Payner; Ara-Audio-Video (or Ara Music); Sunny Music; Dream House; Diapason Records; New Music; etc. Some famous singers are Gloria (the Queen of pop-folk music), Anelia, Preslava, Gergana, Ivana, Kamelia, Maria, Raina & Konstantin (from Payner); Alisia, Tony Storaro, Pepa & Kosti, Teodora, Anna (from Ara Music);Lia & Kondio, Panko (from Dream House); Azis (the most famous singer from Sunny Music); Kali (from Diapason Records) and Desislava (from her own company - New Music). They are liked a lot by the people of Bulgaria, espacially by the teenagers and some of the elder poeple. We will bring you more information about chalga's popularity. Stay tuned for the next week article.

by Novak Novakov & Veliko Mitkov